Maybe this should be a sticky at the top, because there seems to be a plethora of mixed information going around, just like the whole "which cams are better" debates. I want to hear from the people that have EXPERIENCE with different flywheels, not what you heard through the grapevine.

I hear all the talk about the different flywheels on the market, and from what I have seen through searching, is that the CM 7.5lb flywheel is the best bang for the buck out there in terms of weight to price. The lightest I have seen is the Comptech, around 6.5lbs but it costs a hell of a lot more than the CM.

Yet, nobody seems to recommend the CM flywheel, and Im not sure why. Im pretty sure its the same as the Fidanza flywheel, but for some reason people recommend that one over the CM. Ive also seen the Spoon pretty cheap compared to others, but then people recommend the Toda because they take out more weight from the outside of the flywheel, because apparently thats where mass matters more. But the Toda is chromoly, and the CM is billet aluminum, Spoon I have no idea what its made out of...Ive heard aluminum is better?

And Ive also heard different stories about losing torque off the line. Is that true?? Or can you make up for that by revving it out a little more during the launch? I plan to drag my car from time to time, just to see what she can do, but Im more interested in screaming throug VTEC down some curvy back roads.

Can someone give some valid reasons why I or anyone else should avoid the CM flywheel? Money is definitely an issue for me, so the CM deal seems like a steal. I dont have the hookups that others do, so I have to pay full price($450 or more) for a damn flywheel. Hopefully some of you techies wont just look at this as another lame "flywheel post" and try to give some serious input as to what you think, what you know, or what you would do. Thanks in advance.

 

CM is aluminum i believe. if u get a flywheel make sure is chomoly (sp) and not aluminum. its stronger than aluminum


[Modified by MaliceGSR, 10:54 PM 5/17/2002]

 

RA who is gonna duck and hide when sgT reads this and promptly makes fun of the above post from Malice....

You are making aluminum flywheels sound like they are made from melted down beer cans or something!

Mike K uses the comptech one and loves the 6.5lb weight.... a host of other use the Fidanza.... CM is the Fidanza unit from what I know....

In my eyes, lighter the flywheel the better...

You hear everybody talk about getting lightened crank pulleys, getting the OS/ATS clutch kit which is the Super Single and weighs next to nothing for that rotating assembly.

Well I don't have 1200 (just a number I'm throwing up) to spend on a clutch I will not be comfortable driving everyday... why is everybody downing "superlight" flywheels.....?

RA who will soon have a nice Spoon Sports flywheel paperweight for sale!

 

Straight from the mouth of the ignorant.

Anyway, I say fidanza because its a hair lighter than the CM from my experience.
CM, Fidanza, comptech are all good, and ALL lighter than chrome moly.
I've had chrome moly steel flywheels and they were nice, but the aluminum
ones are leaps and bounds over their steel counterparts. Revs are faster and
no compromise in strength despite what people may think.

 

The RealTime guys used Comptech aluminum flywheels for several seasons (standing starts and all).

That is all the proof I need.

An the Comptech piece can be had for $400 and is about 1 lb lighter than the CM. I can't think of a better place to save 1lb in a car than on the flywheel.

There really should be no debate about this. If Comptech moved to JDM land, there would be no debate at all.


[Modified by norice, 3:11 PM 5/17/2002]

 

I have the Comptech Aluminum Flywheel. It weighs 6.75 lbs, and is the lightest available. I love it. There are absoulty no problems driving it on the street. My butt dyno felt no difference in a loss of torque. It's a great purchase! My friend has the same flywheel in an SC'ed LS. He beats the hell out of that car. I drive my car hard. No problems at all.

 

comptech denies it but i swear its a fidanza. same weight and all.

 

haha ken

 

I would love to know if this is the case. Would save me $100. It is eactly 6.75lbs too?

 

yeah, same weight.
CM is like 7.X lbs tho

 

I love that OWNED one

 

i just got the toda flywheel. i have no opinions on it. it looks nice but then again i will never see it again once its on the car.

 

yea, seriously....but hey, its a learning experience. i can take it.


[Modified by MaliceGSR, 11:24 PM 5/17/2002]

 

i have many friends that use the clutchmasters f/w adn that is exactly what i will use when it comes time to replace my clutch assembly

 

I have the CM unit. I like it.

 

Even $450 is a pretty good deal when you consider how much a lightweight flywheel does for your car (people spend way more than that for exhaust systems that do next to nothing, after all). I currently have a 10 lb. JUN flywheel, and it was one of the best things I have ever put on my car. It is about to be replaced with an 8.6 lb. Toda one though.

 

Fidanza makes CM flywheels, they are the same weight and construction no mater what you have read elsewhere these are facts! There is no difference beyond the name they are sold under!

 

cm suck's
fidanza hold have it in my c5 and makes 200.8 and drive it daily no problems
Ive seen cm cluch and flywheels fail with the integra they sponsor with the h22
in the nhra summit series
now there testing with a twin disk
hhahahha
just get tilton!

 

How someone can say that a flywheel sucks?
Was it out of balance?
As long as it's lighter than stock, it doesn't suck.
The problems were with the clutch, not the flywheel. IMHO.

 

I have had a CM for 9 months now and I have had no problems with it.

BTW, it is impossible to loose torque by changing to a lighter flywheel. What people are referring to is how a lighter flywheel doesn't transfer as much energy in the form of inertia to the drive train as a heavier flywheel when the clutch is engaged. This causes the clutch engagement to be more sensitive. Somehow people percieve this as a loss in low end torque. It is something you will get used to. Everyone who has ever driven my car has had no problem with my clutch/flywheel. It is just something else to get used to, like a driving a car without power steering. After a while, you just get used to it and you don't even notice it. HTH.

 

Well said

BTW, check out http://www.groupbuycenter.com for great prices right now on CM flywheels, I just got mine for a prelude fore 310$ shipped...

 

dude, that's the thing i never save money for those kind of stuffs( maybe i'm just lazy) get a jun extra light flywheel, but it's kind of expensive tho. about 450-480...

 

That's what I thought too...until I saw them produced at Comptech, everything except the ring gear is made in house by Comptech. The Clutchmaster's Al flywheel is available at http://www.groupbuycenter.com for ~$310 shipped...guess which on I'll have?

 

Indulge me here for a sec...if chromoly is so bad then why:

1) Do all Japanese tuners, even factory ones like NISMO and MAZDASPEED, make their flywheels from chromoly?

2) Why all European tuners use chromoly flywheels?

3) If chromoly sucks so bad then why does the new DC5 Integra Type-R use a chromoly flywheel stock from Honda? If aluminum is so good, why would Honda use chromoly?

4) Comptech's had aluminum flywheels for years, but now they're offering chromoly ones too.

I'm more interested in knowing what you all think of number 3.

 

I asked them this...they said that becuase of the negative publicity that Al flywheel's had due to a few manufacturers making sub-par products they felt that they were missing out on selling their products...the market demanded that they produce a Chromolly flywheel, so they did. Give them a call and ask them what they have installed on their car...I'm willing to be that all of them that have aftermarket flywheels will have the Al version installed...

Austin