Should You Replace that Flywheel?

When you service your clutch it is the time to consider if you need a Flywheel Replacement or to resurface your flywheel. Or even whether resurfacing is even an option. Can you fix it or do you have to scrap it?

Flywheel Grinding

Did you know that Dual Mass Flywheels should never be resurfaced? The process of grinding the flywheel can and will cause particles to get into the internal parts of a Dual Mass Flywheel and quickly destroy the flywheel it gets back into service. Your choices are to replace the flywheel with a new Dual Mass Flywheel or, if the option is available, convert over to a solid flywheel.

Flywheel grinding is recommended whenever you are replacing a clutch to allow the clutch to properly mate to the flywheel surface. This will prevent slipping and uneven wear of the flywheel. Flywheel grinding cannot exceed the manufacturers’ tolerance levels as too much grinding will result in the friction pads not properly engaging the clutch and result in slipping and lost torque.

Check out these top of the line Flywheel Grinding Machines from Van Norman.

Flywheel Replacement or Not

If you have a stock vehicle and you don’t do a lot of towing, and your dual mass flywheel provided good service over the years, then why not replace the dual mass flywheel with another one? However, if you have performed modifications, or if you do heavy towing, or if the life you got out of your dual mass flywheel was poor, then a single mass solid flywheel conversion, if available for your vehicle, now would be a good time to make the change.

Single Mass from Dual Mass

A single-mass flywheel has no internal moving parts and therefore it is much lighter than a dual-mass flywheel. Here are some pros and cons of using a single-mass flywheel:

Pros

• They are able to be machined and less likely to need replacement over time
• They are lighter so they have a faster response
• They are typically less expensive and more reliable

Cons

• They can be noisier and vibrate.

Staying with a single disc design reduces flywheel inertia and also reduces the resulting strain on the transmission and drivetrain. The construction of a single piece of metal gives it a greater heat capacity to prevent it from warping. It also allows the engine to rev quicker.

When changing over to a single mass flywheel expect to experience a different feel of the clutch when engaging, increased shifts to keep the vehicle in motion in the low rpm range, and possibly gear rattle from the transmission.