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Lightened flywheels

To: 6pack@autox.team.net
Subject: Lightened flywheels
From: Ryan Miles <rjhmile@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 22:39:38 -0800 (PST)
List,

    Another thing that I always overlooked in this area is that the mass 
distribution and RADIUS of the flywheel. This is why the tilton clutches and 
small radius flywheels are the way to go for absolute horse power. My physics 
235 prof is a really interesting guy, he is into cars (he owns a Prowler, and 
several motorcycles, and he really wants a Viper), and I regularly stay after 
class to BS about cars. Anyway, I would be curious to know where they are 
removing the mass on these flywheels....The equation for rotational inertia is: 
some constant (depends on the distribution of mass) multiplied by the mass, 
multiplied by the radius squared. The radius makes a big difference, as does 
the mass distribution. As far as a wild guess, my physics professor guessed 
that a Tilton style clutch and (steel) flywheel weighing 7lbs, would be like 
having a stock style clutch and flywheel weighing half that much. This is why 
care should be taken to compare apples to apples; the performance of a racecar 
with a 6" flywheel that weighs 10lbs will be nothing like a street car with a 
stock clutch and a large aluminum flywheel.

  As I recall the shape of the factory flywheels, the early style wheel (TR250 
and 69 TR6) has a large (~1" wide) ring of material around the very outer ring 
of the wheel, whereas the later wheel seems to have the mass concentrated more 
towards the center. I would be willing to wager that even if the early flywheel 
has less mass it probably has just as much rotational inertia.

When It came down to decision time I opted for the late style crank, early 
style block and head, and an aluminum flywheel.

isn't physics great :)

Ryan Miles  



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