Effects of lightweight flywheel? [merged] light weight lightened aluminum ACT fidanza

[Fryguy]

All light weight flywheel newbie threads are merged here.

I'm looking for my car to be very fast at lower speeds; my main goal is very fast acceleration. Will a lightweight flywheel be beneficial to this? Or should I just save up all my money and drop a turbo on my 84k engine

 

[mitsu master]

dude just go get your self a act stage 3 clutchand flywheel youll be set up to 900 hp at the flywheel

 

[FuelInjected]

actualyl just saw this one ebay:
eBay Motors: EXEDY CLUTCH & FIDANZA FLYWHEEL 92-99 ECLIPSE TALON AWD (item 150220185241 end time Mar-04-08 14:17:07 PST)

would something like this work for my future power goals?
Or the clutch is too much of a stocker?

If i could find a package, would be awesome, i cant seem to find any organic excedy clutches witht hat flywheel

 

[housegsx]

That's just going to be a stock clutch. 350-400hp will kill it in no time. And I recommend the ACT streetlite flywheel. I've always had problems with fidanzas. Besides, the ACT is supposed to take the heat that awd creates from repeated lauches better than the aluminum fidanza.

 

[CTP]

Given how you're so worried about traffic driving, I'd avoid the super light flywheels and try to find something in the 11+lbs. range. Even the ACT flywheel, which is 11.5lbs. IIRC, drops revs pretty quick and requires a good amount of slip to keep from stalling. Although you can get used to it, it still gets tiresome in traffic when you have to do a prolonged slip out on a very heavy pressure plate (think lifting and how much more strained you are if you lift the weight slowly). I don't know what the engagement is like on the Exedy clutch because I have no experience with them, but if the pressure plate is heavy and/or the clutch is grabby, you're going to want to punch yourself in the face after your first hour long traffic commute with a <11lbs. flywheel.

 

[FuelInjected]

I would go with ACT, but I have heard lots of bad things about them here. I dunno, maybe they just suck on other cars. i have no clue. I know a lot of people use them on DSMs, but I don't know how good they are. So probably my best bet in terms of flywheels either an ACT one or machine my stock? I'll look into the ACT one. Also which clutch would go with it? Do you guys know of any good combos/deals somewhere, where I could buy?
My buddy suggested the clutch with the springs, i forget what the proper name is for those kinds, i think it was sprung disk or something like that, but he said its better for daily driving, and to make sure i dont get the ones without the springs, cus thats for track mainly.

 

[housegsx]

Maybe ACT isn't good for other applications, but I've never had or never heard a complaint about them in DSMs. I've had mine installed for about 75,000 miles without any issue.

As for a clutch with springs, yeah that is called sprung disk or sprung hub.

 

[kqodprez]

I'm running an ACT 2100 + street disc with the ACT flywheel. I didn't have any issues with this setup until a month ago. The street disc seperated in the middle from the clutch material. Why, I don't know...I'm installing another in a sec (just picked it up) and I'll let you know if anything else goes wrong. As far as the fidanza, a buddy of mines runs one on his 1g and it's a noticable difference in rpm drop. I wouldn't run one on a dd. Just a weekend warrior or track beast. Just my .02

 

[FuelInjected]

thanks, i didnt think the fidanza was good for dd anyways. especially in traffic. anyhow i will be looking further into the ACT clutches and flywheels.
Thanks for all the input guys.

 

[DSM_6SL2 Power]

The fidanza flywheel is fine for dd. Ive never stalled, because of my flywheel, thats ridiculous. You will gain more performance with this. Fidanza didn't just throw this out there, they actually did alot of studying to get the lightest flywheel thats still driveable.

 

[FuelInjected]

ya, i know what you mean. I doubt i would stall with it too, but what I am wondering is if it would be really uncomfortable to drive it, especially in traffic? i do spend about an hour each way in traffic to work, thats the main reason i am asking, and curious about it.

 

[housegsx]

ya, i know what you mean. I doubt i would stall with it too, but what I am wondering is if it would be really uncomfortable to drive it, especially in traffic? i do spend about an hour each way in traffic to work, thats the main reason i am asking, and curious about it.

To be honest, I think the heavier flywheel will be easier to use for a daily driver, but I think drivability has more to do with the clutch you choose than the flywheel.

 

[FuelInjected]

so like a stage1 or stage 2 organic clutch, should be no problem then? I mean i know the clutch will be heavier than stock, and slightly more difficult to drive, that is fine, i have no problem, but if i get the flywheel too, and that decreases the daily driving factor as well, it would be hard for me to be doing that every single day on the way to work, but if its not much, and lots of you guys drive with a stage1-2 clutch and light flywheel to traffic and it seems fine, then i'll get one. My buddy has a subaru, and a light flywheel, i drove his, and it not a huge difference as far as how hard it is to drive. i dunno how it is on dsm's though. Also do you know if that flywheel will improve my gas milage or make it worse?

 

[housegsx]

When you say stage 1 or 2, what brand clutch are you talking about?

 

[FuelInjected]

i saw one of those excedy organic ones here is the link:

EXTREME PSI : Your #1 Source for In Stock Performance Parts - Exedy Organic Clutch Kit: Mitsubishi Eclipse 90-99

I guess thats like a stock, or stage1 clutch. I wont be putting any power upgrades for another year most likely actually, probably either next winter, or maybe even next summer. so not sure what i should go with. maybe stage 2 or something?

what clutches would you guys recommend? I just hear a lot that excedy's are really good., thats why i was going to go with that one.

 

[dalatinromeo]

I have the ACT 2600 with the Streetlite flywheel and don't have an problems driving in low speed or stop and go traffic. I do notice the car does rev faster though.

ACT 2600 w/ Streetlite Flywheel FTW

 

[housegsx]

Exedy's are good for Hondas and the like that don't make a ton of torque and aren't awd. They do have some nice very expensive stuff, but that's not what you're looking at. There stage 1 would be a waste of money for you if you seriously plan on making 350hp. Why do you like them, the price? Are they cheap?

I would say an ACT 2100 would be a good choice for a street car that might make up to 300whp. Any more power and I'd start looking at heavy duty clutches elsewhere like fidanza clutch, clutchmasters, southbend, etc. I run an sbr3500 clutch right now and am not too fond of it so I won't recommend that one to you.

 

[FuelInjected]

act 2600 will be way too much for me. I think if it was ACT, i would go with 2100, like housegsx suggested. I think its perfect for my power goals. Only reason I was think of Excedy, is my subaru buddy says they are awesome, and all subaru guys love them, and say ACT sux, and those cars are awd too, so.. thats how i came to my conclusion on excedy clutch basically. The price is definetly a major factor. Cheaper is better, but I dont want to get something thats real crap either.

 

[daren_p]

Have heard lots of good things about Exedy clutches in our application but I would pass on the stage 1. That probably won't last to long in a ~400hp car. Personally I'd go with their stage 2, which is the 3 puck disk. Lots of guys use ACT clutches on our cars & they work fine, a few years back they had some issues with the disks, I believe but that doesn't seem to be an issue anymore. Don't always listen to your buddies with other cars as sometimes the same companies parts work completely different on different applications. If your looking at the ACT 2100, I'd recommend the Centerforce Dual Friction clutch instead. It has pedal pressure like stock but can hold abit more torque vs the 2100. Its also easy on the thrust bearing if this is an issue for you.

For the flywheel, I wouldn't go super light either. The ACT streetlight is what I run & think its great for a daily driver. It comes in right around the 12 lb mark so a good amount lighter then stock (around 18 lbs) but doesn't cause any driveability issues that can happen with the lighter flywheels.

 

[TSiAWD666]

I have a had a Fidanza Flywheel for about seven years now on two separate cars. Prior I had a chromoly flywheel and before that stock. I absolutely love it, and wish my EVO had a lighter flywheel as it revs so slowly in comparison. It makes rev-matching for down-shifting so much easier and on upshifts the revs drop juuuust right with how fast I personally can upshift so the revs match the transmission on full throttle acceleration. I don't know if it was designed to be just the right weight/distribution to achieve that but I really do like it The EVO clunks/lurches on fast upshifts as the engine hasn't slowed to match the trans.

I also like the fact that when I do clutch work I can just replace the face for cheap (I think the face was like $25? I forget) instead of having to get the flywheel resurfaced and stepped. Saves me time, trouble, and money there. Also of note is that when I've done this the aluminum portion of the flywheel has been spotless without cracks, heat marks, or any other damage, isolating all such things (which I noticed quite a bit on my previous chromoly and stock flywheels) to the replaceable surface though I don't see much of those there either.

As for the drivability concerns, I personally haven't understood what these are for people. I'm not saying they don't exist, but I have never once felt there was a drivability difference between this and a stock flywheel, and I made note to check when I first switched over to lightened flywheels. I think the car drives just fine in traffic or parking lots. It doesn't seem to drive any different than my Evo either. So I see no negatives there.

 

[FuelInjected]

daren_p, thanks a lot man, and all of you guys, i really appreciate the feedback.
I think I will be going with the ACT Xact flywheel, thats the streetlite one, right?
just under 13lbs. Also some people were saying some stuff about stepping and all that ? Do i need to do anything with a flywheel when i get it? machining or anything? I want to know it wont blow my tranny apart after. Also the ACT 2100 comes stepped for that flywheel? I am not sure of all that stepping stuff, I am a total newb. Let me know guys please. I'll be getting my tranny rebuild by jackstrans, and I dont want to ruin it by getting a shitty flywheel, or not checking that stepping.

 

[housegsx]

Yeah, the streetlite is the one you want. The step should be just fine right out of the box, but some people are anal and like to double check it anyway.

 

[FuelInjected]

i am kind of anal, so i would like to double check to make sure.
i just take it to a machinist right?

 

[housegsx]

Yes, if you don't have a depth gauge a machinist can check it. I think the step should fall between .609-.612, but do a search to verify that.

 

[jval]

ACT2600 + Fidanza flywheel. The abrupt engagement took a bit of getting used to but noticable improvement in revs. It easier to drop revs when starting with the lighter weight flywheel but you just need to learn to compensate. Now I don't mind it as a daily driver.

 

[FuelInjected]

thanks guys. I will check the step. I think I made my final decision to go with ACT XACT flywheel, and probably ACT 2100 or stage 2 excedy, I am going to look further into the Excedy one. I guess the ACT xact flywheel being a bit heavier than fidanza one will be more of a better choice for me as a dd.

Thanks a lot for all the input guys, helped me a lot with making my final decision on these parts.
I'll post after once i get the parts installed, on how it worked out.