Engine: Aluminum flywheel

[Phil Harris]

[Dick Steinkamp]

My experience also, Phil.

If heavier flywheels helped in ANY regard (ET, MPH, fuel economy, etc) wouldn't heavier than stock flywheels be sold in the after market?

The only downside I can see is that a light flywheel may help produce a "lopy" idle...but then as a hot rodder, I consider that an ADVANTAGE.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Dick -

Heavier flywheels ARE sold in the aftermarket..!

Some of the fastest cars out there have heavy flywheels. That's what the "floor" is for...push the gas pedal to it, count to three and let the clutch out. It makes a small engine seem a little bigger once the power gets to the ground.

About the only modern drag racer that uses a light flywheel/clutch assembly is Pro Stock. They have a lot of cubic inches and a light car...BUT, they also leave the starting line at 9000 rpm..!

Spending a lot of my growing years at a local drag strip here in SoCal, while yes, there were a fair amount of aluminum in the pits, most were steel.

Hell, even a lot the smaller engine Comp. Eliminator cars of today that use automatic transmissions, use heavy flex plates..! Another thought, you ever handle a full torque converter ?

Small engine/heavy car, heav"ier" flywheel, bigger engine/light"er" car, lighter flywheel.
That's just the way it is on the drag racing circuit, at least the NHRA followers.

Lighter clutch components have their place just as well as heavier ones, just not on lower horse powered cars.

Mike

[DEEPNHOCK]

Post #33 in that thread tried to send them your way, Phil....

http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.com/showthread.php?90040-Aluminum-flywheel-Stude-V8&highlight=aluminum+flywheel

[Dick Steinkamp]

Dick -

Small engine/heavy car, heav"ier" flywheel,

Well that must be my problem. I've never raced a heavy car with a small engine. Never seemed like that much fun.

[Chicken Hawk]

My experience with the little 232 was the same as Phil's. Also have one in the Tomato but put it in mainly due to the SFI rating. I blew a clutch in the 232 one time and that is something I don't want to experience again and is also why I use the Hays, Ram, etc. clutches in the Tomato rather than the stock type.

Ted

[ChitownStude]

Does anybody make a SFI rated steel flywheel for Studes? Would love to try out the difference in the future once we finish getting our car done for the purestock drags. I understand the aluminum has worked out great in the past for others but would love to do a back to back test just to make sure the heavier flywheel doesn't help us out with consistent 60' times. Thanks

Eddie George

[Skip Lackie]

Does anybody make a SFI rated steel flywheel for Studes? Would love to try out the difference in the future once we finish getting our car done for the purestock drags. I understand the aluminum has worked out great in the past for others but would love to do a back to back test just to make sure the heavier flywheel doesn't help us out with consistent 60' times. Thanks

Eddie George

Please see post #1.

[63larkr1]

I did a back to back test with my R1. Stay with the aluminum flywheel.
Richard

[63larkr1]

Does anybody make a SFI rated steel flywheel for Studes? Would love to try out the difference in the future once we finish getting our car done for the purestock drags. I understand the aluminum has worked out great in the past for others but would love to do a back to back test just to make sure the heavier flywheel doesn't help us out with consistent 60' times. Thanks

Eddie George

Eddie,
It's good to have a young guy like you planning to run a Studebaker in Pure Stock. We need new blood and maybe you can bring some new ideas that will help the Studebakers do even better.
Thanks,
Richard

[Halibrand1]

Thanks for the nice comments to Eddie Richard . We did buy a flywheel from Phil for our current R-3 engine project . My son Eddie and his friend Luke are very devoted to Studebaker performance . Both of them have found experts that have proven results and very excited to be involved our project . Studebakers have excited the pros that are tired of the same old thing . I am very lucky to have a son and Luke to be a part of my hobby . Ed

[63larkr1]

I talked to Luke last year in the staging lanes, he was really in to the Studebaker racing thing.
We hope all is good with you guys.
Richard