Lightened Flywheel

About 15 years ago and 22,000 miles. I took about 20 lbs from my flywheel. It does not vibrate, shifts great. If it vibrates it is not built right.
 
I have done probably a hundred and have never had a complaint, in fact quite the opposite. They work great on a balanced crank or a stock one. I find that, most of the vibration in a Model A comes from bad workmanship or flywheel housings that are broken or warped and not re-conditioned.
 
FWIW: Lightened Model A flywheels is not a new, modern Model A Restoration fad ...... this procedure was very popular years ago.

I knew about ten (10) highly qualified and skilled full time machinist in our rural area, (all born before 1920); and remember their discussing this lightened Model A flywheel subject.

Mainly for quicker engine response, they all claimed to have successfully removed metal from inner circumferences of many Model A flywheels in the late 1930's and through the 1940's, during a time when Model A's were used as a family's primary means of transportation.

Had mine lightened with no problems.

There are still those today that can execute a standard of care to successfully accomplish this task ...... and no doubt, after hearing so many Model A Forum engine rebuilding complaints over the past 20 years, some will continue to offer services and do a bum job.

But, like anything else, just try to compare 1900's - 1930's attention to detail and hands-on craftsmanship in say, just fine woodworking and carpentry.

Different generations has had an effect on hands-on skills and final products ...... with no electrical tools, I remember many in our area who also built non-leaking boats with planks, while using only hand saws, and hand planes ........... try having this done today ..... with the compound angles and curves required for accurately fitting watertight planks using only hand tools.
 
Excellent point! It doesn't take a extremely intuitive machinist to figure out that flywheel weight is an internal drain on your horse power. The mechanics of the eighteen hundreds accepted heavy, massive flywheels as a necessity. In the latter part of the 1800s, there was a movement towards more cylinders and lighter flywheels in steam. Naturally, some machinists of the earlier periods were saying "What if we try this or that?" To get back to flywheel weights, Imagine two wheels with crank handles, one weighs 60 lbs and the other weighs 30 lbs. The resistance is the same for each wheel. Now (This is the hard part) You have to turn both up to 100 RPM. Which one will get there faster? Which one will draw off more strength from your arm? Which one will tire you out faster. ( no convoluted explanations about which one will stay at 100 rpm longer, please) The example doesn't deal with road conditions, red lights, stop signs, etc, just acceleration from 0 to 100 rpm. A heavy FW is a Black Hole in which you pour horse power.
Terry

H. L. Chauvin said:
FWIW: Lightened Model A flywheels is not a new, modern Model A Restoration fad ...... this procedure was very popular years ago.

I knew about ten (10) highly qualified and skilled full time machinist in our rural area, (all born before 1920); and remember their discussing this lightened Model A flywheel subject.

Mainly for quicker engine response, they all claimed to have successfully removed metal from inner circumferences of many Model A flywheels in the late 1930's and through the 1940's, during a time when Model A's were used as a family's primary means of transportation.

Had mine lightened with no problems.

There are still those today that can execute a standard of care to successfully accomplish this task ...... and no doubt, after hearing so many Model A Forum engine rebuilding complaints over the past 20 years, some will continue to offer services and do a bum job.

But, like anything else, just try to compare 1900's - 1930's attention to detail and hands-on craftsmanship in say, just fine woodworking and carpentry.

Different generations has had an effect on hands-on skills and final products ...... with no electrical tools, I remember many in our area who also built non-leaking boats with planks, while using only hand saws, and hand planes ........... try having this done today ..... with the compound angles and curves required for accurately fitting watertight planks using only hand tools.
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