New fly wheel installed today!

[Newport Viper]

Roe Racing's light weight fly wheel went in my 95 Rt/10 today. I must say WOW! It woke that old car up! (30,000 miles) I rev up much faster and the car doesn't feel sluggish. Feels like a new motor! Now that is my impression, but why would it make such a big feel difference??????? What technically does it do? Opinions please.
I would like to thank Sean Roe for getting it to us in time. (Car was in for rear main seal, so why not throw in a fly wheel!)
I owe a big thanks to David Jenkins (The best Viper Tech, Chrysler Neighborhood Service Irvine, CA) for catching other problems with the car while it was in! Thanks again David and Sean.
Gen 1 owners do it!

 

[Marv S]

Less weight will require less power to change the spinning speed. Imagine yourself trying to spin a bicycle wheel and a heavy car wheel. which can you spin to a fair speed and then stop the quickest? Another factor is where the weight is placed. Two wheels can be equal in weight but if one has 80% of the weight near the center and the other has 80% of the weight near the outer diameter one will be much harder to speed up and slow down. It's all about the wheel resting change (not what you want in road racing) in speed or maintaining speed (better in drag racing for a launch).

 

[Viablo]

It has to do with physics (rotating mass). If your engine has less mass to rotate it will rev much quicker and get into its power band sooner. While the lightweight flywheel does not in itself add HP it enables your car to get to your HP peak quicker. A common side effect is gear noise when standing still with you foot off the clutch. To eliminate the noise just press on the clutch pedal.

Hope this helps

 

[Bill/APEX Motorsports]

An aluminum flywheel decreases rotating mass, allowing the motor to spin up faster. Picture you trying to lift a heavy item vs. a lighter item. You can lift the lighter item faster than the heavier item, because it takes less effort. Same thing with trying to spin a flywheel.

 

[Marv S]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Geoff Green:Does the aluminum flywheel have to be replaced alot sooner than a steel one? <FONT COLOR="Blue">No, there is a replaceable steel insert where disc contact is made. The entire flywheel is not AL.</FONT c> Also,why do you hear the gears more with an aluminum one?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

[JonB]

Great advice all....one more analogy:

The steel inserts are located more to the center of the aluminum flywheel, giving a lower mass in the outer area.

Picture the Ice Skater who, without adding or removing any energy, slows way down with arms extended (mass outward) and spins like a dervish when the arms are simply retracted (Mass inward.)

The same principle suggests that lower mass Brake Rotors (StopTech), lower weight wheels (OZ-Mag), Lower mass half-shafts
(Unitrax Titanium!) and drive shafts will achive the exact same effects: Less Rotating Mass.

Looking for 1/2 second faster lap times? Forged Magnesium Wheels !

 

[Geoff Green]

Does the aluminum flywheel have to be replaced alot sooner than a steel one? Also,why do you hear the gears more with an aluminum one?

 

[Sean Roe]

Hi David,
Glad you got the flywheel in

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It really does make a big difference in performance and helps extend the life of the engine (bearings, rods, etc.).
Any Viper owner who has to get transmission work, clutch work, etc. and has easy acess to change the flywheel should do it. Otherwise, count on about 2 hours to change the flywheel.
For the $479 spent, it's a great bang for the buck.
We have about plenty more on the shelf and offer them far below the MSRP of $689. Some tuner shops are selling the same ones at $950.
Enjoy....

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[Mike L]

Why didn't the factory install a lightweight flywheel? Is it a $$ issue or is the car more "civilized" with the heavier flywheel because of the inertia of the heavier mass?

 

[ACR Joe]

Good question Mike. What are the downsides? I'm sure it's not all good!

 

[Sean Roe]

Unless Rich Carlson or another Team Viper member has other information, I'd say it's mainly a cost issue. The cost difference between 1,000 cast one piece steel flywheels with some machining versus 1,000 aluminum flywheels machined from solid blanks with steel inserts, hardware and assebmly time has got to be significant.
If the stock flywheel was a dual mass unit which eliminated neutral gear rattle, that would be another story. But, it's just a one piece steel unit (cheap and easily serviced).

 

[Marv S]

The factory does not always have the best parts on the car, sometimes due to costs as Sean mentioned. In fact some OEM parts have evolved onto the Viper due to smart thinking from the Viper Tuners out there. Some examples are the ACR setup, K&N filters and smooth tubes. It is really evident in the MPP book where they use Borla exhaust, etc.