I will soon be starting my 3.0l swap into my Cougar and will be upgrading the Trans with an LSD and a Clutchnet Stage 2 Disc and PP. I am looking to make around 220 - 230whp once complete.
I have the option to purchase a used SVT Flywheel and replace it with the stock Flywheel. I have heard that the SVT Flywheels are a couple of pounds lighter than the stock ones, will this be a favorable swap?
I was thinking that the heavier Flywheel may maintain the torque better than the lighter SVT one when launching, or if the latter is the all-around better balanced choice to handle the power of the 3.0?
The choice is out of the OEM weights, I am not looking to go as light as the fidanza flywheels.
Added mass is a drag. Not sure how you would calculate it to be helping "maintain torque"?
Less mass = less power wasted pushing that mass around and around.
Automakers build them heavy for durability and cost considerations
If you think your going to get 220-230 at the wheels, you need all the help you can get...go lighter.
He's partially correct. The rotating mass of a bigger flywheel keeps the engine rotating longer... for inbetween shifts and such.. A lightened flywheel will drop revs much faster because of it, more noticeable than acceleration.
220whp is not easy to accomplish. A light flywheel wont hurt.
There is really very little discernible difference between the regular 2.5 flywheel and the SVT version. If you can get it cheap or free, go SVT, but don't expect a night-and-day transformation.
A heavier flywheel will help out your top end power a little, as once it gets going, it carries that momentum with it so the engine doesn't have to push as much to maintain it. Like rolling a big rock - once you get going, it carries itself to a certain degree, whereas you have to keep pushing something lighter to maintain speed.
But if you really want raw performance and increased responsiveness, and that explosive blast off idle, then lighten it up.
My 3.0 with the Fidanza is pretty alarming when you roll into the throttle; it revs like a motorcycle, and just gets up and GOES immediately - great for autocross, when you need that split-second response with zero lag (a heavy flywheel is much more of a headache to get up and go when you get on the throttle). But also with the Fidanza it does certainly lack top end power, and it is very jerky and twitchy when you're just tooling around off-idle, especially with a stiff clutch.
There's no definitive answer - only what subjectively works for your application.
Most standard 3.0 swaps get you right at 200 whp. Takes a lot of work (cams, creative tuning) to get much more than that all motor. I have not had mine tuned yet, so I don't have numbers right now. Hopefully this spring...
Fortunately these cars were built before the late-stage BLOAT set in, so they still weight in the 2800# range. Mine delivers power very similarly to my stock Focus ST, because although it's not making as much power, it weighs probably 400# less...
Thanks for the info guys, seems like lighter is better.
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