[Healeys] Lightweight Flywheel

Bob Spidell bspidell at comcast.net
Mon Jan 7 15:53:31 MST 2019


Does this conversion retain the BN1/2's mechanical clutch?

On 1/6/2019 1:01 PM, Curtis Arndt wrote:
> Regarding lightening flywheels on a BN2, the best solutions I've heard 
> of comes from Bruce Phillips at "Healey Surgeons" in Maryland, and is 
> something he did on his BN2 decades ago with great success.  
> Substitute the stock 100 flywheel for one from a BJ8... This 
> accomplishes several things, first, it greatly reduces the weight 
> without having to compromise an original flywheel (plus it's an 
> original Austin Healey part), and secondly allows the use of the 
> superior BJ8 diaphragm clutch.  Bruce and others who've tried this 
> swear by the conversion.
>
> Supposedly, it does not work too well with a BN1 transmission since 
> according to Bruce, the setup requires that the BN1 transmission bell 
> housing be modified, i.e., material ground away for clearance?  I have 
> not been able confirm this, but fellow Concours member and performance 
> expert John Hodgman told me he didn't think there would be a problem, 
> and was investigating whether or not it could work on his BN1.
>
> Comments?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Curt
>
> On Sat, Jan 5, 2019 at 6:13 PM <glemon at neb.rr.com 
> <mailto:glemon at neb.rr.com>> wrote:
>
>     I had my flywheel lightened by a local machine shop.  It was done
>     in conjunction with an engine rebuild to M spec, so it was hard to
>     evaluate the effect on performance.  However I can say there were
>     no I'll effects as far as idle or clutch/take off operation with
>     the lightened flywheel.
>
>     Greg Lemon
>     Former BN1 owner
>
>     ---- WILLIAM B LAWRENCE <ynotink at msn.com <mailto:ynotink at msn.com>>
>     wrote:
>     > I have a lightened flywheel in my BN1 (26 pounds as opposed to
>     42) and I've used it for over 13 years with no known ill effects.
>     The engine has been out for an unrelated failure and the crank
>     checked out crack free. I use the car for highway cruising and
>     around town and I don't spend much time above about 3200 RPM. I
>     have Mike Lempert's 3.54:1 gears (hypoid final drive) and the 28%
>     overdrive which gives an 80 MPH cruise at around that RPM. No land
>     speed records, but no speeding tickets either...
>     >
>     > Bill Lawrence
>     > BN1 #554
>     > ________________________________
>     > From: Healeys <healeys-bounces at autox.team.net
>     <mailto:healeys-bounces at autox.team.net>> on behalf of Michael
>     Salter <michael.salter at gmail.com <mailto:michael.salter at gmail.com>>
>     > Sent: Friday, January 4, 2019 1:03 AM
>     > To: Charlie Schott
>     > Cc: healeys at autox.team.net <mailto:healeys at autox.team.net>
>     > Subject: Re: [Healeys] Lightweight Flywheel
>     >
>     > Read this first
>     >
>     http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/2017/01/03/austin-healey-100-crank-failures/
>     >
>
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