I KNOW it is NOT recommended to machine the stock flywheel. But after owning a machine biz for nine years, I have machined "non-machineable" flywheels at the customers request and have had great results. Just wondering if anyone out there has cut the stock flywheel with no ill effects....personally I'd upgrade to a L/W flywheel no question....but just weighing some options. Thanks, guys...

 

During a clutch buzz TSB job, another local owner was told the flywheel was shot and needed a new one. He didn't have the funds at the time and decided to tell them to just machine it down. It's been over nearly 2 years now and nothing has gone wrong. I can't say how much was taken off.

 

Interesting, thanks XV....anybody else?

 

I have done it twice with no ill effects.

 

Thanks guys, I really feel it's a marketing thing. I have machined flywheels as little as .004 to achieve a full cut. All depends on the depth of the heat cracks...I'd say 1% of the time I had a warped flywheel, and I've probably cut a few hundred.

 

cdelena, are you saying you've cut your one flywheel twice? I've cut race car flywheels as many as twenty times each.

 

No different flywheels. A stock unit that took quite a bit of grinding but worked just fine. And a Toda that just needed a light surfacing. The last time I did mine the FD was glazed but the FW and PP looked good so I did them by hand with sandpaper.. works great.

 

bumping an old thread rather than making a new....

I had a stock flywheel machined before my clutch job last fall. I know it is a stepped flywheel. The shop said they machine the friction surface and the step the same depth.

Well after the clutch job, i noticed it felt like it engaged pretty late (about the same as the old clutch before the replacement). I used it all thru winter, and at an autocross test n tune yesterday it slipped until i let off the gas when fully engaged on a launch without spinning the tires at all. (this was on just regular street tires too)

Is it possible that they machined the flywheel poorly and the height of the step is not right? I would imagine this could result in the pressure plate not clamp down as closely/tightly to the flywheel acting the same as if the clutch was worn out.

Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

Anybody?

 

this can also happen if the clutch used is of questionable quality. Not saying yours is, but this is a common trait on Exedy "oem replacement" clutch kits when tolerances are just not that precise. that is my guess.

On my GSR, instead of getting a genuine OEM ITR clutch, or even an Exedy stage 1 i went with a the clutch mentioned above and found that the pressure plate felt NOTHING like a type R in feel. it is it light and engages fairly late, but still works fine after over a year now, but it just feels unsatisfactory. It turns out other folks trying the same clutch I did had the same symptoms. It does happen. sorry to hear that man.