Lightening OEM flywheel?
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 10,233
Likes: 21
From: Baltimore suburbs Maryland
Lightening OEM flywheel?
I'm about to do several winter projects on my car and one of them is changing the clutch. While I have it out, I remember some cars are able to have their OEM flywheels lightened. Is the C5 one that can be lightened? If so, how much? Are there any worthwhile gains to put on a aftermarket lightened flywheel? If it only shaves 2/10 a second off a 1/4 mile time and its $500, then I dont think its worth it.
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,979
Likes: 5
From: San Diego, CA "leaf" "tee" "e"
Originally Posted by Fastguy
The clutch/flywheel is balanced as a set, you can't modify the flywheel. The aluminum flywheel has pros and cons, depneds on what you want it for.
The flywheel has holes for balancing weights. Why can't those be used to rebalance it? One of the guys on this board had problems with a matched flywheel clutch kit that was supposed to be balanced, but wasn't and caused all kinds of headaches. When I install a new clutch I plan on getting on getting the set checked and balanced if it's out of spec.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 3,315
Likes: 17
From: Near Jacksonville Fl.
Originally Posted by leaftye
The flywheel has holes for balancing weights. Why can't those be used to rebalance it? One of the guys on this board had problems with a matched flywheel clutch kit that was supposed to be balanced, but wasn't and caused all kinds of headaches. When I install a new clutch I plan on getting on getting the set checked and balanced if it's out of spec.
That way you'll only have to do it 1 time!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 8,472
Likes: 38
From: Houston TX
St. Jude Donor '11
The LS1 flywheel is not a good cantidate for lightening. I have heard that if you were to get it tuened/resurfaced that you wouldn't want to take more than 0.030" - 0.040" off the face. With any lightening/surfacing the flywheel should be balanced along with the clutch. The trick is that if the flywheel had weights added to it they are to balance slight imbalances in the motor, not the clutch. The clutch and flywheel are balanced as a unit and weights added to the clutch pressure plate to blanace it. If there are any weights on the flywheel they are to balance the motor.
With that being said the correct method for balancing the clutch is to:
Make note of the location of any weights on the flywheel and remove them.
Whether replacing the clutch, flywheel, resurfacing the flywheel, anything, have the new flywheel and clutch zero balanced as a unit. Then re-affix the weights taken off the old flywheel.
If you are lucky and have no weights on the flywheel (like me), just have the new unit zero balanced.
HTH
With that being said the correct method for balancing the clutch is to:
Make note of the location of any weights on the flywheel and remove them.
Whether replacing the clutch, flywheel, resurfacing the flywheel, anything, have the new flywheel and clutch zero balanced as a unit. Then re-affix the weights taken off the old flywheel.
If you are lucky and have no weights on the flywheel (like me), just have the new unit zero balanced.
HTH
