MX-3.com

I know there are a few posts on flywheels...<p>Just a couple questions though<p>1) Flywheel wise, What would be more advisable,
the 9lb one from rr-racing or to get a after
market one (or modified stock one)about 13lbs
which runs better, <p>My car is used as a daily driver and a fun car at
night that normally line up against a wrx or v8<p>which runs smoother?
which is safer? as in flywheel getting scorched and needing replacement soon etc... etc...<p>any in depth exp. and knowledge with these things
would be much appreciated...<p>thanks dudes

The 9 lb Fidanza flywheel from RR-Racing isan aftermarket flywheel. The 13 lb (or is it 11 lb?) flywheel from Unorthodox Racing is only slightly heavier, you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference.<p>The stock MX-3 V-6 flywheel weighs 16 lbs. Unless you're going to add a bunch more mods then I'd stick with it.<p>If you replace your clutch, inspect the flywheel surface for cracks radiating from the center out. If it has these, trash it. If not, then get it resurfaced for $35-40 at a machine shop.

Thanks for the reply....<p>does the Fidanza run well though on idle? and through basic day to day driving.... being so light wouldnt it make it more work to drive?<p>or is 9lbs ok but any lighter and its bad?

Idle quality is not the issue here, the issue is when you engage the clutch and try to move the car. With less flywheel mass, the engine is not going to like it if you give it very little throttle when you engage the clutch and start moving. You will probably find that you need to rev the engine a little higher when starting off in first gear or it's going to stall. It'll want to buck like you experienced when you first tried to drive a manual. The solution to the bucking is still the same: give it some more gas or push in the clutch.<p>The same applies to shifting once you're moving. The light flywheel means the engine is going to slow down faster once the clutch is disengaged (and speed up faster if your foot is still on the throttle when you push in the clutch). You'll probably find that you want to stay in one gear a little longer than you used to before shifting to a higher gear.<p>Flywheels are all about inertia. Inertia is a body's resistance to a change in motion. A heavy flywheel resists that change and is therefore easier for the average driver to handle and auto manufacturers build for the average driver.<p>[ February 08, 2003: Message edited by: pelado ]</p>

Thanks pelado <p>i already undedstood alot of that....<p>what i meant to say was, what is a good weight
to use ie: balanced for street cruising and
going fast sometimes... ie launch...<p>etc..etc..

Probably the 11lb then. Or just have your MX-3 flywheel milled down and resurfaced. Its what a lot of Probe/MX-6 owners do, mill down a MX-3 flywheel and resurface it. You can usually take them down to 12-13lbs, I think, without needing a new flywheel.<p>I thought the MX-3 flywheel was 18lbs in factory trim.

sounds great i will try <p>grinding the stock one down.<p>
Thanks for the help dudes

<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by davidosk024:
Thanks pelado <p>i already undedstood alot of that....<p>what i meant to say was, what is a good weight
to use ie: balanced for street cruising and
going fast sometimes... ie launch...<p>etc..etc..<hr></blockquote><p>Now I'm really confused. It sounds to me like you need to keep the stock flywheel. Oh well, you'll figure out whether you made a mistake or not once you get it in.

brandon from p.i. installed the fidenze 9lbs and found no gain in 1/4 mile time. and he said the car was harder to launch because of the lower rotating mass making the car tend to either spin or bog down, but it does sound cool to rev it up quick.

I would personally recommend lightening up the stock flywheel, since you are not planning to race your car ALOT. Mine was resurfaced, and it weighs like 13lbs. You can still feel a little improvement while revving up the engine, and at the same time I didn't experience much problem while driving on a regular basis.