Rotational Mass, Lightweight Flywheels – should I?
Some if not all of the good people within SKCC will know that i’m having a new engine built by Dick Primett. As before it’s based on the 2.0 Zetec and will be far from ‘stock’ – with some ‘trick’ goodies hidden within. Thoughts turned yesterday to the merits and value of changing the existing flywheel….and led to a few hours worth of research on the subject.
Those that know me well will know that my engineering background is second only to Charlie Chaplins, or to put it another way – i’m clueless, but prepared to learn. The existing flywheel is already a lightened after market version weighing in at 6kg, would one that’s 2kilos lighter have much effect, would it warrant the cash investment?
After trawling various forums I began to realise why engine builders and tuners get so frustrated with some of the audience, and yet again how the internet can be a mine of erroneous information. I was looking for something a little more tangible and credible than ‘ Yeah a light wheel will make you slower up hills’, or ‘ Yeah do it Bruv, my pal has one and it’s really shiny and looks the nuts’.
So for those that have an interest in learning or time to kill I offer you 2 links. Yep that’s right I’ll not pass judgement or perpetuate yet more contentious drivel – we’ll leave that to ‘Gaz’ and his chums. Suffice to say that I drive a lightweight car with a ‘revvy’ style of engine as opposed to a ‘torque monster’, I like a quicker throttle response, I enjoy using engine braking to slow down for corners and in the scheme of things a LWF is hardly a luxury cost item. Now where’s that order form…….
http://www.stockcarracing.com/techarticles/scrp_0610_reducing_moi/viewall.html
http://hpwizard.com/rotational-inertia.html