[Healeys] Lightweight Flywheel

[Michael Oritt]

I have a DW lightened flywheel as well as an hydraulically activated BJ8
diaphragm clutch on my BN1.  It is a great setup and the clutch's operation
is extremely smooth and light.  However, all of this lives within a
Smitty's bell housing so I cannot speak to if and how this would function
within a stock housing.  BTW I modified an early six-cylinder Moss
fiberglass transmission tunnel that mates with the original fixed rear
tunnel section and fabricated a new bulkhead piece.

Best--Michael Oritt

On Tue, Jan 8, 2019 at 1:11 AM Bob Spidell <bspidell at comcast.net> wrote:

> 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> 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> 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> on behalf of Michael
>> Salter <michael.salter at gmail.com>
>> > Sent: Friday, January 4, 2019 1:03 AM
>> > To: Charlie Schott
>> > Cc: 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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