Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Flywheel Lighten and Balance?

I will be stripping the gearbox this week and replacing all the bearings, seals and balkrings etc.

Obviously fitting a new clutch at the same time, but what about balancing and lightening the flywheel? John Eales can do this, has anyone had it done? If so, did you notice? Or can anyone offer any advice?

Cheers

It seems to be a popular practice for Rover v8's if not on Morgans.

I'd have a google and read up.. some positive comments noted.

I have had this mod on one of my past plus 8s. It will allow engine to rev more freely but with a little less torque.

The flywheel on my Plus 8 is lightened but recommending it for an otherwise standard engine is another matter as my engine is a road-going, race spec engine built by John Eales.

Personally, I'd ask John Eales or JE Engineering for their advice. You may release couple of gee-gees but you may find some drawbacks. In your favour is the Morgan's light weight in comparison with a Range Rover so the loss of flywheel mass may not be a real issue.

I fitted a light flywheel to the much tweaked cross flow in Woodstock. Really nice to drive, super responsive and should have done it earlier. Light cars with responsive engines don't need a heavy flywheel.

Thanks Gents, I have been chatting with V8 developments, and think I will wait until I have my tuned 4.6 engine fitted next year, as I will be fitting an up-rated clutch then.

Wow, yours looks like a right beast! What are the engine details? I will be replacing my engine next year, and would love to hear what you think of yours. I definitely want more umpf, but don't want to over do it. I wont be racing mine, but certainly taking on some track days, and I'm an experienced driver (started Karting when I was 8), but even so, is 280-300bhp over kill?

Any good engine builder will balance the flywheel as a matter of course during the engine build.

Just stripping a Ford crossflow at the moment so will be sending off the front pulley, crank, conrods, flywheel and clutch cover for checking and balancing

Arwyn

I put a RPI lightened flywheel on the 3.5 I built. Now I am using a 3.9 with stock Rover flywheel. Not much difference it seemed to Me. I have never driven a completely balanced Rover V8. For My use it doesn't seem necessary. One of the unique items on My +8 Bitsa is the use of a T5 Borg Warner transmission. This necessitated a GM clutch. It is much bigger and heavier (both in weight and difficulty in pushing the clutch pedal) than a standard Rover clutch. I changed my clutch master from a 3/4" to a 11/16" and that helped (internal clutch slave).
But IMO still too stiff. My friend Loretta, who has/drives a '58 +4 and a '71 XKE says My +8 Bitsa is not driveable. At least by Her.

Hi Richard. The engine is a 3.9 built by John Eales around an interim cross-bolted block, fully balanced with Omega forged pistons, 234 hydraulic camshaft, tufrided and cross-drilled small journal crankshaft, lightened flywheel and quad Dellorto DRLA45 downdraft carburettors.

The highlight performance figures from the dyno are:
40 bhp and 192 ft/lbs @ 1,100 rpm
290 ft/lbs @ 5,000 rpm
312 bhp and 272 ft/lbs @ 6,000 rpm

The power is totally usable and relatively benign but demands respect in the wet. In reality, one cannot use full throttle on the road and one is always conscious of not frightening other road users. MPG figures are appalling if the performance is used. Also the silencer wadding lasts no time at all before it's blown out of the exhaust system completely and there's considerable induction noise.

My Plus Eight has used this engine and its 3.9 predecessor in similar spec since 1990 so I guess that tells you that I like its characteristics.