HAVEaSigAR wrote:

I'm in need of a 164 tooth 28 oz flywheel. A quick google will produce different options anywhere between $90 and $400. Why? What's the big difference?

At around 400 HP when I'm all done, what would be my incentive to spend $400 when there are $90 options? Especially when the budget is tightening up, first young'un is expected any day now...

Do you plan to test the upper limits of your cam specs?  Would you rather not have the car..and your feets sawed in half?  Speed costs money.  Safety costs even more.  How fast do you want to go...more or less safely?

BB

The cheaper ones are cast (iron) in China sometimes machined there too.  The upper price range are usually made of steel and maybe have an SFI rating, but even these may be made in China.  What I am getting at is the poorer quality of machining, casting (China) would make me nervous with it spinning next to my feet.  If I was going with a cast flywheel, for a cruiser only no racing, I would go with a Ford factory flywheel properly rebuilt. If you will race it even occasionaly, go for a SFI rated one by a well known company.  That is just my take.

Last edited by Redhorse719 (8/25/2015 8:27 PM)

Ok I won't cheap out on the flywheel, although aren't I still at risk using a factory cast iron bellhousing?

I was just back from Viet Nam and was riding in a friends 1938 Chevy. It had a souped up 327 and ran pretty good. A Road Runner pulled up next to us and the race was on. As my friend shifted into 3rd there was an explosion and I was sure a grenade had went off. Upon pulling over and checking the car it looked like a grenade had went off in the car. Big holes in floor and tunnel. How we both escaped with no injuries I never know.

Billet steel is the way to go in any kind of performance vehicle.  TMD sells one real reasonable.  I have used them and they are good quality.
SFI rated flywheels are tested and race certified to do whatever that spec calls for.  Most inexpensive ones are not SFI certified. On the street it is usually not necessary to have that level of performance, but if you are going to see 6,000 RPM often, go with SFI certified.
I have been using the Ford Racing flywheels.  That is what I have behind my 427.  It is billet steel and under $300.

Be sure you know the imbalance weight that your engine requires and get a flywheel to match.

If you have concerns of high RPM blasts with alot of power, you MAY want to buy a steel SFI certified bellhousing to be safe.  It will cost alot but will be safer and is designed to contain exploding flywheels and clutches.  They can have drawbacks, though, such as not being as concentric with the crankshaft as a factory unit.  Smmetimes they have to be indexed with offset dowels installed, which is a major PITA.

I have got them all, stock cast iron ( no fun to drive ),  lighter billet steel ( revs better more fun ), and real light aluminum ( most fun to drive, but a pain to get installed correctly ). I recommend the billet steel for ease of install and most reliable fun. My 65 has an aluminum very light flywheel which requires a deliberate driving style. It also has a fair bit of cam. So it requires a driving style that relys on slipping tires not clutch. I love it!! Oh it also does not have any mufflers.