Steel Flywheel

[Ollie88D]

I'm not trying to start trouble, but I have a question about steel flywheels. I know they are leaps and bounds ahead of stock flywheels since they aren't cast or 50 years old. I support the use of safety equipment of all kinds, when appropriate.
How does the steel flywheel affect performance such as horsepower and torque? Due to the decreased rotating mass, will the engine have less low end torque and lugging power?
If you have any experience with the subject, please share your thoughts.
Thanks.

 

[bock]

it probably wouldnt make much of a difference because when you
pull you usually want to stay at a constant speed not accelerate the
engine were a light flywheel willl rev. faster

 

[chucksoliver77]

Ollie, I put one on my 77 last year, first i feel a lot better when the tach is at 4000 rpms knowing that i have a steel flywheel and a blanket. I think my tractor now winds up a lot quicker, almost v-8 like, but i think it looses rpm a little quicker to a certain point when the pull gets tough and the seems to get a second wind and holds on better in the end. My engine is only 265cu.in, but still does a nice job. you can see it pull at chucksoliver77 on YouTube. the 2012 pulls are with the steel flywheel and all others are with the stock flywheel. Hope this answers your question,Chuck

 

[Robert Major]

Hi
Im not here to start anything either just an observation from a few comments Ive seen on here, about steel flywheels and scatter blanket use.
Are any of you guys fitting steel pressure plates in the clutch covers?. As there is the same risc with cast pressure plates exploding at 3000 rpms plus too. you need both to be %100 safe even with using the scatter blanket. If that pressure plate lets go at 3000 plus it"s gonna get out of balance mighty quick!.
I have seen a few crack in half or get some pretty bad heat cracks in, with stock farming tractors just in regular use and nowhere near the puller revs.

Regards Robert

 

[chucksoliver77]

Robert, Can you show a picture of this steel pressure plate you are talking about? I am running a steel pressure plate and a kevlar faceed disk, Chuck

 

[gtx1967jewison]

A heavier flywheel requires more power to spin. Therefore a
lighter one leaves more power for turning the wheels. All of
the stored energy in that heavy spinning flywheel had to
come from the engine.

 

[Robert Major]

Hi Im kinda lost on what you are meaning you have?
The clutches we had to fit had a steel outer that clamped the unit to the flywheel I will call it the clutch cover, as most tractor company's do.
Some tractors have a cast cover like massey that cast cover would be a no at 3000rpm plus . Then the pressure plate is the part the springs push on to the clutch disk and flywheel to make drive.
On most stock farm tractor clutches the pressure plate and floater plate if fitted in twin disc or more clutches, is cast iron the same as the flywheel.
These internal plates where custom machined for our application with the same grade steel as the flywheels.
I guess crower racing clutches and other brands are built the same with steel components.
I don't have any pictures to show you sadly, but they apear on ebay for pull tractors once in a while.
I will say this stuff was not cheap if you had to custom make an odd ball unit up, that's not shelf stocked.
But was worth the money in the eyes of safety.
If your cover and the pressure plate are steel the same as the flywheel Im guessing you have a very safe clutch
Im sorry this is long but hope you get the general idea what Im trying to say about the components.
Regards Robert

 

[chucksoliver77]

Robert, I did some research and it seems like all Borg and Beck single disk pressure plates have high ductile iron plates and are rated up to 10,000 rpm. Chuck

 

[Robert Major]

Hi
as long as that material is rated to the strength and material grade, that the flywheel is for approved use in pulling. For example the rules major pulling organisations use for 3000 rpm+ components, then I see no problem using it.
All said and done they are incharge of driver and spectator safety It seems like a few groups cherry pick the cheap parts of their safety rules, not the most erxpensive real safe parts. It's kinda like minumum code for house building. .
If on the other hand the parts are not to this spec like quite a lot aren't, Then the steel flywheel is kinda a waist of time as I said before.
You still have explosion risk in your clutch housing above 3000 rpm.
And high risk that your flywheel becomes a missile when out of balance, and it leaves the side of your tractor with the crank flange attached.
I don't know how well a scatter blanket would deal with that larger momentum, from a flywheel breaking loose at 3000 rpm+, with no tie rails on the tractor frame from front to back, or also with no protection too as some guys run steel flywheels.
Regards Robert

 

[778899]

need similar weight to stock unless running more than 50000rpms,weight helps with torque,that is what makes pulling power,drag racers even found out lite is not the complete answer. Steel is good.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 19:41:56 03/22/13) A heavier flywheel requires more power to spin. Therefore a
lighter one leaves more power for turning the wheels. All of
the stored energy in that heavy spinning flywheel had to
come from the engine.

I think that you are messing with mother basic physics here GTX. Sure more weight sucks up power during acceleration. but the whole reason for a flywheel is to keep inertia up between cylinders igniting.

 

[colekicker]

If you look at some of the drag racing engines, they use a catch can of sorts around the flywheel, clutch and pressure plate.

Using a steel flywheel is a must under high rpms. Excessive heat is built up when we slip the clutch off the line to get some sleds moving. This heat causes the cracks that really cause the flywheel to break up. I have seen countless ag tractor flywheels that have little cracks in the area that comes in contact with the disc. These are less noticiable after the flywheel has been turned.

Your question about the pressure plate is valid. I am not sure it is as much of an issue when it is trapped between the steel cover plate and steel flywheel. It's something to look into though.

Honestly, people need to realize that we are dealing with equipment that is well over 50 years old in most instances. Everything needs be thoroughly checked before just cranking up the RPMs.

 

[Robert Major]

Thanks Buddy it's nice to finally have someone else thats on the same page with what i was trying to get through. I think the clutch pressure plate throws parts even under load as centrifugal force kicks the parts out. and as said before balance is not that great either when alls letting loose.

I work on a lot of older stuff too and some stuffs not good in these machines.
My friend had a fordson major 2 stage clutch let go at idle in his yard. it all stayed in the bell housing luckily and they got it stopped safely. The biggest part I saw was about the size of my thumb and it all half filled a wheel barrow when they picked the bits out.
so imagine that lot exiting at 3000 rpm+ with the flywheel following it.
I have also split a few tractors with clutch failure, and found the cast pressure plate cracked in half, and more heat cracks than good bits in components as you say.
Regards Robert