Let's talk about lightweight clutch/Flywheel combo's
10-01-2015, 02:18 PM
#1
Let's talk about lightweight clutch/Flywheel combo's After researching lightweight flywheel/clutch set ups I have determined which route I will be going in the future. Before I voice my opinion, I'd like to hear from you guys.
For most of the guys that are on here daily,you know that the guys running the lightweight combo's are killing it at the drag strip for what their set up is IMHO. I've had the stock clutch and the LS7 in my old 00 Camaro in the past and I noticed it revved much slower with the heavier. The LS7 is 60 lbs IIRC.
I'd also like to mention that I was finally able to talk to Tony Mamo on the phone. Man, that guy is really helpful and always willing to teach me something lol. I spoke to him about his Mamofied RPS set up and that thing is a nice piece!
So what do you guys think? Is lighter better once you get used to it? Is normal driving a bear? I'd like to hear the good and bad reasons.
For most of the guys that are on here daily,you know that the guys running the lightweight combo's are killing it at the drag strip for what their set up is IMHO. I've had the stock clutch and the LS7 in my old 00 Camaro in the past and I noticed it revved much slower with the heavier. The LS7 is 60 lbs IIRC.
I'd also like to mention that I was finally able to talk to Tony Mamo on the phone. Man, that guy is really helpful and always willing to teach me something lol. I spoke to him about his Mamofied RPS set up and that thing is a nice piece!
So what do you guys think? Is lighter better once you get used to it? Is normal driving a bear? I'd like to hear the good and bad reasons.
10-01-2015, 02:50 PM
#2
You get used to it. Normal people can't drive your car after unless they rev and ride the hell out of it. but you get used to it.
Things I should of done, and ill be doing in the near future: Tick adjustable master cylinder.
If you drag race which I'm assuming you do judging by your sig - it's going to take seat time, lots of it to get your launches down. consistency goes out the window. I got a 2 step as a result, and hopefully it helps, along with the adjustable master cylinder.
If you are just worried about daily driving - its perfectly fine - you should have it mastered within a day to the touch and feel.
Hope that helps
Things I should of done, and ill be doing in the near future: Tick adjustable master cylinder.
If you drag race which I'm assuming you do judging by your sig - it's going to take seat time, lots of it to get your launches down. consistency goes out the window. I got a 2 step as a result, and hopefully it helps, along with the adjustable master cylinder.
If you are just worried about daily driving - its perfectly fine - you should have it mastered within a day to the touch and feel.
Hope that helps
10-01-2015, 03:38 PM
#4
Scotty, the thought of the lightweight flywheel didn't even cross my mind when I bought my Monster Stage 3/Tick Master setup. It wasn't until after I had already ordered it that I started researching the benefits/drawbacks of the lightweight flywheel. I love my current setup, but I ask myself if going with the light weight flywheel would have been a better choice. Who knows. My car is just a street car that I love driving in nice weather, but as time goes on, I'd like to do more stuff at the track. The standard flywheel I got was 28 pounds, and I want to say that's still lighter than what the stock one was.
10-01-2015, 03:47 PM
#5
Scotty, the thought of the lightweight flywheel didn't even cross my mind when I bought my Monster Stage 3/Tick Master setup. It wasn't until after I had already ordered it that I started researching the benefits/drawbacks of the lightweight flywheel. I love my current setup, but I ask myself if going with the light weight flywheel would have been a better choice. Who knows. My car is just a street car that I love driving in nice weather, but as time goes on, I'd like to do more stuff at the track. The standard flywheel I got was 28 pounds, and I want to say that's still lighter than what the stock one was.
I'm hoping more people chime in that have the lightweight set up. Most people that hate on them haven't experienced it.
10-01-2015, 04:31 PM
#7
Scotty, the thought of the lightweight flywheel didn't even cross my mind when I bought my Monster Stage 3/Tick Master setup. It wasn't until after I had already ordered it that I started researching the benefits/drawbacks of the lightweight flywheel. I love my current setup, but I ask myself if going with the light weight flywheel would have been a better choice. Who knows. My car is just a street car that I love driving in nice weather, but as time goes on, I'd like to do more stuff at the track. The standard flywheel I got was 28 pounds, and I want to say that's still lighter than what the stock one was.
I know most people here probably get tired of hearing my setup currently but I run a mcleod rst which is a 9.8" clutch (less moi than a 12) and with its fidanza flywheel it comes in at 34 lbs on the nose as a total setup. The difference from the stock clutch to that was HUGE. The engine revved so much easier going through the gears and was much quicker from a roll. Monster makes a great product and I'm not bashing them in any way. However my rst shifts every bit as good as my buddies stage 3's (he's had 2 now) and I can literally take off by just letting out the clutch, no chatter no bucking and the pedal feels jsut a little lighter than stock even with my tick m/c. I cant dream of doing that to his without it bucking or having some chatter. The rst does hold a little less power~650whp vs. 725 but the rxt will hold 900 and drives very much the same as the rst.
With that said, I am currently swapping out my rst here in the coming weeks. Its been a great clutch dont get me wrong but I want to go faster and if I can make the clutch lighter and remove MOI I will which is what I'm doing. The car is a DD btw.
I'm sure a lighter set up would have free'ed up more HP. The guys I were referring to have a set up closer to 19 lbs total. That's insane when comparing to what I was running before. All that weight adds up quick. More weight ='s less acceleration.
I'm hoping more people chime in that have the lightweight set up. Most people that hate on them haven't experienced it.
I'm hoping more people chime in that have the lightweight set up. Most people that hate on them haven't experienced it.
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10-01-2015, 06:31 PM
#8
On The Tree
I came from 5.0 mustangs, and learned early about the lighter setups. They work better for everything except a dump truck, or a dirtbike. I am currently running a Textralia exoskel, it's a twin 9", and that little thing is zippie....LOL
Like Redbird said....from a roll, it's MUCH snappier. I had a Fizdanza flywheel and a ceterforce clutch before the Tex, I can't stand a flywheel with a steel insert....For ME....they don't last too long, and the insert needs replacing. I run the lightened steel ones.
Like Redbird said....from a roll, it's MUCH snappier. I had a Fizdanza flywheel and a ceterforce clutch before the Tex, I can't stand a flywheel with a steel insert....For ME....they don't last too long, and the insert needs replacing. I run the lightened steel ones.
10-01-2015, 07:00 PM
#10
we could also pose this another way... mustangs since the early 1990's all came with clutches that were in the 40-45lb range. yet when people talk about going to a light flywheel on here that woould bring a STOCK clutch to that weight people freak out. and every single mustang made less tq than an ls1 at idle so thats not really a valid answer lol. terminators even came with an aluminum flywheel bone stock
10-02-2015, 07:32 AM
#12
I came from 5.0 mustangs, and learned early about the lighter setups. They work better for everything except a dump truck, or a dirtbike. I am currently running a Textralia exoskel, it's a twin 9", and that little thing is zippie....LOL
Like Redbird said....from a roll, it's MUCH snappier. I had a Fizdanza flywheel and a ceterforce clutch before the Tex, I can't stand a flywheel with a steel insert....For ME....they don't last too long, and the insert needs replacing. I run the lightened steel ones.
Like Redbird said....from a roll, it's MUCH snappier. I had a Fizdanza flywheel and a ceterforce clutch before the Tex, I can't stand a flywheel with a steel insert....For ME....they don't last too long, and the insert needs replacing. I run the lightened steel ones.
10-02-2015, 08:53 AM
#13
Great thread and good discussion so far. I hope others will weigh in. Like I said, when I bought my clutch setup, I didn't do a ton of research on all the different brands and styles out there. I went with Monster because everything I heard and read was good, and I went with the Stage 3 because I plan on someday being in the 800 rwhp range. I'm very happy with it, but looking back, I kind of wish I'd have gone with the lightweight flywheel, or possibly spent the money on something like their twin disk setup.
10-02-2015, 11:45 AM
#14
Ya a twin is a very good way to go to have your cake and eat it too with high hp clutches. The monster billet twin is a nice piece and I've looked a lot at it, the only reason I didnt go with it was for the same money the spec offered less weight and a better moi and both have good reviews. The monster billet twin is 34lbs with the light flywheels.
Their lt1 series is another option by them but at 11" iirc and being still in the high 40lb range you dont really gain much in MOI or weight over stock. Weight is important but WHERE the weight is, is even more important. A clutch weighing 40lbs with a 8" diameter will be a helluva lot more efficient than one with an 11" dia because the moment of intertia is so much less.
Their lt1 series is another option by them but at 11" iirc and being still in the high 40lb range you dont really gain much in MOI or weight over stock. Weight is important but WHERE the weight is, is even more important. A clutch weighing 40lbs with a 8" diameter will be a helluva lot more efficient than one with an 11" dia because the moment of intertia is so much less.
10-02-2015, 01:23 PM
#17
Pretty much a +1 on everything redbird555 said above.
I went from the heavy LS7 + stock flywheel to the McLeod RST + aluminum flywheel and it was a night and day difference. My car is a street and road race car and I wanted "my cake and to eat it to" (comfort and reliability however still able to handle the beating it was going to take).
Street driving takes a couple days to get the feel right, however that's not a long-term sacrafice -- merely something different you have to get used to.
I have taken it to the track since the swap and lauching is a bit more challenging. In full disclosure, I rarely drag race and didn't have the seat time to dial that in. Just playing around from a dig, an ideal launch window does exist, it's just slightly more narrow than it was before.
The car revs SO much faster and it feels much more smooth on the drivetrain.
I went from the heavy LS7 + stock flywheel to the McLeod RST + aluminum flywheel and it was a night and day difference. My car is a street and road race car and I wanted "my cake and to eat it to" (comfort and reliability however still able to handle the beating it was going to take).
Street driving takes a couple days to get the feel right, however that's not a long-term sacrafice -- merely something different you have to get used to.
I have taken it to the track since the swap and lauching is a bit more challenging. In full disclosure, I rarely drag race and didn't have the seat time to dial that in. Just playing around from a dig, an ideal launch window does exist, it's just slightly more narrow than it was before.
The car revs SO much faster and it feels much more smooth on the drivetrain.
10-02-2015, 01:43 PM
#18
i've played around on the street with mine and i can do a quick slip at 3k and get a nice smooth launch but as I press the pedal down all the way it lights the tires up, but thats not the clutches fault lol its just something you have to expirement with
10-03-2015, 04:33 AM
#19
Scotty, did you sell the car in your sig? What car are you talking about in this thread? Have you done a search on the subject over at yellowbullet? Some good info over there. I went with a 28 lb Spec billet FW vs the stock 24 lb LT1 FW. I know you're interested in a lighter FW but these are the things I noticed with the heavier one, you can probably expect the opposite with a lighter one. Since the swap I can drive around at lower rpm in any gear without bucking like slowing to 25 in 4th through a school zone. Under power after the shift my tires will bark 3rd and sometimes 4th, street tires, like the engine is putting more torque into the drivetrain. I didn't notice a huge difference launching at the track, I dont go too often anymore.
When I was trying to decide on a FW weight I came up with heavier for drag racing and lighter for autocross and road racing. The opinion of heavier for the drags was pretty divided though.
When I was trying to decide on a FW weight I came up with heavier for drag racing and lighter for autocross and road racing. The opinion of heavier for the drags was pretty divided though.
10-03-2015, 08:05 AM
#20
Yes, I sold my car last month. I'm planning on grabbing a C5Z early next year. I've already started planning my build. I've been buying parts here and there when I see deals. No plans for an aftermarket cam or heads. I'm sticking with bolt ons.
When it comes to clutch selection there's so many choices. I figured why not ask you guys and learn something along the way. I'll give yellow bullet a shot. Haven't been on that one yet.
When it comes to clutch selection there's so many choices. I figured why not ask you guys and learn something along the way. I'll give yellow bullet a shot. Haven't been on that one yet.