flywheel antics

[superls]

hi all, ive bought a new motor.

as it happened i had a spare flywheel lying around so decided id attempt to lighten it, ready for when i change the clutch.



this is before any lightening took place

19.25 lb ~ 8.73kg






this is after lightening,

10.25lb ~ 4.65kg

thats a 4.1kg saving, should pickup alot better now.

this iwas my last attempt for my previous engine.




comments?

 

[jugs]

"comments? "

You could do with a swarf guard over the leadscrew on the lathe & a worklight

 

[Rick]

Big fish you caught the first time around.

I'd get it balanced! Also would have put a little lip to give the clutch a little more clamping force.

Other than that, looks cool

 

[superls]

"comments? "

You could do with a swarf guard over the leadscrew on the lathe & a worklight

yea a swarf guard is in the pipeline, i have a worklight but i removed it to make a chuck guard.

Big fish you caught the first time around.

I'd get it balanced! Also would have put a little lip to give the clutch a little more clamping force.

Other than that, looks cool

yea ill ballance it when ive finished it, i need an clutch to bolt to it so i no where i can take a bit more from to do as you describe, atm all ive done is taken it off parallel with the ring gear, but i might undercut the back a couple of mm, as my target weight is 4kg, without holes.

cheers for the comments.

 

[piman]

Hello Superls,

Is that a cast iron flywheel, if it is I would be very worried that it may burst at higher revs?

Alec

 

[Rick]

Hello Superls,

Is that a cast iron flywheel, if it is I would be very worried that it may burst at higher revs?

Alec

I also thought that, when I take iron flywheels to be machined they won't do it past a certain point. Not sure how critical it is though. I've had chromoly flywheels that are pretty thin.

 

[superls]

yes its cast iron, and your not the first to raise the point, but this will be the 3rd one ive done now, (for myself) the first one was fine for in excess of 10k miles, regularily tested to 7krpm, sometimes pushed to 8krpm, half throttle launches etd, and is still fine and sat in my shed, the second one, similar story, only run for about 5kmiles but was on a much more powerfull engine than the first, and fingers crossed up to now, ive had no troubles what so ever, (runs to touch some wood).

 

[graffian]

You thought about making one from steel?

 

[bgunn]

As long as you don't take too much meat off, and take it from the outside - cast iron flywheel lightening isn't too unsafe..

 

[clairetoo]

You thought about making one from steel?

Or better still - aluminum ?
Last ally one I made came out at under 3kg's

 

[Justme]

I assume you have to up the tick over to keep it running smooth?

 

[the snooper]

would rather have a heavier flywheel then lumpy tickover but each to their own

 

[clairetoo]

I assume you have to up the tick over to keep it running smooth?

Nope - mine's on a Mazda V6 that will happily tickover at 550 RPM (and scream all the way to 8000 )
That a standard 28lb flywheel swapped for a 6lb ally one.......

 

[BChild]

Nope - mine's on a Mazda V6 that will happily tickover at 550 RPM (and scream all the way to 8000 )
That a standard 28lb flywheel swapped for a 6lb ally one.......

The V6 is the key - try that flywheel on a four banger and you might find a different result

My std flywheel on a 24V straight six is 19 kgs - one custom steel flywheel later and it's 9 kgs

On injection set up it will tickover at 600 rpm all conditions - on triple carbs it'll start and tickover at 400 rpm

I've since had another one made at 4.5kgs

 

[superls]

im my last engine, i used a 3.25kg one, and it hapily SMOOTHLY ticked over at 700rpm, and limited at 8000rpm.

 

[superls]

You thought about making one from steel?

no never thought of actually making one, i guess it wouldn't be too hard, looking at those ally ones i kind of fancy one of them, but what to use for the friction part?

 

[superls]

@bchild

what is the friction area made from on your ally flywheel? is it just ally, cant imagine it is.

 

[clairetoo]

@bchild

what is the friction area made from on your ally flywheel? is it just ally, cant imagine it is.

For the friction area I machine a disc from an old scrap flywheel , about 6mm thick , and fix it with M6 countersunk socket heads (well locktight'd in place)

 

[BChild]

@bchild

what is the friction area made from on your ally flywheel? is it just ally, cant imagine it is.

It's all steel EN24T - integral ring gear machined into the flywheel at fabrication stage

Designed to fit Lotus Carlton 3.6L Crank using an Audi S4 pressure plate and std Opel Monza friction disc - bit of a hybrid

PS when I can get them made for under £300 why bother to try and make them yourself

 

[superls]

For the friction area I machine a disc from an old scrap flywheel , about 6mm thick , and fix it with M6 countersunk socket heads (well locktight'd in place)

show us some pics of your flywheel please, what did you do for the ring gear, reuse the old one?