Lightened flywheel makes car slower???

[9eleven]

Don't know much about the effects of a lightened flywheel, but a friend just had one put in his 911, and he swears the car now feels SLOWER, esp. off the line and in the midrange. Top end feels about the same.

I also drove it, and from what I could remember from his car with the old flywheel, it DOES seem like it not has less power. Like it has less torque now.

Is this even possible? Or just imagination?

[Bill Verburg]

Dyno runs with lightened flywheels as the only change have shown losses of hp and torque at lower revs and gains at higher revs. Only you(the owner/driver) can say wheather the improved throttle response that goes with the lighter fly wheel is worth it. In general street cars like heavier flywheels, race cars like lighter.

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Bill Verburg
My Home Page My Pelican Gallery page My Porsche Owners Gallery Page

[BRAINIAC]

A heavy flywheel will give the "illusion" of torque because the heavier spinning mass wants to keep on spinning more so than a lighter one. Because of this, driving style can be to blame for this perception of power loss. Physics dictate that the engine has less mass to accelerate with a lighter flywheel, therefore the car will accelerate faster. Unless that is, if the driver is using 5,000 rpm drag racing starts. This method uses the most of the stored energy in the heavier flywheel.

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Tyson Schmidt
72 911 Cabriolet
92 C-2 Cabriolet

[This message has been edited by BRAINIAC (edited 08-06-2001).]