Consensus on AL vs Steel flywheels?

[FETorino]

What is everyones experience with using an AL or Steel flywheel in a track oriented car?

I'm going to be running a TKO600 RR version behind a 600+hp FE with a big flat torque curve. Have a 3.70 locker right now but may move to a 4.10. My car is a pig weighing about 4k.

I see a lot of conflicting opinions on flywheel materials and weight.

Anybody have some real world experience they'd like to share?

[The WidowMaker]

no real world, but i talked with mcleod and they stated that unless i wanted to burn up their rst clutch i needed their steel wheel. mine will be 90% street though. if that ratio was swapped, i would have gone aluminum and they would have recommended it as well. their alum 168 tooth LS wheel was 14 lbs and the steel is 24.

[GregWeld]

You need 11 or better torque multiplication -- so your first gear ratio X's your rear end ratio --- answer should be 11. or higher

Use a FLUID DAMPER balancer

You'll hate an aluminum flywheel for a 4000# car on the street.... end of story.

[GregWeld]

Here's what Modern Drivelines says about Aluminum flywheels...

<quote> Aluminum flywheels were designed to lessen the rotating mass of the motor allowing the motor to spin up faster. A good application for this is road racing or auto-crossing. Aluminum flywheels don't present any issues on the street. However, the engine pulsations may be more prevalent as they are not dampened by the heavier steel flywheel. There is a steel facing that can be replaced once is it worn out. <end quote>


I disagree with them about the "street".... having owned more than a couple drag cars.... which used aluminum flywheels way back when.... but they were radical as well and a little tough to drive on the street anyway. But in a heavy street car - that flywheel mass or lack thereof will definitely be felt/noticed.

[GregWeld]

These guys make a nice piece.... and have one for your FE

http://www.fidanza.com/aluminum-flywheels.aspx

[funcars]

To answer your question about track experience with aluminum: I have an aluminum flywheel with an 11" long style pressure plate in my Mustang and have found it liveable on the street. It works great on the track. The only issue I have on the street is that at lower rpms I have to be smooth or it can lurch back and forth, but it isn't a low rpm motor. It has a 378 with a big cam and ports and a larger cube motor with more torque would be easier to manage.

[Beegs]

I put an al flywheel in my 69. TKO 5 speed, mild 350. I read a Vizard article about rotating mass and quicker RPM increases due to the lack of it. I would never do it again. I didn't put many miles on that car but I can tell you that it was not smooth. It was an irritating feeling....knowing that if I had done a steel FW that thing would have been smooth.

Quicker RPM increase? LOL do the math...if you race and points are on the line....great. If it's mainly street driven go steel, cut down on the cheeseburgers and you might end up with the same result.

[Blake Foster]

My Nova has an Aluminum McLoed flywheel and an RST clutch. and i drive it on the street!! no issues, it did take a while to get to the point of not stalling it every time i let the clutch out, and the smell of the organic clutch is not that plesent. but it sure revs fast!!! there is some trade off but i would never put a steel fw in a car that is going on the track, trust me you get used to it in a hurry.

Greg you can't beleve everything you read on the internet you know!!

[Vegas69]

Uh, doesn't his post say a track oriented car? :unibrow: That's what an aluminum flywheel was made for..

[Beegs]

Uh, doesn't his post say a track oriented car? :unibrow: That's what an aluminum flywheel was made for..

oops...missed that part!

[FETorino]

Uh, doesn't his post say a track oriented car? :unibrow: That's what an aluminum flywheel was made for..

It won't be a track only car but it will be street legal. I'd like to think I could drive it to the track as some on this board have done with their rides.

Won't be driving it to the market.
Won't be commuting in it.
Won't run it at the dragstrip.

Open track days and maybe a silver state classic type event.

2.87 first gear with 3.7 rear ratio gives me a current 10.6 final drive.
I may swap to a 4.10 rear for a 11.77 final drive.

With 482ci and a flat torque curve near 600ft the motor should be up for the task but the weight of the car is the downfall.

I'm thinking the benefits on the track will be more noticeable than the quirks on the street.

[GregWeld]

Given your usage -- you're correct. You'll just have to learn how to drive it "nicely" on the street... there's no lugging from a stop and traffic can be a lot of work. But who cares if it's rarely....


I had a D/G nose high '55 Handyman with a straight axle and a 292 ci - 4 speed - mechanical fuel injection.... it was a bitch trying to cruise Broadway on a Friday night.... but it could have been the whacky terbacky back in the day too... :rofl:

[The WidowMaker]

someone smart do the math and figure out how much horsepower is being lost with the 10lb difference. someone posted 17hp, but i dont remember the dia of the fly or the hp of the motor to determine a percentage.

Uh, doesn't his post say a track oriented car?

i would consider your car a "track oriented car" but you still drive it on the street. can you imagine driving past the women on the strip and stalling in front of them?:_paranoid

[Flash68]

I daily drove a lightweight aluminum flywheel car for 30k miles from 2008 to 2010 -- commuting and city driving through the hilly streets of San Francisco.

It's all about your personal tolerance and "foot/calf coordination." :lol:

The Camaro I have now came with an aluminum flywheel but the gears are mismatched for now so I can't really enjoy it or utilize it. I will be remedying that though.

[Jim Nilsen]

I like my aluminum flywheel for the way it revs and gives more control with the throttle in an autox. I can let off the gas and car slows down as quickly as it speeds up. You will have plenty of torque with a bb and as long as you learn how to drive it you will be ok. I would drive it with the 3:70 gear 1st to see if you really need the lower gearing. You may also think about a lower 1st gear in the trans as a way to fix the take off.

You can also go with a lightweight 17-21 lb steel flywheel if you want to meet in the middle.

I wouldn't get rid of my aluminum for a steel as lomg as I am going to autox or trackday because of the way the car can be driven so much differently and with an advantage.

If you have a hard time with a clutch and smoothly engaging it all the time it is stongly advisable to go at least 30 lb or more.

Have fun cause it's a tough choice.

[Vegas69]

I goes back to the word compromise. Do you want that edge on the track or the drivability on the street. You can't have both. :unibrow:

[Flash68]

I goes back to the word compromise. Do you want that edge on the track or the drivability on the street. You can't have both. :unibrow:

I don't find the aluminum flywheels hard to drive on the street at all. I think they are fun. Maybe there is something wrong with me. :lol:

[Track Junky]

The only time I notice any sort of issue with al flywheel is when I'm pulling out of my driveway at crawl speeds to keep from pissing off my non-enthusiastic about car hobby neighbors. The car tends to buck a bit. If you can deal with that your good.

[Vegas69]

After feeling the quick revs of Dave's 377 with aluminum flywheel, I'm tempted next time my tranny comes out. :D

[Skip Fix]

FWIW my 3860 lb 409 Impala SS in the 70 had a Hays aluminum w/ bronaze heat shield (now in a 79 Camaro autocross car) and was driven daily and threw my paper route from it-had to pay for car parts somehow. It had a Muncie 2.20 first gear and 4.56s with 29" tall tires and was no problem. Easier on hooking the car up on clutch side steps and would pull alot of cars on the big end also.

[randy]

My Nova has an Aluminum McLoed flywheel and an RST clutch. and i drive it on the street!! no issues, it did take a while to get to the point of not stalling it every time i let the clutch out, and the smell of the organic clutch is not that plesent. but it sure revs fast!!! there is some trade off but i would never put a steel fw in a car that is going on the track, trust me you get used to it in a hurry.

Greg you can't beleve everything you read on the internet you know!!

" You cant post anything on the internet thats not true"


" where did you hear that"

" on the internet"

[sik68]

Aluminum flywheel is the best thing about my car! Makes it feel way faster and sound way meaner than it really is. The whole car just gets more visceral in the lower gears.

I start off in 2nd gear (1.98*3.73 = 7.39) all the time no issues, just a little more finesse is needed I suppose.

Another benefit...in a (God forbid) kaboom in a bellhousing, a 15lb aluminum flywheel is much safer than a 30+ lb steel one.

[Vegas69]

I put one behind my 666hp ZL-1 489 and enjoyed it thoroughly. Mine was 14 lbs. I could take off without even blipping the throttle. It just ate it up. It revved like a short stroke small block all the way to 6800. :thankyou: It made rev matching way easier.

The compromise, because there are always compromises: It made my tko600 even harder to shift. It would also start to buck 200-300 rpm sooner in a tall gear for the speed.

I'd do it again except behind a t56 and rev it to 7200. :lol:

[garickman]

There is some pretty cool info in this article about the effects of aluminum vs. steel flywheel. Kind of long but worth the read

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0602phr_engine_drivetrain_rear_wheels_power_increa se/viewall.html

[DaleTx]

Good information in that article :thumbsup: .... I am running a 12 lb aluminum flywheel on my 427" LS engine. It does take just a bit more RPM when starting out but barely noticeable.... still very easy to drive on the street in traffic. I like the way the engine responds and feels with the lighter aluminum flywheel.

[Flash68]

=
Another benefit...in a (God forbid) kaboom in a bellhousing, a 15lb aluminum flywheel is much safer than a 30+ lb steel one.

I like that point. Makes me feel even mo betta about my 7#er.

[INTMD8]

Doesn't the reciprocating assembly in an FE weigh about as much as a complete SBC?

It will be fine with aluminum just slightly more throttle input when pulling off from a stop.

Make sure you get a good flywheel if you go with aluminum. I've been in some cars with cheapo budget alum flywheels and they would flex with RPM. (You could push the clutch to the floor while in gear and if you revved it over 6000rpm the car would lunge forward). Bolt the same clutch to a good flywheel (or steel) and the problem disappeared.