Manual Transmission - 28lb. or 18lb. Flywheel?

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a new clutch setup for my 2000 C5. I plan on going with the stage 1 setup from Monster Clutches. I plan on ordering from Tick Performance. When ordering, they give you an option of either a 28lb. flywheel or an 18lb. flywheel. The stock GM flywheel is around 28 or 29lbs. so going with the 18lb. flywheel is 10lbs. lighter than stock. I understand all of the basics about WHY you would want to do this from a track and racing standpoint but what I would like to know is WHAT (if any) adverse affects will there be in going with the 18lb. flywheel from a daily driver standpoint. Will it affect the idle in any way? If I go with a cam in the future, will it be difficult to make the thing idle properly? Will it take more throttle for clutch engagement from a full stop to get the car moving due to the decreased inertia from the flywheel? Will the downshifts be more agressive? If so; how much more aggresive? My C5 is more of a daily driver for me. Although I love to mod it I am one of those people who also would like to stay practical so that it remains comfortable to drive. In general, is there any REAL advantage to lightening up the flywheel? Talk to me....

I went with the lightweight flywheel with my diamond clutch and literally can not tell a difference driving around town. Except that it spun the tires more through 1st and 2nd.

I daily drive my 18lb Monster lightweight flywheel. I love it. I was really impressed because I really did not have to change driving styles at all, I usually just roll out of the clutch with a tiny blip of the throttle to get going. All you need.

For daily driver concerns, there are no CONS that come to mind for this flywheel. It's great. No issues in tuning, no idle adjustments, no aggressive shifts, you don't need a ton of gas to get it goin like everyone says.

I felt a difference in high RPM wide open runs on mine.

Another lightweight (15lb) flywheel user here. Love it! Motor revs faster, idle stability didn't change (and that's with a 246/254 cam).

Another lightweight (15lb) flywheel user here. Love it! Motor revs faster, idle stability didn't change (and that's with a 246/254 cam).

So you mean it still rattles your teeth out before and after? :D

My diamond lightweight fw was a little under 12#'s to boot, granted the disc weighs a few lbs more than stock.

4 replies so far. On other forums my question would sit for days with no one answering. These seem like intelligent comments that are based on experience and experimenting. I am new to this forum so this is encouraging to me. I think I will stick around for awhile. i DID go ahead and order the Stage 2 Monster setup from Tick Performance today. However; at the last minute I opted to just stick with the 28lb flywheel for now.

From what I read. You can't go wrong with that setup. I'm debating on which clutch to get myself and that one is on the list. I need more money. Lol

i have the 18lb and have no complaints,drives real nice just like i thought it would

I have one and can't tell any difference in driveability (TDP stage 2). If anything it drives better than the stock LS6 clutch.

I did have an 18lb fly & it was great, the engine (throttle, revs) felt way more responsive & never had any trouble with it.
4 yrs later while racing clutch starting slipping, when pulled out fly was warped, put that down to heat while slipping.

The heavier fly will disperse heat better. I am using a 28lb now & miss the free revving feeling.
My spare new clutch had the 28lb fly but when I had the fly, pressure plate & 6 puk plate balanced I had the fly lightened to 22lb.

Related question... I shattered my bellhousing when my stock rear end fell apart on the dyno. I'll be pulling the trans obviously and having the Monster stage 3 clutch inspected if it isn't apparent that it's smoked. It was on a Monster 18lb flywheel behind a 383 and soon the rear end will be a Strange S60 with 3.54 gears.

I picked up a 28lb Monster flywheel recently to swap in if the flywheel is damaged. With the 3.54 gears, is the 28lb more appropriate than the 18lb for daily driving duty? I'll have nitrous eventually and my torque curve is really fat with the 18lb, but I've kind of gathered that the 28lb would be better for me. Thanks in advance for input! :cool:

Lighter is better. My whole clutch package including fw is 17lb.

I recently installed a Monster stage 1 with the 18# flywheel, I got it from Tick Performance in there Tick/Monster complete clutch package and absolutely love it. It drives better than stock around town, and it grabs hard and shifts super easy when your running through the gears at WOT. I also weighed both my stock flywheel/disc/pressure plate assembly and my new monster set up, my stock setup weighed 50lbs, and my Monster clutch with 18# flywheel weighed 46lbs. So if you were to go with the 28# flywheel you'd end up with your clutch/pp assembly weighing 6lbs more than stock.

I vote 28lb flywheel. I have a 25lb in my Camaro, I use to have a 12.5lb but had too much trouble getting the car to 60ft and not bog.

Yeah, those 10-12lb flywheels are way too light. The Monster 18lb is a perfect balance, IMO.

Id imagine less weight off the drivetrain would be a benefit. shesh saving 10lbs from replacing something thats already needed to be replaced is always a plus IMO. Driven civics with light weight flywheels and 6/4 puck unsprung clutches chatters a bit but its nothing to cry about.

IMHO, depends on what you want to do. A 28lb can definitely help with your 60ft time. Mine with the 28lb would 60ft at 1.38, more rotational mass=more stored energy.

Lighter is better. My whole clutch package including fw is 17lb.

No it's not!!
If your whole clutch assembly is 17lb, which I seriously doubt, it would only be good for racing..Trying to drive something on the street that's to light would only cause undue wear leading to clutch failure.

No it's not!!
If your whole clutch assembly is 17lb, which I seriously doubt, it would only be good for racing..Trying to drive something on the street that's to light would only cause undue wear leading to clutch failure.

Well here it is. All 17# of it. You really don't know what your talkin about. Usually lasts about 2-3 years of dd-ing plus me beatin on it.

http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r136/HioSSilver/new1035.jpg

[QUOTE=HioSSilver;16180725]Well here it is. All 17# of it. You really don't know what your talkin about. Usually lasts about 2-3 years of dd-ing plus me beatin on it.

I stand corrected! Looks like a tripple race clutch though!

That's what it is......gigged that shit up myself ;). It is a little violent on the street from time to time,but once you beat on it a little it smooths right up. I've been using the cintered iron discs. I may try some carbon ones next.

I literally couldn't tell any difference at all with my 18lb fw. Doesn't rev faster or anything...

I literally couldn't tell any difference at all with my 18lb fw. Doesn't rev faster or anything...

If you've gone from a 28lb to an 18lb you sure would know & feel the difference in throttle response.

I threw this around in my head for weeks before I ordered my monster level 3. I ended up with the 28lb. My car is mainly a drag car with a spool and I know tooling around in the pits And around town I would probably smoke the clutch with the lighter one with tight turns and the binding of the rear.

If you've gone from a 28lb to an 18lb you sure would know & feel the difference in throttle response.

Not at all, unless SNL didn't install a 18lb like they were supposed to...

Not at all, unless SNL didn't install a 18lb like they were supposed to...

Or if there was an 18lb fly already fitted before.

I think you would be able to tell the difference of 10 pounds

Or if there was an 18lb fly already fitted before.

I highly doubt it had an aftermarket clutch or fly in it. I bought it with 23k miles on it bone stock. And this new clutch grabs a hell of a lot more than what was in it.

I think you would be able to tell the difference of 10 pounds

Nope not at all, I was very suprised. I was expecting a big difference and couldn't tell anything besides it grabbed harder and quicker. Doesn't seem to rev up any different then before.

You seem dead set on there not being a difference.

1, If you had a 28lb fly before & they fitted an 18lb fly...believe me the rpms do increase quicker.

2, They didn't fit an 18lb fly.

3, doesn't matter what weight fly was fitted as you don't have the ability to determine the difference.

You seem dead set on there not being a difference.

1, If you had a 28lb fly before & they fitted an 18lb fly...believe me the rpms do increase quicker.

2, They didn't fit an 18lb fly.

3, doesn't matter what weight fly was fitted as you don't have the ability to determine the difference.

Don't have the ability to tell the difference?? Ok yeah I can't determine that my car revs any faster. Because it doesn't!!!!! It really doesn't seem to rev any faster than before. If it does than it wasn't enough gain for the extra $$

Nope not at all, I was very suprised. I was expecting a big difference and couldn't tell anything besides it grabbed harder and quicker. Doesn't seem to rev up any different then before.

Are you even sure they installed the correct flywheel? Just saying, you had a shop do it. The Monster level 2 clutch package comes with choices of either oem weight or upgrade to 18lbs so their is a slight chance there was some mix up. Notice how everyone but you can see a difference in a lighter flywheel...

Are you even sure they installed the correct flywheel? Just saying, you had a shop do it. The Monster level 2 clutch package comes with choices of either oem weight or upgrade to 18lbs so their is a slight chance there was some mix up. Notice how everyone but you can see a difference in a lighter flywheel...

Yeah I know everyone says there's a difference but I can't tell any. Maybe they did put the wrong one in it. SNL who is also monster did the install.

I literally couldn't tell any difference at all with my 18lb fw. Doesn't rev faster or anything...

If you went from a stock flywheel/clutch combo to the 18#flywheel/Monster clutch combo it wouldn't be a 10# difference it would only be a 4-4.5# difference because the Monster pressure plate is heavier than stock. I would expect a that you would notice your car reving slower with the 28# flywheel because then you flywheel/clutch combo would weigh 6#'s more than stock. I hadn't driven my TA for almost 6 months because it had a bad slave cylinder so I can say I noticed much of a change either, but I might have if I have driven the car more recently.

If you went from a stock flywheel/clutch combo to the 18#flywheel/Monster clutch combo it wouldn't be a 10# difference it would only be a 4-4.5# difference because the Monster pressure plate is heavier than stock. I would expect a that you would notice your car reving slower with the 28# flywheel because then you flywheel/clutch combo would weigh 6#'s more than stock. I hadn't driven my TA for almost 6 months because it had a bad slave cylinder so I can say I noticed much of a change either, but I might have if I have driven the car more recently.

Idk man I dd mine and couldnt tell, but it was a lot different with the pedal so I was busy learning how to drive it again lol

I had a monster stage 2 with 18lb flywheel and did not notice a difference in performance. I also took it to the track before and after with no other mods done and gained nothing except i had to gas it more out the hole cause it bogged alot easier. I also had to give it more throttle comming out of first during normal driving which was annoying. I replaced that with an ls7 clutch and ls2(i believe) flywheel and like it much better.

I had a monster stage 2 with 18lb flywheel and did not notice a difference in performance. I also took it to the track before and after with no other mods done and gained nothing except i had to gas it more out the hole cause it bogged alot easier. I also had to give it more throttle comming out of first during normal driving which was annoying. I replaced that with an ls7 clutch and ls2(i believe) flywheel and like it much better.

Yeah I'm the same as you can't notice the lighter flywheel really and def give it more gas to take off. I'm so used to it now I'm happy with my monster lvl 2.

running a stage 3 28lbs flywheel from monster, no problems at all i love it, car is stock, a lot of clutch chatter but !!, when driving you can feel that it's really bossing up in there, i'd recommend a 18lbs for a stock car but not for a modded one

I've seen dyno charts long ago and the lightweight flywheel would free up power through the entire power band. Top end was usually 7-9 rwh

I've seen dyno charts long ago and the lightweight flywheel would free up power through the entire power band. Top end was usually 7-9 rwh

I've heard that too. I can't say I've ever seen that with mine but it does make the car alot more responsive.

I've seen dyno charts long ago and the lightweight flywheel would free up power through the entire power band. Top end was usually 7-9 rwh

rotational mass decreases.... so I could see that happening

Are you even sure they installed the correct flywheel? Just saying, you had a shop do it. The Monster level 2 clutch package comes with choices of either oem weight or upgrade to 18lbs so their is a slight chance there was some mix up. Notice how everyone but you can see a difference in a lighter flywheel...

I ordered the 18# & my package had a 28# flywheel in it:bang: After I notified the vendor Monster overnighted my 18# flywheel so there couldve been a mix up.