[DeTomaso] 351C steel billet flywheel

[Charles Engles]

Dear Mike, Jack, Julian, Charlie and Tony,


            I called PPC and spoke to Larry Stock.  Basically, there really
is a steel billet flywheel.  It comes in two types.  The first is a
replacement for the stock cast flywheel and it weighs the same as stock,
i.e. 36 pounds.   The second type is a lightened steel billet flywheel  that
weighs 27 pounds.   For reference, an aluminum flywheel weighs 14 pounds.

           Larry says that while the stock unit is satisfactory for most
uses, it is not SFI certified and not permitted in serious drag racing
events.   The steel billet flywheels have apparently been around for years
and are SFI certified and are the serious drag racer's choice.  The
lightened 27 pound flywheel is also SFI certified and are the really serious
drag racer's choice as it tolerates all of the abuse and heat and is lighter
than the standard billet flywheel.  Finally, the aluminum flywheel  has
advantages, but resistance to heat and hard launches is not supposed to be
among them.

                             The Flywheel Choice Table


          Factory stock cast unit     36 pounds         $300 new retail
(rough prices)
          Standard billet unit        36 pounds         $300 new retail
          Lightened billet unit       27 pounds         $400
          Aluminum flywheel           14 pounds         $600


       The apparent compromise winner for cost, durability, and lightness is
the lightened steel billet unit.   I do think I will keep that in mind for
the next engine, while I continue field testing the aluminum Fidanza unit
behind the 485 hp engine.  So far, it is early, but it is OK, however a bit
different from the inertia of the stock unit.


               FWIW,  Chuck Engles


         

 

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles McCall [mailto:charlesmccall at gmail.com] 
Sent: Friday, May 14, 2010 3:11 PM
To: cengles at cox.net; detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] 351C steel billet flywheel

I see that one can buy a "steel billet flywheel" for the 351C. Allegedly, it
is made from "aviation grade steel" and is "billet" (must be good
then.......because billet aviation grade materials are always the
best----right).

I wonder if :(1) aviation steel really exists?
******I'm not an expert but have been in numerous plants, both manufacturing
components and assembly, for Airbus and Eurofighter.

The Eurofighter is primarily carbon fiber, with the exception of the leading
edge of the wing, which is titanium. Most of the metallic portion of both
Airbus and EF is either Titanium or aluminum. 

I'm not sure what "aviation steel" is, to be honest. I'm sure that certain
components in a plane that are made from steel, but I'm not sure which and
they are few these days.


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