[Healeys] Lightweight Flywheel

[David Nock BCS]

Yes  you can install a light flywheel or a 6 cylinder flywheel in BN1 with a 3 speed. But you CAN NOT use the later 6 cylinder style clutch cover.  The cover will hit the bell housing and stop the engine from turning. ‘

The best answer is to use the 3 speed cover on the light flywheel.

David Nock
British Car Specialists
209-948-8767
www.britishcarspecialists.com

From: Michael Oritt 
Sent: Tuesday, January 08, 2019 4:37 AM
To: Bob Spidell 
Cc: healeys at autox.team.net 
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Lightweight Flywheel

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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