Balancing flywheel/PP/clutch assembly, For my winter AX upgrades Options

[Chris Pincetich]

I just received a 13lb flywheel in the mail yesterday from Dominic (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)
I've read about the advantages of having the engine rotating mass balances, especially in race engines and those that see high rpms a lot. I am putting this med weight flywheel in my stock 1.7 for AX when I do a side-shift conversion in Feb.

What's the best plan for installing this flywheel?

Some say (i.e. Jake Raby) that if you can't dynamic balance every last bolt then don't bother.

I'm thinking I want to send this mildly used flywheel for balancing. Would it be a waste of time and $$$ if the internals of my engine are not part of the balancing (i.e. crank)??? I can remove the clutch and PP (and bolts and gasket(?)) have this entire assembly sent for balancing...that seems like the best plan, but means having the car up on jack stands for the duration of the machine shop work (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)

Any referals to a competent shop in the SF Bay area close to Oakland are greatly appreciated! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[byndbad914]

IMO I would have the flywheel zeroed, then add the pp and have that zeroed (usually just welding on some washers for instance).

If the internals were not balanced, then yeah that sucks, but no reason to add more imbalance to the system. You might get lucky and they offset each other, but that is a statistical "not gonna happen".

In theory the engine was all zeroed before it was built, so zeroing anything you add is best. Again, even if the internals weren't zeroed, anything that gets added should be zeroed for your best bet.

when I went with a lightened flywheel and new clutch package back when I had the IV in my car, that is exactly what I did. Glad too because the lightened flywheel I got was outta whack and regardless of previous balance, that could have only made matters worse.

Also, if someone before f'd up and balanced everything with the flywheel, but didn't zero the flywheel (in other words worked the crank to match the flywheel) then that would be 1. bad - that guy should be found and shot, but 2. means you may want to have the existing flywheel checked, then if it is outta whack, maybe match balance this new one to it. If anything, it is running as is so matching what you had should work.