Anyone put a new, lighter flywheel in during clutch replacement? If so, notice any difference, and also what brand? And would anyone be so kind as to explain why some companies say aluminium is better, and some say steel.. Just curious. Thanks.

 

The application is what dictates whether aluminum is better than steel and vice-versa.

Aluminum is lighter, therefore less rotational mass which translates into quicker acceleration and less "shock" on the drivetrain as a whole when combined with an aluminum driveshaft. This is ideal for a road course-type set-up.

Steel is heavier and far more durable. This translates into a longer time to rev-up and can withstand more "punishment" which is why this is ideal for drag racing since you rev-up on the line and can launch at 6,000 RPM or whatever, the extra weight of the flywheel has increased inertia which will minimize rpm drop upon launch, where as an aluminum flywheel with less weight and less inertia will drop considerably more rpm's on launch. Plus being more durable, the steel flywheel can withstand the tremendous load of dumping 300, 400, or 500 HP on it at 6,000 RPM at launch time.

Seeing that the S2000 is a "road" car and not a drag car, the benefits of an aluminum flywheel make it the more practical choice.

I had an aluminum flywheel on my last car, but not the S2000...yet, and yes I noticed a big difference. Not only did it rev-up quicker upon acceleration, but it seemed to smooth out the driveline as a whole, and when I added an aluminum driveshaft it got even better, including the smoothness while shifting. A very worthwhile modification in my opinion, but once again, this was on another car and not the S. Hope this helps.

 

Mule,

Did you have a Fidanza?

 

Yes I did.

 

i have a fidanza 8 lbs flywheel and as he was saying the it does accelerate quicker because with a lighter flywheel it will get you to the powerband faster say to around 6k because of less rotational mass, after that you can only tell a slight increase in performance.

 

YES! I installed a comptech lightened flywheel and OEM clutch replacement from hardtopguy.com . I could feel a difference off the line and especially when switching gears. very pleased and the clutch pedal feels less like a toy.

 

I have a Toda FW which is 8 pounds. It is made of chromoly steel. It does let the engine rev faster and I like the change.

 

one other application steel would benefit might be if you have turbo. I mean big turbo. RPM does not drop as fast so it will keep pressure in turbo for less spool time. but that's only if you are shifting fast.

 

Anyone have a supercharged and a lightweight flywheel?

 

product inquiry, moving to S2000 talk