Okay, I'm pretty much sold on a Monster Clutch Level 1. I've got about 345 rwhp with plans of maybe and I say maybe in the future putting in a mild cam which will still keep me well under 400 rwhp so my question is this can someone explain to me the PRO'S and CON'S between the 2 flywheels they offer?
One is made of billet steel and weighs 28 lbs. the other is made of Chromoly and weighs 18 lbs. I've always heard that lighter is better (it gives you better acceleration) but does it hold up as well and what are the driving characteristics compared to the heavier one. Please enlighten me as to the differences. Thanks in advance

 

I had an aluminum flywheel in my car for 2 months. This is with a 418 with a 234/242 114 camshaft. The idle always hunted & surged/stalled. Plus the gear rattle in neutral was very annoying.

Finally I put the stock flywheel back in, now I set the idle 50 rpm lower, no more idle problems plus the neutral gear rattle is gone.

Light flywheels are for race cars, not street cars.

Russ Kemp

 

I experienced similar side effects by going with a light weight billet torque converter in my A4. But the benefits greatly outweigh the side effects IMO. The decrease in weight allows quicker revving to be more precise. Not sure which is the best to go with though...

 

Pro's
- better acceleration

Con's
- rougher idle, very generally speaking will get worse as the cam gets bigger
- harder to take off from a stop

 

I thought the aluminum flywheels were lighter than 18 lb. I have the Textralia Billet Steel that weight 18 lb with a H/C setup and have not had any issues at all. At the time, I seem to remember that Textralia also offered an aluminum flywheel but it came it at 11-12 lbs. Quite frankly, I think the 28 lb is heavier than the stock unit but may not remember the weights correctly.

 

My aluminum flywheel was ~14 lbs. It was the worst mod I ever did to my car! I hated driving it so much that's why I put the stock one back in. The car is so much smoother & quieter.

And I read all the "benefits" of an aluminum flywheel before purchase. I know better now about all the cons, plus the ~ 10 hp isn't worth it.

Russ Kemp

 

Ive never heard such bad experience with it... Perhaps there was an issue with the install, or possible warped parts? Sure it adds a little noise and vibration, but allot of people do this upgrade and don't feel that poorly about it...

 

Vettenuts, you're probably correct about the aluminum flywheel, the 18 lb weight flywheel I was talking about in my original post is made of chromoly not aluminum so that may explain the difference.

So I guess my question to everyone is this...if you were putting this clutch in your vette which would you go with, the 28 lb steel or the 18 lb chromoly??

Thanks again

 

Nothing wrong with the install, and reused the Luk Pro Gold clutch disc & pressure plate.

Russ Kemp

 

Russ, did you do other tuning or only change the idle.

 

OP....this may be to much info...but it is better than the alternative...

The flywheel is primarily an inertia device. As the flywheel spins it stores energy or inertia that helps move the mass of the vehicle as you engage the clutch.

Factory flywheels are designed to apply the optimum amount of stored energy to provide good drive-ability for the vehicle. Vehicles with smaller engines have relatively heavy flywheels due to the extra inertia needed for a smooth transition to engagement. Reducing the weight of the flywheel, while increasing performance, could reduce the drive-ability of the vehicle.

Under racing conditions, the flywheel weight can be used to control the inertia applied to the drive-train. For instance, if a vehicle tends to ‘bog’ upon engagement of the clutch, increasing the flywheel weight will increase the inertia needed to launch the vehicle smoothly. Too much flywheel weight may cause excessive inertia to be applied, causing the tires to spin. Reducing flywheel weight under this condition will reduce the inertia applied to the vehicle and allow smoother acceleration.

Aluminum flywheels are used in drag racing high horsepower applications which require the clutch to slip as the vehicle leaves the line. Steel flywheels are used primarily in street driven vehicles.

Other load factors can effect flywheel selection, such as rear gearing or transmission gearing. With the abundance of gearing choices available today, it is possible to use almost any flywheel if the proper selection of gears is made. This was not always the case – in the 70’s when the gearing choices were not available, racers had no choice but to use the flywheel weight to control the vehicles on launch. It is more efficient to use a light flywheel and proper gearing than to use tall gearing and a heavier flywheel.

What is the rear end gearing? Lower (higher numerically) gears will make engaging the clutch easier, while higher gearing requires the clutch to be slipped more on takeoff for a smooth transition.

Selecting the proper flywheel helps you achieve the drive-ability you desire for your vehicle. Heavy street cars will benefit from a heavier flywheel to generate the inertia to get you moving. An aluminum flywheel will not generate as much inertia to move the vehicle, and thus it would be necessary to slip the clutch more on takeoff. Some street vehicles may benefit from a lighter flywheel, but only if there is enough rear gear to help you transition the clutch smoothly without excessive slippage.

Remember what the flywheel’s job is – to help you get the car accelerating smoothly. If you have ever driven a vehicle and tried to pull off in second gear, you know you had to slip the clutch significantly more to get moving than if you started in low. This is the same effect you would notice if the flywheel is too light.~per Pat Norcia


Here are some other reads than may interest you....
http://www.ret-monitor.com/articles/...ign=newsletter

http://www.popularhotrodding.com/fea...e/viewall.html

http://hpwizard.com/rotational-inertia.html

http://www.stockcarracing.com/techar...i/viewall.html


And lastly.....Then comes the dreaded flywheel debate...alum vs steel. Matching your launch rpm with your current power curve for the best 60' results and the inertia required to achieve that. Just remember, your engine has an "almost" unlimited supply of kinetic energy just waiting to be turned into a moment of inertia.
And the energy of the moment is directly related to the density of the object its being transfer to, but not all "weights" are created equal....where the "mass" is located in the flywheel is also very important. Two 20lb flywheels could have different moments based on diameter and where the weight is in the wheel, the closer to center, the less it effects the moment. But also....the kinetic "ability" is directly related to rpm........thus, comes the whole alum vs steel decision. And remember, the moment discussion changes once the car is in motion...................be wary of the "flavor of the month" clutches.


Thanks and good luck with your project....

PS...What do you think its easier on your syncros between shifts ??...LOL

 

My answer is the flywheel has no effect on the syncros when the clutch is not engaged. What's yours?

 

LOL....LOL....sitting here at home with the flu...not sure what I was thinking with that statement...there would be no difference....good catch...LOL

 

Guys, it is 18 lbs. It is not even in the same league a single digit lb aluminum flywheel.

There really is no downside to the monster 18 lb flywheel. You won't even notice it. I have experience with this flywheel in a GTO and in a C5. I never noticed it in either vehicle. It did seem to rev slightly faster, but it wasn't hard to drive or anything.

 

I ran a aluminum flywheel in mine with no problems. I liked it. I think you have to make changes in the tune to stop idle hunting or any other low end drive ability issues after install. Mine was in a 440ci with big cam. Idled perfect (900rpm), didn't have to rev it to pull out. Maybe the big cubes helped.

 

I've alwys gone with the lighter weight FW whether it was chromoly or aluminum. I've noticed no downside and all upside.

 

Thanks for all the info everyone...After reading the latest posts (haven't gotten to ALL the Links you posted though, LSOHOLIC, lol) I'm gonna go with the 18 lb FW. Don't see any reason not to from what you all have said. And LSOHOLIC hope your feeling better real soon, just got over it myself. Thanks Again

 

Hey mchicia1,
I see you are running a Stage 2 Monster clutch....How do you like it? Any problems, downside? I'll be going with the Stage 1 but would like some input. Wanna make sure I'm making the right choice. Thanks Again.

 

lighter is better, especially if its rotational mass.

I've had a lightweight flywheel for months and months and see no downside, only the upside of an engine that goes up the revs faster, feels less sluggish, and more crisp.

10 lbs "Rotational" weight reduction is equal to something like 100 lbs of "static" weight reduction.

 

You should have felt the before and after of a -20lb torque converter