RE: Lightened flywheel??

[Chris Coracini <Coracin@usdl.com>]

lightening a VW flywheel involves machining off the entire weight ring
around the outside.  it can't get any lighter, i don't think, without
compromising the integrity of the part.  but the flywheel is only half
the rotating mass stuck on the end of the crank.  the pressure plate can
also be swapped for a lighter one, these are rather expensive, though
(~$400).  i wouldn't mind having it even lighter.  aside from the
slightly different launching technique, there are no driveability or
vibration problems with the lighter one.  i highly recommend this, and
it's often looked over as a performance bolt-on.  nearly all bolt-ons
concentrate on more power.  the same effect on acceleration can be had
by reducing the total inertia that the engine has to overcome to
accelerate the car.

i think the stock ones are 11lbs?  they are very light (much lighter
than a "normal" flywheel), but they still have high rotational inertia
because most of the weight is around the outside of the wheel.
machining the weight off the outside only takes off about 2 to 3 pounds
at the most, but it lowers the rotational inertia a lot.  

>----------
>From: 	Crane, Damien[SMTP:d3c@TENNANTCO.com]
>Sent: 	Thursday, January 14, 1999 2:41 PM
>To: 	'Rocco list'
>Subject: 	RE: Lightened flywheel??
>
>Chris, Brett,
>
>How much weight did you have removed from the flywheel?  Chris, now that you
>have driven with it lightened awhile, if you had it to do over again, would
>you take off more, less or the same amount?
>
>How heavy are they to begin with?
>
>> ----------
>> From: 	Chris Coracini[SMTP:Coracin@usdl.com]
>> Sent: 	Wednesday, January 13, 1999 10:51 AM
>> To: 	'scirocco'; 'brett@netacc.net'
>> Subject: 	RE: Lightened flywheel??
>> 
>> >
>> >
>> >I'll let you know in a bit...  I had my machine shop/engine builder
>> lighten
>> >the flywheel before the whole rotating mess was sent off to the balancer
>> >people.  If ya know what I mean.  The way it's done is to just machine
>> off
>> >the _whole_ weight ring. 
>> 
>> 
>> yup, this is exactly what mine looks like...
>> 
>> chris
>> 86 16V scirocco
>> 
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>
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