Just curious how many of you are running aluminum flywheels in your street cars and are happy with the drive-ability of your car or truck? I'm currently running one in a 3600 lb. pickup, 31" tall tires with a Tremec 5-speed. I had the flywheel laying around so had it re-surfaced and tossed it in my initial build just to put a few miles on the truck. Although I didn't weigh mine before the build, I have no issues with driving the truck on the street. Sure it revs a bit faster but I have not had to make changes in driving style to accommodate the lower rotating mass. Yes, it's a pickup but I do not haul or tow weight nor would I attempt that with my truck or with an aluminum flywheel. - EM
I thought it was a good idea to run a aluminum fly wheel. I was wrong. the heavier steel one went right back in. the blown hemi needed more rpm from a stop. it was slower on the race track. it did sound good in the shop. that was in my 31 Chrysler coupe. I changed out a stock fly wheel for a slightly heavier steel unit for my 327 chevelle. what a difference that made. much easier to drive and didn't pull the engine down at the shift. its actually faster now.
I run a 10# Scheifer aluminum flywheel behind the 360 SBC in my 3W only because I had it on the shelf. Back in the '60s ran the same flywheel in my bracket car. A friend wanted to try his engine in my '55 and the et dropped over two tenths. Of course Dave's engine made more power than my 327 but the launches were much more consistent with his 50# steel flywheel.
At 17, I had built an unusually big flathead: 3-7/16" X 4-1/4". I had a Weber aluminum flywheel, 12 lb. Also a Hudson 'Auburn' pressure plate...super light. Mad genius me installed it on the big mill, just knowing it'd be the fastest thing in Northern Calif. My super clean '36 Five window coupe got the big engine, and I fired it and ran it in Grandma's garage, warmed it up a number of 20 minute runs, then...out to the street. Amazing quick revs! 'Wappa! Wappa!' Road test was surprising...Rev it, engine sounding thunderous...Load the drivetrain... Dump the clutch, Wow! Engine lost revs, nearly 'fell on its face'! Tried it some more, finally got so I could drive it...(had to 'learn it', sorta like the locked rear end in my '34!) When I installed the 26 pound wheel and Ford pressure plate, things got MUCH better. The older guys told me it would rob me of 'usable torque', but I had to learn...
I ran one years ago on a 450" FE and while the 'instant revs' was very intimidating to would-be street race challengers, when the FE was at full cry I swear you could feel every cylinder fire. Trim bits attached with sheet metal screws needed the screws tightened on a regular basis...
Ha! I remember when Pro Stock cars went to actually adding weight to their flywheels for that very reason. Once you've overcome inertia to get the RPMs up, they don't want to stop nearly as easily as a light flywheel. So launches and shifts are a lot different. Believe me, I have my steel flywheel ready to go with my new engine for the same reason. - EM
Light flywheels are a road race thing. That said, in 1964 my street car was a gasser-style 1956 150 Chevrolet with dual-quad 265, three-speed and 5.13 rear gear. It got revs so quick a heavy flywheel would slow it down.
I have run 'em in street cars. I am lucky I have never had one come apart, now that I am older I would probably want a good scatter shield. I have seen one come apart before. We used to say light vehicle light lower end. In a world of going fast street or strip (I don't road race) light flywheel is part of light lower end. If your mill will do more than pull an old sick woman off a bedpan a light flywheel should not have a lot of effect on your driving style other than you have to shift sooner.
"If your mill will do more than pull an old sick woman off a bedpan a light flywheel should not have a lot of effect on your driving style other than you have to shift sooner". Porknbeaner: so do you have a fixture to attach that car to the bedpan?
Yep. I agree with you on your 56'. I remember a lot of light cars running them in drag racing in the 60's and 70's. My brother had a pretty hot VW that he drag raced and the lightweight flywheel worked well for him. In looking at clutches and flywheel options for my truck recently I was surprised to see how many aluminum flywheel options there are for the newer Mustangs. - EM
I love the one in my 440/4spd ‘70 Challenger, but I drive it like a stolen car. No pussyfooting around in a car like that...
My new Ford (2019) CS has one as standard equipment with the 6-speed manual.... And a dual disc clutch setup....
I have installed aluminum flywheels in several fox body mustangs for people some like them some don't.
my -new on the road this spring- 34 has a 59ab 80 over, merc crank, merc cam, and single 97. no fancy new science, just what the boys may have done in the 50's. i used an early flywheel with the big blob cut off, and a 9" clutch. sorry, cant remember what it weighs exactly, i think they start off at about 36lbs, and i am at about 26lbs. this is what bruce lancaster always said was the lightest "ford" flywheel. rumble seat too. so i went that route. wow! it really revs up fast, you would think i have a monster motor, but, in fact it revs up so fast that if not careful i can get the it can get bucking like a wild bronco when taking off from a dead start. stock 34 gas pedal, no resting post (yet). first time i thought maybe i forgot to tighten the motor mounts, but no, they are tight, steady rods are in, just very sensitive on throttle application from a dead start. flywheel balanced and surfaced, new ft wayne disk and pp. to top it off, i can get it to slip in overdrive (columbia) when i floor it. so, in summery, if i need to change to a bigger disk, i will go with a stock flywheel too. i gotta add, the deceleration is amazing. when approaching a stop sign you hardly need brakes, just take your foot off the gas
I have one behind the 471 blown flathead in the roadster. Revs fast, sounds crazy for a flathead, still unsure about any plusses other that that.
Run a 12 lb Weber flywheel on my 260 in flathead with Edelbrock slingshot,big cam,headers. 32 Henry cabriolet hi-boy weighs 2200 lbs and run 80 in 1/8 mile running 3:89 Detroit Locker in 9 in Ford. Car runs very well on the street with 2:75 gear in same 9 in Ford rear. I only run 2-3 gears at track from gm 5 speed overdrive.
I run a 13lb alu flywheel, 10" lomg press plate ( 10" is 4lb lighter than 11"), 324 Olds engine mild cam, 39 Ford trans, 3.10 rear, 29" rubber, in a 2400lb model A roadster on the street. Works ok for me & sure sounds cool when you rev it up.. Greg
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