Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
Lightweight alloy flywheel that is best described at Racingbeat.com. I feel that Racingbeat has put in an exceptional amount of work in their products; in shows on their website, in their customer service, and the products that they make. The replacable friction of area of the flywheel is absolutely rocking. Never have to buy a new one because of glazing or blueing of the friction surface; just pick up a new one and bolt it in.
My experience was completely on the driving end - no installation notes here. The first things I noticed was a slight difference in clutch "feel." As stated on the Racingbeat website, a different "technique" is required to launch the car. I also had a clutch disc done as well, so I have been going easy on the clutch. The second thing I noticed was how much better shifts felt; the revs really drop FAST, making quick shifts MUCH more smooth. Carroll Smith says that "a good upshift should be heard but not felt," and this flywheel has really helped me bring my shifting to that level. Along with making the revs match up easier, there is a smoother transition when engaging the clutch. Reving the car up for a downshift (and heel and toe maneouvers) are much easier, as the car revs very willingly. Can't really vouch for any acceleration benefits, but car feels really nice, really smooth.
Final cool thing about it; sounds faintly like a buzzsaw. Rev that thing up, you can hear it FZZZZ on the way down. Pretty neat. Technically, engine will have to work harder because the flywheel is not storing as much energy and spins down quicker; but, I think it may make up for it in the ease in which it spins up. Fuel mileage may decrease slightly. Haven't proved it yet tho. BIGGEST DIFFERENCE by far is in the shifting, as described in the above paragraph. Compare this one to those made by Jackson Racing, Fidanza, and Toda Racing.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
Applicable to: '90 - '97 1.6 liter
A Bolt in replacement for the stock flywheel. Made of a lighter weight aluminum material, it supposedly underweighs the stock flywheel by 10 pounds.
Installation of this piece made the single largest improvement I've experienced of all my upgrades. ( Catback, clutch, intake, etc..) Throttle response is greatly increased, as is passing speed. The only caveat to these gains is that a little more "technique" is needed when starting out in first gear. The lower inertia of the flywheel makes it necessary to apply more pressure to the throttle to keep it from stalling.
Overall, an amazing product and a great upgrade for people who enjoy more "spirited" driving. I had the technicians at my dealership install the flywheel, and its quality construction drew many "oohs" and "ahhs". It's like a whole new car now.
Over 30 minutes to remove completely
| Back to Product Reviews | 21 March, 2004 |