16 replies to this topic

[Daniel_moody25]

I have a verto flywheel that I'm looking at lightening and need to know how much to tell the machine shop to take off it and at the same time I assume its worth balancing the clutch with it too.

 

Just so you know the engine is 1293 with a kent 266 cam and a modified head. The car will be for road use and track days.

 

Any help will be appreciated

 

Dan

[Icey]

How much are you going to be paying to lighten what I'm assuming is a standard flywheel? When you can buy a new one pre-lighten for £170 (Somerford - CAEG422) I'm not sure I'd bother unless the price is less that 50% of the new item.

[ACDodd]

I would recommend you take it to a facility that knows how to do it rather than you having yo tell them.
I would recommend from a safetypoint of view, using a steel flywheel for any kind of trackwork.
For road use I would recommend a minimum thickness of 7/16" at the thinnest section measured from the friction surface to the back face.
Chamfer the outside edge to remove the step left in the casting. You MUST BALANCE before using. New clutches are quite poor in this respect and balancing is very necessary to ensure smooth running and safe unit.

Ac

[Daniel_moody25]

How much are you going to be paying to lighten what I'm assuming is a standard flywheel? When you can buy a new one pre-lighten for £170 (Somerford - CAEG422) I'm not sure I'd bother unless the price is less that 50% of the new item.

well so far i have had a rough quote at £70 so this far outweighs getting a new one when the one i have is still good

 

I would recommend you take it to a facility that knows how to do it rather than you having yo tell them.
I would recommend from a safetypoint of view, using a steel flywheel for any kind of trackwork.
For road use I would recommend a minimum thickness of 7/16" at the thinnest section measured from the friction surface to the back face.
Chamfer the outside edge to remove the step left in the casting. You MUST BALANCE before using. New clutches are quite poor in this respect and balancing is very necessary to ensure smooth running and safe unit.

Ac

well i was only asking to weather they ask me how much i want off it cause then i would have no idea, but so far im speaking to south cerney engineering and will speak to rob at robwalker and see what he says.

yeah i thought with the verto clutches it was essential to balance but wasnt too sure, thought best to ask first. 

[fwdracer]

If a flywheels fails - on a RHD car the flywheel fragments will exit the flywheel housing, pierce the floor and be roughly in the line of sight to your reproductive organs. If you do decide to track the car - A steel flywheel is a cheap investment in your safety.

 

That said, Rob Walker is a top bloke and won't allow you to lighten anything that isn't suitable/safe. Let him know your intended usage.

Edited by fwdracer, 09 May 2016 - 03:30 PM.

[Daniel_moody25]

caught my attention a tad there. what material is the standard flywheel then. i just assumed it was steel

[carbon]

Standard flywheel is cast iron.

 

There have been incidents in the past when they have burst, did not end well.

[Rob Gavin]

Following on from the points above, and a little off topic, i remember buying some 12" disc and hub set up back in circa 1992 off a relatively new cooper which had been written off because the flywheel had 'grenaded' and made a pretty impressive mess of the bulkhead, pedal box and drivers seat amonst other elements. I gather from the breaker who sold me the bits, the former owner was likely to walk with a limp from now on

[Cooperman]

A limp what? 😉

[Daniel_moody25]

so to save my meat and 2 veg im best off just replacing to a already lightened steel flywheel in stead of lightening my current one

[tiger99]

Unfortunately the Verto flywheels are one piece, at least those I have seen. Very early MK 1 flywheels were two piece and it was possible to fit a new machined steel disk to the cast hub, as they were bolted together, and a tight fit too. It occurs to me that a machine shop could make something similar, a hub made from steel bar of just sufficient diameter and a flat, or nearly flat disc of a good quality steel. But it will cost you, although not as much as an arm or a leg. Two piece construction would avoid needing a casting or machining huge amounts of metal from a very thick slab. A machined flywheel should need very little balancing.

[Daniel_moody25]

well it think at this point with one machine shop and all you lot suggesting so i will bit the bullet and but a lightened steel one from minispares unless anyone can suggest a better place to buy.

[Icey]

well it think at this point with one machine shop and all you lot suggesting so i will bit the bullet and but a lightened steel one from minispares unless anyone can suggest a better place to buy.

As mentioned in my post above, Somerford has them (I bought one from them a few months back) and they're only down the road from you if you're in Swindon.

[Fast Ivan]

unless anyone can suggest a better place to buy.

 

take one to AC Dodd and you'll be in safe hands

[Daniel_moody25]

 

well it think at this point with one machine shop and all you lot suggesting so i will bit the bullet and but a lightened steel one from minispares unless anyone can suggest a better place to buy.

As mentioned in my post above, Somerford has them (I bought one from them a few months back) and they're only down the road from you if you're in Swindon.

 

yeah only thing is theres is £20 more expensive than minispares even with postage. but yeah somerford is like 20 mins from me