Thanks for the faith and props S.M. The real credit should go to the people who design the stuff in the first place. The Zex "smart system" is a real cool thing to see in person. The control module, which is actually a box with the solenoids and processor board, is small and easily mounted under the hood. Okay, I've digressed enough on this particular thread. Weren't we talking flywheels?

Charles

 

What's a flywheel?

 

I can tell you from personal experience that the Mazdaspeed lightened flywheel only changes the characteristic of the car slightly. Not a lot! I had my one done a couple of days ago, and I was a little disappointed really. It was hardly noticable at-all.
My advice is to go for a lighter flywheel than Mazdaspeeds if your not worried about warranty issues. If you are worried about warranty issues; go with Mazdaspeed, and get it installed at the main dealer.
That's basically the way I see it. :o

 

Flywheels pretty much **** the car if you want to drive it anywhere but straightaway traffic.

 

I'm sure there are many people here who think your talking crap. I do.
Flywheels will NOT F**K your car. Taking advice from an idiot might tho...

 

"The Chronic Auto-******"

Shouldn't that read "The Chronic Auto-Wankel-er"

 

Sorry to bash a bit on you. I don't want to hurt you, but your 'I[disc]=(1/2)mr^2' formula is the simplified equation for a plain rotating disc.
For a disc whose mass is distributed unequally along the radius (like most lightweight flywheels do ), the formula should be :
I[disc] = Integ(mu(rho)*rho,rho=0..r), whith mu(rho) being the mass of the ring of radius rho, and width delta(rho).
Well, something like that... And when the disc is plain, we get your formula

 

I checked out the Ogura clutch some time ago. Apparently, it's rated at about 300 PS, I think. I hear it feels almost stock; that's good . On clutches, I would also check out Exedy's twin-plate if you're looking to withstand the extra power from FI or nitrous, CHARLES.

 

I'm installing the Racing Beat flywheel this weekend. Aluminum, 9.5# +2.5# for counterweight. Supposed to reduce rotating inertia by 55%. I'll try and set up a baseline with my new Gtech, see if I can pull some 2nd gear horsepower improvement numbers, and let everyone know how it feels.

On the Prolite mentioned earlier for $250. Make sure to read the fine print. You need to buy the counterweight separately. I think it's $130. Which brings you up to around $380 and closer to the $400-$450 everyone except Mazdaspeed is charging.

 

I got the Mazdaspeed for $522 no shipping and no sales tax from Rosenthal Mazda. It is worth the extra $100 or so to keep my transmission warranty with no hassles.

The Mazdaspeed is about 12 lbs but it has most of the weight reduction in the outer rim of the flywheel so it should be about the same moment of inertia as the Racing Beat. I think only the Prolite racing flywheel will have less inertia than any of the others.

I will install mine soon and see what I get with a G-timer.

-Mr. Wigggles

 

just installed mine two words, loving it noticeable improvement especially at the top. Feels so smooth and accels a lot quicker and smoother definetly great mod. Also not hard to drive at all actually its easier for me :D

 

just get one that fits. They all are decent products. After you add the counter weight the end weight is almost the same in all flywheels

 

All that cretinx guy has done is talk ****. Hopefully, if people stop paying attention to him, he will go away. So, to all those reading, lets not pay attention.

 

I've had the RB wheel in for almost a week now, and I love it...I auto-x'd with it this weekend, and could definitely tell the difference when i stomped on the gas in the mid RPM range (3-5000) in 2nd gear...

 

The MS flywheel is 10.5lbs and the counterweight is 3.5lbs and the all the bolts come in at about .5lbs... Most other flywheels use the Mazda counterweight so if you go with an aftermarket you save maybe 1-2lbs... The MS is chromoly, much stronger than any aluminum alloy, and for the intended purpose chromoly is a better material...

 

I Have The Sr Flywheel And Love It. No Driveability Issues At All...in Fact Easier To Drive Imo.
My Favorite Upgrade So Far.
It Seems Sr Has A Reputation For Good Quality Parts So I Am Okay With It All.
Its Great Having An 8, Dont You All Think?
Unrelated...i Never Liked The Red, But Stopped At The Dealer Today With My Daughter (who Is Two And Saw One Outside The Dealer And Said, "red Rx8, Daddy!")
In The Sun, That Paint Is Gorgeous...not Ferrari Garrish, But Deeper With Lots Of Fleck.
This Car Will Look Great At 8k Rpm At Any Speed.
Add A Borla And Stage 1.1 And Its All Good.
Trust In The Upgrades!

 

Installed my RB flywheel and am very happy with it. 9.5lbs and 3.5lb counterweight. I would say its equivalent to the difference with 2-3 people in the car vs. just yourself. It definitely frees up horsepower for the rear wheels to turn into tiny pieces of rubber. :D

Its aluminum and I have not seen any issues with it in terms of flex or vibration. It has a bolted on layer of clutch material as the wear surface that makes for a stickier contact surface than the regular steel flywheels. There is no reduction in drivability at all. If anything I like it better as the material creates a more postive clutch feel. It just hooks up.

 

rudy8
I also have the SR flywheel for a while and also believe that it was easier to drive than initially driving the stock flywheel. I can feel the rpm's spool up much faster. SR has quality product and great customer service. I have their pullies and high flow cat and am very happy with all of it. They all make a substantial improvement in total. Next will probally be the Pettit supercharger for me.

 

Ok, so the flywheel helps acceleration.

What about when you let off the gas?

We it deaccelerate at the same propartion as the increase in acceration from the new flywheel?

I'd like to know how it's going to handle around the corners. Great it goes faster comming out, but what about the deacceleration for the next turn?

 

Much better, the engine braking is actually enhanced since the compression can slow the revs faster... Better throttle response = better modulation and control...

 

Hmm...It says it includes the rear counterweight and all hardware necessary for installation, I'm going to email them.

 

More importantly, MS did a really good job of removing much of the weight at the outer edge of flywheel. Reducing the moment of interia is the key, the actual weight is far less important (but of coarse related). Flywheels should be spec'ed in Kg*m^2 but since moments are harder to calculate or measure than mass, Kg, they are usually just listed by mass (or weight) and not moment.

Peopel should compare the Racing Beat flywheel:



to the Mazdaspeed:



They are both about the same weight (I personally measured the mazdaspeed flywheel at 12lbs +/- 1lb which is the same as the 12lb Racing Beat.)

But the Mazdaspeed has a lot more air along the outer edge. It appears to have much more of its weight centrally located so it should have significantly smaller moment of interia. (as an example weight that is placed at the outer edge of a wheel has 4 times the impact on moment of interia that weight at one half the radius does). I would guess that if the machined holes weren't there for the Mazdaspeed wheel, the weight would go up to say from 12 to 15 lbs but the moment of interia could possibly double!

The Mazdaspeed appears to be a great flywheel for a number of reasons.

-Mr. Wigggles

 

I just got my Mazdaspeed flywheel installed and it is very nice.

It improves drivability not the other way around.

Not much driving so far but it is really nice to be at stop light, watch the stop light turn green and not be the last one through the intersection because you are waiting the get the engine up to speed.

It is definitely worth $522 for the flywheel from Rosenthal Mazda, but you might want to wait for other transmission work to be done before getting it done. My labor was $373 at the dealer.

-Mr. Wigggles

 

Welcome the the flywheel club...

 

After driving it some more I have to say it was worth it.

Now I'm just upset it wasn't on the car to begin with.

The Mazdaspeed flywheel is definite refinement. More than just perform better the car simply drives better and easier. Negotiating all of the interia from the larger flywheel when shifting in lower gears was just ridiculous. I had to manage the clutch just right or I would get a surging or engine-breaking

The car does feel quicker (butt dyno only), but the more important thing is it is so much more refined. (it is even harder to tell the RPMs now because the operation is so much smoother)

I used to hate the transimission in the RX-8. I didn't realize most of the problem was simply the flywheel.

-Mr. Wigg