Go with lightened flywheel, or stock?

grantman10 · Aug 31, 2008

Alright, i know there is a lot of threads on lightened flywheels, however i am looking for the opinions of all you members on a decision i have to make.

I bought my car about 8 months ago and it has an act 2100 and an ebay lightened flywheel (9lbs). The flywheel has 10,000 miles on it, and the ACT has 5,000 miles on it. I have never driven anyone else's dsm so i cannot compare the performance gains from the lightened flywheel.

Recently my transmission went out while i was on a trip downstate (michigan). Lucky for me Team RIP (TRE Transmission) is only an hour from where my car is located. I just bought a TRE stage 2 transmission for my car, and i got a good deal on it too. However, it is not installed yet.

Here is the controversy...

I am unsure if i want to keep the lightened flywheel, or replace it with a resurfaced stock one. I hear a lot about how lightened flywheels help rev quicker, and get you into boost faster, but i don't know if i trust the fact that it is an eBay item, and i don't happen to remember the brand either. I am scared that after about 10,000 miles after the tranny is in (when i start turning up the boost, and reaming on the tranny) that the flywheel will break, or explode all over my new tranny

.

I want to get a stock flywheel in there so i can have better consistency when launching. That is what i hate most about the lightened flywheel, i cant launch worth shit with it, it doesn't have enough momentum to provide a smooth launch. But i am scared that if i put the stock flywheel in i am going to notice a huge negative effect on performance.

So i am asking....What would you do in this situation?

I want to launch better and have a reliable flywheel, but i don't want to be slower.

I have had my transmission out three times since i have gotten the car and i want it to stay in for a while this time.

Please educate me

SmalltownDSMer · Aug 31, 2008

When I bought mine it had a Fidenza lightweight flywheel, I took it to San Rafael(an hour drive) for the timing belt service it was fine. After the service I picked it up and heard a horrible rattle. The flywheel had come apart in the tranny, luckily it didn't affect anything else. I replaced it with a stock one and to me the difference is hardly noticeable.

grantman10 · Aug 31, 2008

Thank you for the info. That is exactly what i don't want to happen. I have has the car for 11,000 miles and the motor has been pulled once, and the tranny has been dropped twice. If it happens again i will probably drink a gallon of antifreeze! :barf:

Please keep the opinions coming.

icekilla126 · Aug 31, 2008

i guy offered me a fidanza still in packaging for $100 couldnt pass that up. It does rev and get into boost a lot quicker. I do not know too much about ebay flywheels. If its inspect and installed properly i cant see what would go wrong.

Hideki · Aug 31, 2008

I have an RRE lightweight flywheel, and I didn't notice a tremendous "oh my god this thing revs so much faster" kinda experience. While it was an improvement, and for around $220 it's not gonna break the bank by any means. I'd probably go with the lightweight flywheel over a stock one (especially if you're dishing out the money for a TRE transmission anyways) :thumb:

grantman10 · Aug 31, 2008

Have any of you guys felt the difference in launching with the lightweight flywheel?

I am going to get a keydiver chip soon so i am going to have adjustible launch control and No Lift To Shift, so i am not worried about rps dropping a lot between shifts. Also, it doesent decrease spool RPM does it? It just gets to that RPM quicker, Right?

gregalmighty · Aug 31, 2008

I vote for the lightweight flywheel as well. I have experience with both and the difference is pretty noticeable to me. I don't have any trouble launching or consistency issues with act 2100 / fidanza flywheel combo either.

grantman10 · Aug 31, 2008

Thank you guys for all the input, i think i am going to stick with the lightweight flywheel. I just hope I don't regret it later on. I would love some more opinions though. :thumb:

kris_stewart10 · Aug 31, 2008

i promise you wont regret it i have a 6 bolt with an 8 lbs flywheel and my car is now F***ing amazing

Well with all the mods but the flywheel isnt hurting and YES it is helping its not a real noticeable difference but hey i like it and when you KILL ricers thats just something else to add to your list of mods

SmalltownDSMer · Aug 31, 2008

kris_stewart10 said:
i promise you wont regret it i have a 6 bolt with an 8 lbs flywheel and my car is now F***ing amazing

Well with all the mods but the flywheel isnt hurting and YES it is helping its not a real noticeable difference but hey i like it and when you KILL ricers thats just something else to add to your list of mods

Don't get me wrong, lightweight flywheels are good but with a 2 piece aluminum flywheel the heating and cooling temps are different for the 2 metals so over time/ launches, the heads of the screws that hold the ring can get stripped which allows the ring to move around slightly.. Worse case scenario the ring actually comes off inside your transmission...

grantman10 · Aug 31, 2008

SmalltownDSMer said:
Don't get me wrong, lightweight flywheels are good but with a 2 piece aluminum flywheel the heating and cooling temps are different for the 2 metals so over time/ launches, the heads of the screws that hold the ring can get stripped which allows the ring to move around slightly.. Worse case scenario the ring actually comes off inside your transmission...

Thats what im afraid of...

neoviper · Aug 31, 2008

kris_stewart10 said:
i promise you wont regret it i have a 6 bolt with an 8 lbs flywheel and my car is now F***ing amazing

Well with all the mods but the flywheel isnt hurting and YES it is helping its not a real noticeable difference but hey i like it and when you KILL ricers thats just something else to add to your list of mods

please use punctuation next time you post, its not much to ask for a period here and there.

to the op, personally when i put a lightened flywheel in my car i did feel a noticable difference. i would definately go with the lightened flywheel. i understand your concern but i wouldnt worry too much about that

mnr88talon · Aug 31, 2008

to clear things up a bit... go with the lightened flywheel!!!! whats the point in a stock one? think about it... the stock ones wernt made for big power you cant go wrong

Tuning Spirit · Aug 31, 2008

I'd say go for the lightened flywheel since it'll give you that little bit you're looking for in your performance department. But the stock flywheel is more tame for basic daily driving (easier time going up hills and ramps, feels more "sure" of itself)

kewlguy · Sep 1, 2008

i woulda gotten a trans from shep if i had a choice but i dont think TRE is bad.

other than that... check my profile to see where i got my stuff from and for how much.

clutch and flywheel came in saturday woot!

paul s · Sep 1, 2008

I had the Fidanza flywheel for the past 5 years with great luck, launching requires practice.

pboglio · Sep 1, 2008

grantman10 said:
Have any of you guys felt the difference in launching with the lightweight flywheel?

I am going to get a keydiver chip soon so i am going to have adjustible launch control and No Lift To Shift, so i am not worried about rps dropping a lot between shifts. Also, it doesent decrease spool RPM does it? It just gets to that RPM quicker, Right?

Launching will get much harder, pulling away from traffic lights you won't get that "explosion" off the line when you let out the clutch at medium to higher rpms. I have launched great maybe 2 times in the past 4 years with the lightened flywheel. Previously the car would catapault off the line easily even without the launch control activated. With the lightened flywheel it feels like a gutless honda launching.

Lighter flywheel makes a big difference in acceleration in 1st and 2nd gears for sure. Its a trade off.

Moparbishi · Sep 1, 2008

I like the Fidanza because I felt that the stock flywheel took to long for the rpms to come down between daily driving shifts.

blcknspo0ln · Sep 1, 2008

Launching takes practice with a lightened flywheel, but learning how to launch it will net you better results along with the lightened rotating assembly. It's a win-win, you just have to grow the driver mod with it.

Black_Bullet · Sep 1, 2008

blcknspo0ln said:
Launching takes practice with a lightened flywheel, but learning how to launch it will net you better results along with the lightened rotating assembly. It's a win-win, you just have to grow the driver mod with it.

^Plus 1
I just had to increase my launch rpms from 5k to 5500 for that real hard launch with the light weight flywheel... I have the ACT 12lbs flywheel btw... I think id prefer the lighter fidanza flywheel..

grantman10 · Sep 1, 2008

kewlguy said:
i woulda gotten a trans from shep if i had a choice but i dont think TRE is bad.

other than that... check my profile to see where i got my stuff from and for how much.

clutch and flywheel came in saturday woot!

Yeah, i would have gotten a trans from Shepard, but the fact that i was so close to TRE, need my car back on the road, along with the deal that im getting, i think i have made the right choice. BTW I wanted to get the stage 1 exchange service for $1150, but jon had no stage ones avalible, so he said if i came down and paid cash i could get the stage two for the same price (the difference is a new thrid and fourth gearset).

I am pretty happy, i just need to get down there so i can pay for it and get it in. College just started up and i have a pretty hectic schedule.

ezz-e · Sep 1, 2008

The Lighter flywheel wheel be a great improvement from stock, I wouldnt trust that ebay one do go with a fidanza

kris_stewart10 · Sep 1, 2008

pboglio said:
Launching will get much harder, pulling away from traffic lights you won't get that "explosion" off the line when you let out the clutch at medium to higher rpms. I have launched great maybe 2 times in the past 4 years with the lightened flywheel. Previously the car would catapault off the line easily even without the launch control activated. With the lightened flywheel it feels like a gutless honda launching.

Lighter flywheel makes a big difference in acceleration in 1st and 2nd gears for sure. Its a trade off.

you think that maybe its because you have gotten better at driving and you are used to BAD ASS launches and you think its shit if you dont get it how you like

grantman10 · Sep 1, 2008

ezz-e said:
The Lighter flywheel wheel be a great improvement from stock, I wouldnt trust that ebay one do go with a fidanza

This tread is about whether or not to use the EBAY flywheel i already have, or go with the stocker. I do not have the money (anymore) to shell out a couple hundred for a new flywheel. Yes, if i had the money i would go with a fidanza, but i don't. So i am looking for opinions on whether to go with...

A. An ebay 9lb flywheel (which i have used for the last 10,000 without any problems)

or

B. A stock 18lb (or whatever they are) flywheel.

Anything outside of those two decisions are out of the question.

1997hciv · Sep 1, 2008

I am not sure if I would trust an ebay knock off for such an important part of the driveline. If you are asking us for opinions on what to do in your situation, you've got a bunch. My opinion would be to go with a steel lightwieght flywheel such as the RRE, ACT or the one I have which is the Competition flywheel. I would just spend the money now and not have to worry about an aluminum ebay knock off breaking in your new trans.

The flywheel I have is great for daily driving and it revs noticably quicker. But if you only want to stick with either the ebay one or the stock one I would go with the stock one. Good luck

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Go with lightened flywheel, or stock?

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Hideki

grantman10

gregalmighty

grantman10

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SmalltownDSMer

grantman10

neoviper

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Tuning Spirit

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