Flywheel

[JPager]

What exactly does a flywheel do? Is it worth getting one if you have a stock car? It's one of the few parts they make for a 2K3 accent, and I realized that I know nothing about them. This may be in the wrong forum, etc, plese move/lock/point in the right direction as needed. Here is the fly wheel in question, btw. http://shop.hyundaiperformance.com/s...p?i=FID_193361 Thanks in advance, and to any flamers, same to you.

[eyelid]

I suggest you to read sportcompactcarwebs project cars to find out what fly wheels do. I'm anxious to get that myself too.

[skierd]

A flywheel is two things. First its what the clutch clamps onto to transmit power from the crankshaft through the transmission to the drive wheels. The flywheel is bolted directly to the crank on the side of the motor opposite to the accessory pulleys (i.e. the tranny side).

The flywheel has another job though, and its the one we're interested in here. It serves as a way to "store" rotational energy from the motor for when the engine is not under load, like between shifts when you let off the gas and disengage the clutch. The flywheel stores the energy via inertia and momentum. A heavy flywheel will "store" rotational energy longer i.e. not slow down as fast, causing the motor to drop revs slowly. Similarly, it will also resist gaining energy more, causing the revs to climb slower when you decide to hit the gas.

Most OEM's in the end use a fairly heavy flywheel (25+ pounds) for good light load and in-traffic drivability; the heft means the flywheel stores a lot of rotational energy for your grandpa's shfting pleasure. Unfortunately, there is no free cake at this party, and these hefty wheels (usually steel are cast iron) such a decent bit of hp to get moving (and consequently to slow down).

The there's people like us, or me at least. We want our cars for more than point A to point B transportation, and are willing to sacrifice some streetability for uber fast rev response and less parasitic losses. A lightweight flywheel will take a LOT less power to get moving, and to slow it down, giving a hp gain at lower engine and car speeds that used to goto accelerating the flywheel's mass. Basically the motor is working less to spin it, but therefore storing less rotational energy in the flywheel, meaning you might have to rev the car like a dirtbike to get it moving from a stop, or if you shift too slow.

Its all a compromise. Hope this helps.

[beppomarx]

so when do we get a 5-bolt flywheel for the LC1 accents

actually after just looking, it seems that the LC2 uses a 5-bolt crank pattern and so does the LC1. why wont this 03 flywheel work on the 1st gen DOHC engine??? can anyone explain the differences?

[dweet]

lug pattern is diff just like on wheels? thats just an uneducated shot in the dark guess

[AccentMangaGL]

Good explanation Skierd. The only thing I want to add is, you won't have to rev it anymore then you did before to move it off the line Your not losing power and at each point in the rpm band you will be making close to the same power you did before, you will simply get there a helluva lot faster with a lighter fly wheel. Secondly and most importantly it not only free's up a little bit of hp, but it will make your car rev quicker, which for turbo cars is important because it means a faster spool time.

[WytchDctr]

It can hurt ur launch. Like he said the flywheel stores enegry.. inertia.. That stored energy helps start the car moving, because the mass is reduced it slows down faster as the clutch applys force/friction. With a heavier flywheel it resists those forces and trys to stay in motion. May not be that bad for everyday driving but on the strip u will have to launch higher to get the same results.

[skierd]

You'll also probably need to get a scatter shield for most tracks. Go too light and the clutch just isnt strong enough, esp with aluminum ones, and it could explode after enough abuse. rare but true...

[i8acobra]

Originally posted by AccentMangaGL
[body]
.....but it will make your car rev quicker, which for turbo cars is important because it means a faster spool time.
[/body]

Actually, a heavy flywheel is better for a turbo car. RPM's don't spool the turbo, "load" does. This is why if you watch the boost gauge in a turbo car, you'll see the boost peak at about the same RPM as the torque peak. You'll also notice boost dropping off as the engine approaches redline. However, a light flywheel improves shifting and most people with turbo cars feel it's worth the trade-off.