sdpearso

OK, first the details.
My tranny was being replaced so I figured it was a good time to get a lightweight flywheel installed for cheap (.5hr labor). I ordered the NISMO flywheel because it was available and the other brands were still on order. When the NISMO arrived, I was dissapointed by the weight so I had the dealer hold off on the tranny replacement. Keep in mind my car was already on the lift with the tranny removed. I ordered the JWT flywheel to be next day aired to me so I could have it installed. It did not arrive on schedule so I had to go ahead with the NISMO flywheel.

After install impression:
I can barely notice the difference from stock.

I've listed the weight of 3 flywheels all weighed by me personaly (not some manufacturer trying to sell some parts).

Stock = ~29 lbs
NISMO = ~21.5 lbs
JWT = ~14 lbs

My advice to you:
If you're gonna get a lightweight flywheel, get the JWT or other ~14lb flywheel.

failsafe

Seriously Shaun? Almost no difference? Power feels the same as stock? I was all but sold on that Nismo flywheel but now........

sdpearso

Put it this way... I was concerned about using one of the 14 lb flywheels based on what I read on this site. Now I wish I would have. The NISMO flywheel is ~7 lbs lighter than stock and the JWT is ~7 lbs lighter than NISMO. If I can barely notice the difference with the NISMO, I can't see there being driveability issues with the JWT.

I especially expected there to be a big difference because the NISMO flywheel is solid where the stock flywheel is "dual mass".

**** One caveat to this review...but I highly doubt I will take any of this back tomorrow. The dealer needed to disconnect the Injen exhaust to replace the tranny and when he reconnected it, he did it half assed. The connections don't really line up correctly on the driver's side pipe and I feel this may be affecting power. However, I can't beleive that this would affect my feel for the flywheel. Anyway, I'll have it all lined up tomorrow and will follow up with a re-review then.

PoWeRtRiP

Tell us if you notice a difference in a week. It took 5 days for my udps to start making the most difference because our ecu has to adjust to the lightened mass. You should expect much more significant gains in a few days.

ZON

iTrader: (2)

Do you have a base line dyno to compare a post flywheel dyno with?

350z4steve

iTrader: (1)

wow hopefully the dealer did put the nismo in..one thought though..how many miles do you presently have on your Z ?

sdpearso

The dealer did put the NISMO in because I was there while he was mounting the clutch to it and they gave me the stock flywheel back...don't think it didn't cross my mind though

Currently at 14K miles.

I do have a dyno from about 4 months ago but I'm not really expecting to see much in the way of HP or TQ out of this mod. I was expecting to get added throttle response and quicker revs. If I did, they are negligable.

----
Let me just clarify, there is a difference...but barely. It sure as hell isn't a $550 difference. Especially when you can get a bigger difference for $400. Knowing what I know now, I would have installed the JWT flywheel.

350z4steve

iTrader: (1)

Im begining to think with this car you have to go extreme with the mods in order to feel anything..because from the looks of everything most mods are only moderately improving upon a really good car already out fo the box..hmmm time to go turbo or sc I guess!

raceboy

Ummm, how much difference did you really think you were going to feel???

FLY BY Z

It's just a flywheel. That's like installing stainless steel brake lines and expecting a 14 inch brake setup type of improvement. It helps but it isn't going to change your world. Stuff like flywheels and pullies are piddly mods. Besides, with a lighter flywheel you aren't really going to feel more power. How did you test it? Did you punch it in a straight line? You might like a heavier flywheel for that type of race.

professor

A lighter flywheel makes the most "change" in low torque, but high revving types, (Celica GTS, Integra GSR..) and is most noticeable in 1st and 2nd gear.

I would expect in the Z (great torque) that first gear acceleration would be improved, and that rev matching would be more instantaneous. I feel I would like the compromise the Nismo flywheel brings to the Z.

I think you would definitely notice a difference if you went to a 14 pound flywheel, but would you like it? I think the Z would loose much of its "smoothness" that Nissan has built into this fine car with a very light flywheel. Many times we "over do it" and turn a car into an ill mannered, difficult to drive (on the street)

My neighbor built a ‘71 Dodge Demon 340 with a BIG cam, (great at the strip) and just to get of the car moving at any stop sign, he HAD TO “spin the tires” or the engine would stumble and die. Made for a very interesting interaction with the Police!

My thoughts on the subject.

Scott

sdpearso

OK everyone, read this carefully...maybe I haven't been clear.

I do not expect an improvement in "power".

I expected the engine to rev quicker and the rpms to fall quicker. Also, I expected the feel to be a little more "sensitive" since this was a migration from a dual mass flywheel to a solid flywheel.

This is not the case. I barely (almost none at all) notice any change in how quickly the engine revs or how quickly the rpms fall. And the "feel" hasn't changed.

I understand that a flywheel that is "too" light can make the car hard to launch, easy to stall, and a little less "smooth". But the NISMO flywheel is ~7lbs lighter than stock and ~7lbs heavier than the other flywheels (JWT, JUN, ...) so I expected to see some of these characteristics begin to appear. Since they didn't, I think that that the issues expected with a 14lb flywheel are not going to be issues. Maybe 14lbs would have been too light, but if that's the case, someone should make an 18lb flywheel and kill the market.

My conclusion is this...
1) The NISMO flywheel didn't make anything worse. It just didn't improve much for $550 (price after install).
2) I've read alot about 14lb flywheels being too light for this car. My opinion is that a 14lb flywheel would have been a better choice for me.
3) I should make a 18lb flywheel and sell it.

failsafe

I know a flywheel doesn't add power but was under the impression that a lighter flywheel would free some of the power that was necessary to turn the the heavier flywheel (similar to the effect of pullies). I've never replaced a flywheel in any car that I've owned so I'm in no way an expert on the subject. But since the general consensus is that a 14lbs flywheel would be so dramatic, I thought he would have a least noticed some difference.

sdpearso

Exactly!

CaneZMD

iTrader: (1)

That sucks, SDpearso. That sucks not being able to wait for JWT.

Sport Compact Car installed the JWT in this months issue and they said it was a noticeble difference. They said that if you didn't shift quickly, the rpms would fall and make your shift feel rough. They said it was alot more free revving than stock, unfortunately, they also said it wasn't as smooth when driving at 2000-2500 rpm or less.

sdpearso

See? Someone should make an 18lb flywheel. Wadd?

teh215

iTrader: (8)

If I may add my 2¢, here goes. IIRC there was a post a few months ago about why the RPMs seems to come down so slowly once you let up off of the throttle and it had to do with the electronic throttle of the 350Z since it does not slam shut like a mechanical throttle body. It may also explain why it seems to rev slower than a mechanical throttle, which may explain what you are seeing. This is all assumption...

sdpearso

True, this is a possibility. If this is the case, is there any reason to install a lightweight flywheel at all?

FLY BY Z

This is true. Most of the mods performed on today's cars do not have the impact they had on the muscle cars of the past. Fuel injection, electronic contols, etc., have dumbed down drivetrains. Now, in order to realize changes in hardware, you need to program the software accordingly. There are many more variables involved now. When you change the flywheel, or the pullies, or the intake or whatever, you need to realize that the part you changed is not the only part that affects the outcome of that change. It seems like the only effects felt with mods are adverse effects nowadays. Unless you can write the code.

dwnshift

iTrader: (1)

You need the 350EVO flywheel with Sachs 7 1/4 clutch!