E30M3

Performance:

Easier up and down shifts at any speed, especially if you "heel and toe" downshift. Less lag before sufficient rev rise after you blip the gas pedal. Noticeable performance increase in the lower gears. Decreases in the higher gears. This is because the motor revs faster in the lower gears. Within any given gear, the benefit will be highest in those RPM ranges in which the motor can change speed the quickest. You can easily measure the benefit on a chassis dyno. Although this tends to show a lower benefit since you generally use a higher gear, often 4th gear. Here is a dyno test on an MR2 showing before / after adding a light flywheel.

http://www.muellerfabricators.com/ProjectMR2.htm

Clutch life:

Since there is less energy stored, some tend to slip the clutch a bit more when starting off. A nonissue once you adapt, if the flywheel / clutch are streetable. On some cars, folks find it easier to stall if you're not careful, some find more (not harmful) tranny noise.

Stan

Pepe

A couple of points:

1. The Toda flywheel is almost 50% lighter than stock.
2. The car is more responsive in pre-VTEC
3. You do have to rev the car a little bit more to engage first gear (this could lead to a little more wear on the clutch but I think is insignificant).
4. Heal & Toe is easier (car revs more with just a small blip of the gas)

I would recomend this mod with my eyes close. If you can deal with taking the transmission out, do it. You will not be disappointed.

Fito

I have the Toda flywheel installed, this is maybe the best mod I have done to the car. With the flywheel the car actually has power pre-vtec, the daily drive of the car is way enhanced.

Prolene

That is a strong recommendation and one I trust, as well as Fito's. I think I will get it done at some time. I plan on keeping the car a long time and it probably will be worthwhile to have the clutch done at some time. When I get the clutch done (perhaps Mugen) I will have the Toda installed at the same time.

Hate to drop the tranny now to change a no problem fairly new clutch. Too bad I don't have clutch slipping problem under warranty, I'd put the Toda in with clutch change.

[Edited by Prolene on 01-19-2001 at 07:10 AM]

The Reverend

I think you guys are maybe giving too much praise to the flywheel. I've modified cars before and the S2000 generally responds the least positively to modifications. So it becomes easy to get real excited when something finally does help, as the flywheel does to some extent. But even with the flywheel, the car has less response to the lighter flywheel than you would expect. Other cars I've driven with lightened flywheels usually have a more dramatic response to the lightened flywheel. In the s2000, the car does not feel any faster to me, just more fun to drive and easier to heel-toe. It revs faster, but not as fast as you might expect from such a light flywheel. Anyway, it's not a bad mod at all, but I certainly wouldn't recommend pulling out a perfectly good clutch and flywheel to replace it with the Toda unit and another clutch. Just wait until your clutch wears out and do it all then.

E30M3

...Just wait until your clutch wears out and do it all then...

I agree. I've suggested to a few folks (who have asked me via email) to consider doing it during the 1-2 grind fix. Again there is no major effect in the higher gears except for shift related factors. Any slight performance benefit is most pronounced in the lower gears and declines with each upshift into a higher gear. Since the motor revs fastest in the low gears.

Stan

Luder94

I agree with the replace the flywheel at time of clutch replacement, however, in my Prelude I used to swear by the JUN Chromoly Lightened Flywheel (as oppose to JUN's chromoly lightweight flywheel).

As explained to me how JUN designs flywheel is that they graph flywheel weight vs. inertial response. They try to optimize the weight loss on the flywheel without sacrificing loss of torque transference to the clutch. This allows the driver to rev up faster. It helps the driver stay in VTEC easier. . .however, while driving my S2K hard I don't have a problem of trying to keep the F20C in VTEC. . .it's easy as it is.

In a B16, B18, or the H22 I can definitely see the aided benefit. In my Prelude, I have the non-vtec H23. I can see and feel the advantage against the H22 (Prelude VTEC) from stop light to stop light racing. My car has the torque advantage all the way up to 3500 rpms, at which the VTEC is engages in the H22. However, as I switch gears, I can rev faster to the 3500 mark which translates to more distance between me and the VTEC Prelude before it engages. In stop light racing or short track racing, there is a definite advantage.

At this point I see how the money put into a flywheel may not be worth it. Not because I don't do the street racing anymore, like I used to when I was younger and dumber, but that mod is easily negated. Practice shifting!!! One mis-shift or a couple of slow shifts would allow the car with the non-lightened flywheel to have the advantage.

If you need anymore detailed info, write to GTRPower (Nick). He's very knowledgable and is the one who explained this mod to me at his old shop. Nick--sorry if I chopped up your explanation of the flywheel mod (or explained it incorrectly).

RT

[QUOTE]Originally posted by E30M3
[B]...Just wait until your clutch wears out and do it all then...

I agree.

RT

I'd like also to add that the lighter flywheel may make a not so easy to launch car even harder to launch consistently. Not sure we all agree on that one though.

E30M3

...Man the moons must really be in alignment this week!
Second time this week I agree with The Rev and to have Stan and The Rev on the same page too, what a bonus ...

LOL. But you'll notice that I am staying out of the lengthy shock/spring thread...

Stan