A silly question.

[Polara_500]

Comparing a cast iron flywheel to a billet one. Does it make any significant difference that the billet wheel is thinner than the cast one? I'm talking in the neighborhood of 1.275" thick vs 0.975". I'm kinda thinking no major issues with that, but I really don't have any experience with the billet stuff and actually forgot that's what I bought oh so many years ago. It weighs approximately 1 lb less than the cast one so not a huge variation there, 383/4bbl out thru 3.23 rear gears in a 4500 lb car would tend to make one think a heavier wheel may be better for a little more inertia on start, but......... Who has some life experience they can relate here? TIA

 

[CBODY67]

A 1lb difference in weight probably would not make much difference, if any, in the ease of launch. 10+lbs or so, probably so? The main place a "heavy" flywheel can be needed is with a smaller, lower-torque engine, for ease of launch, from what I read years ago.

As the clutch assy would bolt to the flywheel, the .3 inch would move the pressure plate and TOB forward on the input shaft of the trans. Might need to adjust the clutch linkage, as a result?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[Davea Lux]

A 1lb difference in weight probably would not make much difference, if any, in the ease of launch. 10+lbs or so, probably so? The main place a "heavy" flywheel can be needed is with a smaller, lower-torque engine, for ease of launch, from what I read years ago.

As the clutch assy would bolt to the flywheel, the .3 inch would move the pressure plate and TOB forward on the input shaft of the trans. Might need to adjust the clutch linkage, as a result?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

The main advantage to a billet flywheel is that they are much more rugged than a cast iron unit and can stand a much higher rpm threshold before you have to worry about the assembly coming apart. For a stock street application, billet is probably overkill, but it will not hurt anything. I doubt you will notice much difference in the launch on a 4500lb car.

Dave

 

[HWYCRZR]

What car are you re building? Your blue convertible?

 

[Polara_500]

What car are you re building? Your blue convertible?

Nah, just freshening the red beast. Not gonna make the convertible a 4 speed anymore, so time to stop saving the parts.

 

[Polara_500]

A 1lb difference in weight probably would not make much difference, if any, in the ease of launch. 10+lbs or so, probably so? The main place a "heavy" flywheel can be needed is with a smaller, lower-torque engine, for ease of launch, from what I read years ago.

As the clutch assy would bolt to the flywheel, the .3 inch would move the pressure plate and TOB forward on the input shaft of the trans. Might need to adjust the clutch linkage, as a result?

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

I'm kinda thinking a clutch linkage adjustment would be a given considering it has to be removed/reinstalled to slide a new flywheel in place. Unless you have some diffrunt thoughts?

 

[CBODY67]

I'm kinda thinking a clutch linkage adjustment would be a given considering it has to be removed/reinstalled to slide a new flywheel in place. Unless you have some diffrunt thoughts?

As the billet flywheel is thinner than the cast iron one, with the pressure plate assy bolted to it, then the different placement of the throw-out bearing could result in the linkage needing to be adjusted to compensate. Probably more of an adjustment if the cast iron flywheel was replaced with another flywheel of the same thickness. Which would possibly be a different situation than if the existing clutch linkage had been adjusted during it's lifespan.

Just some thoughts,
CBODY67

 

[moper]

How can a billet aluminum flywheel that’s thinner than the iron one only have a 1lbs weight difference? The 143 tooth iron one I have is easily 3 times the weight of the 143 tooth aluminum one I have.
Id think an aluminum flywheel will make it much less fun to take off from a start, or back up a C body.
I’d agree 1lbs you won’t feel. But there’s no way I’d expect them to be anywhere near that similar in mass.

 

[LocuMob]

How can a billet aluminum flywheel that’s thinner than the iron one only have a 1lbs weight difference? The 143 tooth iron one I have is easily 3 times the weight of the 143 tooth aluminum one I have.
Id think an aluminum flywheel will make it much less fun to take off from a start, or back up a C body.
I’d agree 1lbs you won’t feel. But there’s no way I’d expect them to be anywhere near that similar in mass.

Billet steel?

 

[Polara_500]

Billet steel?

Yup.

 

[Polara_500]

How can a billet aluminum flywheel that’s thinner than the iron one only have a 1lbs weight difference? The 143 tooth iron one I have is easily 3 times the weight of the 143 tooth aluminum one I have.
Id think an aluminum flywheel will make it much less fun to take off from a start, or back up a C body.
I’d agree 1lbs you won’t feel. But there’s no way I’d expect them to be anywhere near that similar in mass.

Sorry, not explicit enough. It's billet steel vs cast iron.

 

[moper]

Ah. Gotcha! Thanks for that...lol