Saw a show on tv the other day, covering SEMA, and they were talking about Fidanza engineering and their lightweight flywheels, very high quality, so I wrote them about the Z. This is the response:

Mike,

This flywheel is being made right now. Jim Wolf Tech. will be the only distributor with this flywheel. His number is 619-447-0608.

Sincerely,

Tom Fidanza

 

if this will fix that part where the revs dont drop, Im in. mine actually seem to rise a little even tho I let up off the gas as I release the clutch, then they come down. its horrible for quick shifts, I find myself waiting for the revs to drop during hard driving. and not because Im a fast shifter.

 

There should be quite a few companies with quality flywheels available by summer.

-Jeremy

 

Just make sure it's an all chromoly flywheel and not the cheap *** aluminum ones that fly apart and take your toes off. If you get an aluminum one, make sure you at least get a "scatter blanket" for safety.

 

Wait.. where is the flywheel situated?? Also, what is a scatter blanket??

 

Fidanza makes excellent quality "aluminum" flywheels. I have been using one in my DSM for 2 years. MANY hard launches (1.7sec 60' times) and it is great. This one is only 11 lbs as opposed to 20 pounds for stock. The Revs drop between shifts super fast. This is a great flywheel.

I'm sure the version they make for the 350Z will be equally good.

 

The flywheel is where the engine and trasmision meet. In a short car like the Z with it's FM platform that should be anywhere from your feet to your knees. If the flywheel comes loose or breaks completely in can cut into the passenger compartement but only if you are stressing it at very, very high RPM and under heavy loads. A scatter blanket was created for drag racing, I belelive, and is usualy a several layer kevlar (same as a bulletproof vest) blanket that wraps the underside center hump, around your flywheel and transmision. This will make sure that if any part of your flywheel or transmision comes apart under heavy load, that all the broken bits will be deflected down and away. To date I have never seen one of these blankets in a road race car however in drag racing you do require it after you reach a certain ET. Top fuel guys have to use them on the top of the blower and bottom of the engine as well.

As long as you get the flywheel from a reputable builder who is known for quality products I don't think you need to worry too much. If you plan on FI in the future then make sure any flywheel you get now can handle the added stress of turbos!

 

any idea on the cost for one of these?

 

- Fidanza makes a quality aluminum flywheel, as does Unorthodox. I fully anticipate both of them making a high-quality unit for the Z. Prices are usually anywhere from $300-600. Fidanza is less expensive and in most cases hits the sweetspot for value and performance

- The only times I've ever heard of anyone running a scattershield and/or scatter blanket were when they required for racing in a sanctioned event (i.e., rules requirement)

- 1000's of drivers have been using flywheels for years -- I've never heard of any safety issues

- Not for everyone -- biggest drawback is the steeper loss in RPMs between shifts, due to the lower mass (and inertia) of the flywheel (eg, the PGT stock flywheel is 24#; Fidanza makes an 11# flywheel)

- Better response -- no real increase in power from the engine, but the lower intertia of the AL flywheel makes for faster throttle response and engine climb

Ciao!

 

FYI, in the past 2 years I have seen at least three lightweight flywheels, all of them of the aluminum variety, come apart at track days. No human damage, but the damage to the machinery was pretty severe. Not worth it, go chromoly. Toda makes excellent all chromoly flywheels. The couple of bucks you save will cost you too much eventually.

 

is the only downside price? if my knowledge of bikes extends to metals, chromoly weighs a good bit more... which would hurt the idea of light weight flywheel. a car that can destroy an aluminum flywheel could probably afford a chromoly one. so there must be a reason why they dont. right?

 

ares, in your previous post you were asking if this would make the revs drops less in between shifts. Please note, (from my knowledge) is that a lighter flywheel will make the revs drop even more between shifts, thus making 5 o'clock traffic pretty annoying. However, that's the price you pay if you wanna go all out....

p.s. this weekend i got to help reattack a tranny to an engine that was just rebuilt. it was pretty fun.

 

nah you had it backwards, but you answered it. I find the revs to float a bit after I put in the clutch, then they drop slowly, and I have to wait for them so I can shift without a hard jump, or powershifting.

sounds like a light flywheel would do good, unless its the computer system somehow causeing the revs to remain high after the gas is let off.

 

ha, i guess i just read your post backwards. I suffer from acute dislexia.

 

I'm having the same problem too.. Between shifts it seems as if the revs stay too high.. Looks like I need a lighter flywheel.

 

light flywheel will make yor revs drop faster, and also bring yor revs up faster too i have a 9lb toda chromoly on my turbo teg...its awesome

someone said theres no power change, but thats not true. i cant remember the reasoning but someone did dyno runs over at honda-tech w/ different flywheels, and the lighter fw made ever-so-slightly more power, but i think lost a little bit of torque on the lowend due to loss of inertia. i personally felt a tad bit loss of torque at low rpms on my teg with the lighter fw. but that was on a 1.8l engine....probably the 3.5l wont be noticeable.

 

it would alter you wheel HP. it is a spinning part of the drivetrain. just like a wheel, the lighter it is the less hp it takes to accelerate. the difference depends on the weight difference as well as the size of the flywheel.

 

Actually, BHP, as rated like you see in specifications sheets ("SAE Net") would not change -- those net HP figures are for HP at the crank, or as some folks say, "At the flywheel." The measurable difference you'll feel and actually see (if you get a chassis dyno run) will be an increase in wheel HP.