I wanted to have a discussion regarding the m42’s dual-mass flywheel.
For me – it works. After having gained an understanding of why/how it works – I can say I appreciate it.
In a nutshell, the dual-mass wheel is an overly-heavy, spring-loaded ‘middle man’ between the engine crank and the transmission. It harmonizes. It cushions vibrations. In theory, makes life easier on engine and transmission. I like that. The counter-argument is that less rotating mass helps the engine spin-up faster.
I strongly recommend that flywheel and pressure plate assembly be professionally balanced at a machine shop. That should go without saying. For that heavy mass to not be balanced – would be an ugly thing.
My former driver was a first generation, flagship-model Acura Integra. Holy shit – was that car fun. It drove with impeccable, almost ‘hyper’ response to driver input. It had the throttle response of a car that would have a light ass flywheel. I could drive it around soft like a grandma – but that took a measurable amount of effort and talented finesse.
Of all cars, it was a friend’s Saturn vehicle (mid-nineties hatch?) with a manual transmission that struck me. It was uncanny how easy/nonchalant the car was to shift around town. In retrospect, it drove like it had a heavy-ass flywheel. Like a car that would be world’s-easier to drive for someone who had little ‘stick’ experience.. and I recall having fun tooling around in it regardless.
Traffic driving. Stop light to stop light. That is where much of time behind the wheel is spent. The biggest enemy for me was environments of frequent on/off toggle-response from pedal – where the whole car lurches at the cut-off of pedal pressure.
I wanted to build a car with a clear sense and balance for where it would be driven. I wanted to be able to drive the car smoothly through stop/go traffic without having to focus overly much on it. After some months of drive time – I think a nice balance is achieved with the factory’s dual-mass decision. I don’t feel a motivation to lighten it (at this time). If it saved gas or made the car actually ‘faster’ – I think I’d feel differently. It is appealing to me to think that the heavy, spring-loaded flywheel helps my engine and transmission live longer.
On twisty, country roads – where curves and elevations changes influence a second or third gear selection – the fucking weight of the flywheel is moot. One should be smoothly accelerating/rev-matching/braking anyway. Smoothness is where it’s at when it comes to driving correctly.
All that said: for as semi-hyper as the m42 is naturally – and for the questionable issues regarding it’s half main bearings – I am feeling like the dual-mass wheel is actually desirable hardware.
Discuss.
For me – it works. After having gained an understanding of why/how it works – I can say I appreciate it.
In a nutshell, the dual-mass wheel is an overly-heavy, spring-loaded ‘middle man’ between the engine crank and the transmission. It harmonizes. It cushions vibrations. In theory, makes life easier on engine and transmission. I like that. The counter-argument is that less rotating mass helps the engine spin-up faster.
I strongly recommend that flywheel and pressure plate assembly be professionally balanced at a machine shop. That should go without saying. For that heavy mass to not be balanced – would be an ugly thing.
My former driver was a first generation, flagship-model Acura Integra. Holy shit – was that car fun. It drove with impeccable, almost ‘hyper’ response to driver input. It had the throttle response of a car that would have a light ass flywheel. I could drive it around soft like a grandma – but that took a measurable amount of effort and talented finesse.
Of all cars, it was a friend’s Saturn vehicle (mid-nineties hatch?) with a manual transmission that struck me. It was uncanny how easy/nonchalant the car was to shift around town. In retrospect, it drove like it had a heavy-ass flywheel. Like a car that would be world’s-easier to drive for someone who had little ‘stick’ experience.. and I recall having fun tooling around in it regardless.
Traffic driving. Stop light to stop light. That is where much of time behind the wheel is spent. The biggest enemy for me was environments of frequent on/off toggle-response from pedal – where the whole car lurches at the cut-off of pedal pressure.
I wanted to build a car with a clear sense and balance for where it would be driven. I wanted to be able to drive the car smoothly through stop/go traffic without having to focus overly much on it. After some months of drive time – I think a nice balance is achieved with the factory’s dual-mass decision. I don’t feel a motivation to lighten it (at this time). If it saved gas or made the car actually ‘faster’ – I think I’d feel differently. It is appealing to me to think that the heavy, spring-loaded flywheel helps my engine and transmission live longer.
On twisty, country roads – where curves and elevations changes influence a second or third gear selection – the fucking weight of the flywheel is moot. One should be smoothly accelerating/rev-matching/braking anyway. Smoothness is where it’s at when it comes to driving correctly.
All that said: for as semi-hyper as the m42 is naturally – and for the questionable issues regarding it’s half main bearings – I am feeling like the dual-mass wheel is actually desirable hardware.
Discuss.
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