Flywheel

[92Fox5.0]

Hey Guys,

I need some advice. I'm building a 347 stroker and I was wondering if I need an aluminum flywheel or use the steel flywheel. My plans for the car is mostly street and some strip. A friend of mine cautioned me about the aluminum flywheel for street driving. He said that I will need the weight of a steel flywheel to help keep the engine running while driving in town. This is my first build and my first mustang. Any comments / suggestions will be appreciated.

By the way, this is my first post.

Thanks Again,

92Fox

 

[Grn92LX]

your friend is incorrect. alum will be fine but it'll cost more than steel. make sure you get the correct weight balance flywheel. I had zero problems on my old 92 347 stroker w/ an alum flywheel, street ONLY.

 

[92Fox5.0]

Thanks for the input GRN92LX!

 

[stykthyn]

the aluminum flywheel is going to hurt your low end. up top it will scream. city driving will be fine, but from my experience the car needs more rpms to get moving.

 

[92Fox5.0]

Thanks Stykthyn.

 

[Cobra912]

the aluminum flywheel is going to hurt your low end. up top it will scream. city driving will be fine, but from my experience the car needs more rpms to get moving.

From the research I did, I agree. I bought a 28oz steel one when I built my 331. Make sure you spend a bit more and buy an SFI one, a little peice of mind that a disc of solid steel won't explode under your feet at 6000 RPM.

 

[Grn92LX]

From EXPERIENCE, no problems with my aluminum flywheel on my old STREET car

 

[Jack's95gt]

A billet steel flywheel will drive more like a stocker. I have to rev up more when pulling out from a stop with the aluminum flywheel.

 

[Jaym14]

You will need to rev the engine a little bit more to get the car moving in first with the aluminum flywheel as opposed to the steel which can lead to more clutch slippage. Depending on which clutch/flywheel combo, your driving habits, and how well your clutch is adjusted you might experience rapid disc wear and warping of the steel friction plate on the flywheel. I'm currently in the process of swapping from an aluminum flywheel (anderson high rev about $400) to a billet steel sfi approved ram unit (24lbs $259) because of such wear (not cause by me, see my post in the 5.0 talk section http://forums.stangnet.com/787809-body-shop-fried-my-clutch.html. I decided to go with a steel wheel because even though my car is set up as a drag car, it sees more street time than strip, and I dont want to run the risk of having to replace everything again. Steel flywheels are generally considered the more street friendly choice but I know that plenty of people run aluminum in daily drivers with out incident. In the end it really just comes down to personal preference. Your really splitting hairs when you talk about the potential gains/losses when comparing the two. Steel offers slightly better low end grunt and potentially greater longevity while aluminum will rev like crazy and help your top end but at the risk of less street-ability.