In addition to the factors you have mentioned a heavy flywheel at held high
RPM when the clutch is dropped will contain a considerable amount of energy
which will add to that available to accelerate the car...
Of course the car will be heavier because of the weight of the flywheel as
well ??????
Michael Salter
http://www.netbug.net/blogmichael/
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-healeys@autox.team.net [mailto:owner-healeys@autox.team.net] On
Behalf Of Bob Spidell
Sent: Friday, January 12, 2007 9:31 PM
To: healeylist
Subject: Lightened Flywheels
Yes, I know this topic has been beaten to death, but something has kept me
wondering.
I understand that reducing the rotational mass would produce an engine that
would rev quicker--and Listers with lightened flywheels attest to
this--but does that
yield a car that's quicker off-the-line, or 0 to 60, or in the quarter
mile? I ask
because the mass of the flywheel seems inconsequential when compared to the
the mass of the entire drive train, which has to push the weight of the
car and its
contents. In other words, the main source of inertia is the rear
wheels, the weight
riding on said wheels, and the mass of the car that is propelled by the
rear wheels.
So, does a car with a lightened flywheel REALLY accelerate faster? Anybody
got before and after 0-60 or quarter-mile times to prove it?
bs
--
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Bob Spidell San Jose, CA bspidell@comcast.net
'67 Austin-Healey 3000 '56 Austin-Healey 100M
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