Laymans description of how LWF works, FYI
02-26-2005, 04:51 PM
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Racer
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Laymans description of how LWF works, FYI
Excerpted from discussion of BMW M3. Puts the LWF mod into laymans terms that is easy to understand. Thought it was succinctly put.
Lightweight Flywheel - Stock BMWs use a dual mass flywheel to smooth engine performance. The flywheel mutes abrupt changes in engine rpm. The heavy flywheel adds mass and, therefore, resistance during acceleration. It is like a heavy gyroscope in that it takes lots of energy to get it up to speed and it takes a long time to slow down. This resistance reduces responsiveness. Adding a lightweight flywheel will improve acceleration through the first few gears improving start times. A lightweight flywheel will not add horsepower. The engine rpms are still the same you just get there faster and deliver the energy more directly to the clutch and drive train. Be aware that this will put more strain on the clutch and differential. Any flywheel less than 12lbs is likely to cause idling problems and possibly stall the car. You may have include the purchase of a chip that will increase the idle rpms or have your existing performance chip upgraded by the vendor to accommodate this change. Most vendors are aware of this requirement and will provide some facility, for a fee, for you to upgrade your chip.
Lightweight Flywheel - Stock BMWs use a dual mass flywheel to smooth engine performance. The flywheel mutes abrupt changes in engine rpm. The heavy flywheel adds mass and, therefore, resistance during acceleration. It is like a heavy gyroscope in that it takes lots of energy to get it up to speed and it takes a long time to slow down. This resistance reduces responsiveness. Adding a lightweight flywheel will improve acceleration through the first few gears improving start times. A lightweight flywheel will not add horsepower. The engine rpms are still the same you just get there faster and deliver the energy more directly to the clutch and drive train. Be aware that this will put more strain on the clutch and differential. Any flywheel less than 12lbs is likely to cause idling problems and possibly stall the car. You may have include the purchase of a chip that will increase the idle rpms or have your existing performance chip upgraded by the vendor to accommodate this change. Most vendors are aware of this requirement and will provide some facility, for a fee, for you to upgrade your chip.
