Lightweight Flywheel Issues, Anyone else have these? Options

[Coomer]

Hi,
Since I've gotten the car back, I've begun to hate my lightweight flywheel. I'm thinking that now my next modification will be a stock AE86 flywheel.

The main problem I have with the flywheel is the fact that the engine and entire car shudders horribly whenever the engine sees below 1,600 RPM or so and the car is in gear. Whether I'm starting from a stop, or driving really slow in a parking lot, the car will shudder horribly if it sees low RPMs. When starting from a stop, I have to rev the car all the way up to at least 1,600 RPM or so...it feels like I'm slipping the clutch, and that's why it's so hard to get used to. I always want to give it less gas, but then the car shudders so badly.

Also, this makes it near impossible to start quickly from a start without spinning the tires. Whenever I try, the engine simply bogs down and shakes when I try to start quickly from a stop.

Does anyone else have this problem with their lightweight flywheel?

[Hanyo]

well Coomer,

I have driven a CRX with a lighten flywheel and i had to rev the engine to 1500 rpm b4 i could get it to roll.. I guess you will just have to get use to it and ride the clutch longer.

This post has been edited by Hanyo: Mar 16, 2004 - 7:32 PM

[boosted_K2]

my fidanza lightweight flywheel wont link up with my starter correct, im thinking of going back to stock too... not a fan of the ligthweight flywheel

[S_C_M]

[toyotaspeed_90]

check this out.... it helps a bit:

http://club4ag.com/faq%20and%20tech_pages/FAQ.html#4A-GE/GZE Flywheel Choice...how heavy?

[boosted_K2]

actually fidanza knows about the problem, many MR2 owners have talked to the people at fidanza about it. i dont think theres anything i can really do about it currently unfortunatly

[abatardi]

I have the same issues with my lightweight. I think this is "normal".

You will get used to feathering the gas to take off.

- aba

[ST-204]

So does it mean if we gonna install a lightweigh flywheel in any cars, we also need to launch ours at least 2000 RPM or more to drive as normal??

[boosted_K2]

no not at all, i can actually get my car moving w/o stalling out without even getting on the gas.

[qatar11]

The lightweight flywheel reduces the inerertia of the motor, which means if you miss the power band of the motor a little, the inertia of the fly wheel will not keep your car running and the system will bog down.... think of it like, your margin for error in shifting ha now been greatly reduced..

I choose to get my 3SGTE flywheel lightened by like 5 - 7 lbs as opposed to getting an uber light one.. just made more sense to me since this car is my daily driver.

[97GTinKC]

Yeah, tried a lightened one in my dunebuggy, BIG mistake, stalled easier, had to rev more to get going, a REAL problem when you're in the middle of a creek or a mudhole or trying to go up a hill w/o stalling or spinning the wheels and sliding down the hill backwards...needless to say, it came right back out. They now make billet STEEL crank pulleys for air cooled VW's (along with counterweighted cranks) to ADD mass to help smooth out the motors.

[Supersprynt]

[3TST]

Are you sure it's the flywheel causing the problem and not the clutch?
(or may be a combination of both)

I have a genuine TRD clutch with standard flywheel fitted on my ST and I have this similar "shuddering" problem especially in stop/start traffic.
I have to increase the revs to pull away cleanly.

FYI: NOPI online catalogue is interesting reading when it comes to clutches.
They also have Clutch Master and Competition Clutch lightened/lightweight flywheels for the ST.

[SpedToe169]

Coomer,

What you describe is perfectly normal. You won't hurt the clutch any by slipping it off the line, thats how it was designed to be used. If you think thats a pain, you should try driving one of our world challenge cars in traffic (in the pits, not on the street, I would never do that, heh heh heh). They have like 6lb flywheels, lightened crank/rods/pistons (only slightly as per the VTS) and a 5.5" triple plate clutch. They idle at like 1400rpm and you can't get them moving without stalling them below about 3000. The clutch is almost totally an on off switch.

As far as launching your car, a little bit of wheel spin is good. On a street tire you're looking for about 15% slip off the line for the best launch.