ITR Flywheel Replacement - 12lb Lightweight vs OEM ITR?

[neatrip]

Time to replace clutch on stock ITR and will be replacing with stock rated Exedy KHC05 and pressure plate
as I've always preferred the same pedal feel and response with the setup.



I had the oem ITR flywheel resurfaced in my previous replacement, however I am currently considering and possibly replacing it with a lighter 12lb or so aftermarket flywheel to change it up a bit this time around (not too dramatic)

and

don't want want to go with anything lighter to risk any compromises in the driveability I've enjoyed over the years with this car. Fwiw, the car has had the final drive replaced with the JDM 98-01 4.78 FD.





or



Also a couple of years ago, I had traded my stock wheels because I liked the look, for some old but lower offset 16x7 Yokohama rims with plans of sourcing another OEM set of wheels in the future.

I do not remember the exact weight of my new wheel/tire setup I'm currently using but it was about almost a 3lb difference all around square setup compared to what it was with the stock rims, and I did feel a slight difference in the acceleration.

It felt a little less quick than it did with the stocker wheels nothing to lose sleep about, even though it was a couple of pounds difference on each wheel.

It wasn't a huge difference in acceleration but I immediately felt a difference in the original acceleration and suspension handling due to increased weight and also the lower offset of wheels .

Car enjoys casual driving and weekend commutes with no plans for track. Occasionally used for a couple hundred mile commutes every once in awhile out of the year.



I don't plan to revert back to stock wheels anytime soon as I personally prefer the appearance of my current wheels and aero treatment.

My questions now mainly are if having a 12lb flywheel is worth it and will possibly help regain a little bit of what my original acceleration feel was with the oem wheels or will a 10lb flywheel be more suitable to balance the +3lb gain on each wheel.

I don't really want to experience the fast RPM drops and compromise in engine braking I've read with some of the
lighter setups people have used.

and

Will it positively or negatively affect my gas mileage?

I currently get about the same or just a tad bit less gas mileage with current wheels. Because I sometimes use the car for long commutes, I really do enjoy the good gas mileage. I've seen 30+ mpg with a light foot and moderate Vtec in the city.



How much will a 12lb flywheel reduce the longevity of the stock clutch setup if any?

Overall would it be worth it to have a flywheel thats 4lbs less than stock in my case?



Please feel free to share any ideas or experiences with stock performance ITR (also clutch) with 12lb aftermarket flywheel, and what I should expect in changes.




I plan to replace some more worn part$ as I find them, so if anyone may have suggestions for other good brands you have used or possibly more affordable flywheel options that may suit my setup (or 12lb criteria) please do share as well. TIA

[RTW DC2R]

Very thorough post! Almost too thorough and I think you are over thinking it a bit.

I have used everything from stock FW to the lightest FW you can find. With a stock clutch all the way to a twin disc with hydro release. On all motor setups and 600whp setups with stock and modified gearing.

There are pros and cons to everything. I would say even with the lightest FW in the world, you will get used to it and its a non issue. Same with a heavy duty clutch vs a stock clutch. And stock pads vs track pads. Etc.

Ive never done the math, but IMHO, I love the current feel of the ACT streetlite 12lb FW with Action Clutch and 4.9FD. It revs plenty quick and is very responsive on my mostly stock motor (header/exhaust mods). And its not too light to lose some of that rotating inertia. Remember that the lighter the FW, the faster the RPM will come down as well (between shifts, or when sitting at a stop light, etc).

But like I said you eventually just get used to it and will hardly notice it until you drive something else and are like wow this thing revs slow and feels sluggish lol.

[neatrip]

lol, thank you very much for your feedback.


Really nice to hear feedback from someone with a near similar setup for what I'm going for. (Nice car btw, would actually consider if I had the resources and room).

Alot of people who have come across me ask why I haven't modified engine, but I'm pretty content with how it drives just like the creators meant for it to be.

This combined with all its ergonomics and great fuel economy for a sports car are some of the big points that keeps me coming back to this car.

Interested to just get it a tad bit peppier this time or near what I had when I had the lighter, stock wheels.

I've already got the clutch kit just need to pull the trigger on the 12lb FW now.

Did you see any impact on mpg whatsoever with your 12lb setup?

I do alot of highway driving and I've read upon some mixed experiences.

Some saying there will be a decrease in fuel economy, while others claim it benefits due to less intertia and pedal compensation to maintain rpm speed due to quicker than normal drops in rpm than with stock flywheel.

[RTW DC2R]

Thanks! I'll be sad to see her go but its time unfortunately.

No idea on gas mileage really. Id say its similar or the same. Ive driven it to many different tracks in the NE and MW and never felt like gas mileage was worse. And thats usually loaded down with full track gear, wheels, parts, etc. Obviously YMMV. And of course after initially installing you are probably going to want to rev it out a bit more than usual so you will probably see an initial hit to MPG while you are feeling it out. Gas mileage isnt a reason Ive ever heard for someone deciding NOT to do a lighter FW.

[KIngpinMachine]

I kind of quick read your post but I despise my Fidanza flywheel on my GSR. Installed it because I have one on my race car (GSR) and thought I would have the two cars match or something but it is annoying. Just seems like you have to rev the shit of the car to keep from stalling and who wants to do that on a street car? Will go back OEM if/when I ever pull the tranny. Just my .02.

[neatrip]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I've read a few mixed reviews between a slightly lighter flywheel vs oem. Most ITR owners who chose to install a lighter fw usually went with the 12lb and wrote they actually liked it.

KingpinMachine, is your Findanza 12lbs?

Thought I would find someone with a video of stock ITR and 12lb on YT, but no luck.

In this case, I am considering one about 12ish pounds compared to the 16lb oem ITR.

Would love to hear more detailed feedback before I purchase and finally pull everything apart. TIA

[KIngpinMachine]

Good point. It has to be the 7 lb one as it just miserable to drive. You should be good with 12 lb one. Man, I need to do the same myself in my "free time". Lol!

[Dave7CDMTYPER]

I installed an ITR spec Stage 1 Exedy clutch kit, and a 10lb Jun. flywheel on my '01 gs-r. I was shocked it was so drivable with that LW flywheel tbh, It didn't seem to affect drivability much at all. I love it. Jun also sells an 8lb FW, but I figured I didn't need to go that light for any reason. My gs-r is mostly a daily driver.

[aw614]

I installed an ITR spec Stage 1 Exedy clutch kit, and a 10lb Jun. flywheel on my '01 gs-r. I was shocked it was so drivable with that LW flywheel tbh, It didn't seem to affect drivability much at all. I love it. Jun also sells an 8lb FW, but I figured I didn't need to go that light for any reason. My gs-r is mostly a daily driver.

Do you recall which Exedy clutch you purchased? I purchased one on my current motor, but go figure I can't recall the part number I purchased a few years back since there seems to be a few for the Integra, KHC05, KHC12 and KHC13

[Dave7CDMTYPER]

Do you recall which Exedy clutch you purchased? I purchased one on my current motor, but go figure I can't recall the part number I purchased a few years back since there seems to be a few for the Integra, KHC05, KHC12 and KHC13

Good question. I have no idea the part number. I bought it maybe 3-4 years ago, and finally installed it sometime last year 2020.