I just had my ring gear separate from my flywheel and I was forced to buy a new flywheel (yes i know, this problem is very unheard of). Instead of buying a new oem flywheel (390 plus tax), I decided to go the route of an upgraded flywheel.

After doing a lot of research I decided to go with the comptech lightweight steel flywheel. Having heard stories of warped aluminum flywheels, I decided not to go that route. The comptech flywheel is about half the weight of the OEM flywheel and suffers none of cons mentioned about a lightened flywheel. (oem is approx 20lbs and comptech is approx 10.5lbs).

Overall, the car accelerates noticably faster and feels like the power is more readily available because the engine can rev up very easily to where Hondas make most of their power. When I say it revs up fast, I mean FAST. Even when not in gear, the revs are quicker to shoot up. It was mentioned in other posts that the revs drop faster which they do, but not as drastically as some people mention. The idle is normal.

Overall, best modification I have ever done. It is not like an intake or exhaust where you don't really feel anything, this is a day and night difference. I would recommend it to everyone contemplating getting one. The comptech one is no longer produced and comptech has none left in stock. All the ones out there are the last ones available. Acura of Lynnwood has 2 left as far as I know.

 

Nice! did you replace the clutch at the same time?

 

Yes. Oem clutch with this flywheel. Excellent combination IMO

 

How many miles do you have on your TSX and what kind of clutch did you go with?

 

I think he just got the OEM clutch again....

 

good to hear, I will be upgrading to a EP3 CTR flywheel soon. it weighs about the same as the comptech one

will also be getting CTR gear ratios and final drive, so it should be a new beast

 

^ interesting

 

lol...I totally missed that and I even posted right under him.

Good lookin' out

 

Why did you decide to go with the OEM clutch instead of an aftermarket one?

And if you don't mind me asking...how much was the OEM clutch?

 

Would the Comptech Flywheel work with an ACT Clutch setup?

 

I went with the oem clutch because it was cheap and it works well. I paid 150 for the clutch, throwout bearing and alignment tool.

Im not sure what other clutches the comptech whell will work with

On a side note, my fuel economy has also noticably increased with this flyhwheel (i just noticed that with this tank of gas)

 

thanks for that write up. I might upgrade flywheel with oem clutch later on.

 

you say the engine revs up faster...is it kind of like the UR pulleys? I don't have them but some people say the engine revs up easier/faster, similar to what you just said. just wondering..if you don't have UR pulleys, don't worry about my question

 

i dont have UR pulleys. I've been told the flywheel upgrade is similar, but is quite a bit better. I can't really substantiate that statemen with proof though.

 

Do you know if the OEM flywheel and the Comptech flywheel were the same size/dimensions?

Is the Comptech flywheel the same diameter as the OEM, but just lighter and different material?

 

I would think it has to be the same diameter. Otherwise, the starter won't engage correctly.

 

Yes, I know that the Comptech flywheel is to the specifications of the OEM flywheel. That's why they say it works with OEM clutch components.

 

Any disadvantages to doing this?

 

from my understanding. cars with lighter flywheels have a tendancy to stall, you have to rev it alittle to get it going cause of the lost inertia of the heavier flywheel. also the revs drop a little faster when you shift(just minor things to get used to) but most say that after getting used to that minor discomfort that seems to be only obvious just first, then most if not all agree that a lighter flywheel is a great mod.

I can´t wait to see what it feels like

 

Maybe with cheaply engineered flywheels. The only difference you are going to notice is faster acceleration and deceleration.

 

lightweight flywheel, upgraded clutch, lightweight pulleys, lightweight wheels. yummy...

 

What year is your TSX? Do you know if Comptech's flywheel is applicable to 07's and 08's?

And you say your gas mileage is noticeably better... I'd imagine then that you feel this mod pays for itself over the life of the car, yes?

 

I think it will eventually pay for itself over the course of a year or two in gas savings. Let me give one more tank a run and give you my exact estimate of savings in fuel costs.

No difference in terms of stalls or idle. Idles perfect and I don't stall. I'll admit the revs fall faster at the beginning, but I got used to that after 1 minute of driving. I have yet to stall so it is nothing to fear. I was a little hesitant to go with the lightened flywheel at first too, but now i know my fears were unsubstantiated. Great mod, no drawbacks!

The car is very rev happy, just like my old sir motor!

 

Ok...this is good to know

The reason I asked is because to use the Exedy clutch, you also need to replace the flywheel to an Exedy one because both components are designed for the K20 (RSX) motor.

As moda_way has said before, ACT is the only company right now that makes an aftermarket TSX specific clutch application...so I take it that a Comptech flywheel and an ACT clutch would work great together, right?

 

Yes.

 

Did you lose any Torque? I'm very hesitant to get a spoon flywheel.

 

No loss of torque that I can feel. I feel like it pulls harder off the line now. I also noticed I am more prone to squealing the tires on takes offs from time to time. I doubt there is any loss of torque.

 

I'm working on getting some pricing on the ACT full faced disc setup for the TSX. I will get pricing and torque #'s too to see what it is capable of holding. Also for those of you looking for a lightweight flywheel look at the thread about the Fidanza flywheel. It is aluminum, 8.5LBS, and will yield the same results as Comptech's setup.

 

Is this an upgrade that somebody with an AT should consider?

 

Lightweight flywheels are for 6MTs only.

 

why is RPM dropping faster a bad thing?

 

The inertia from the stock flywheel makes decel more smooth.

 

Hmmm, you probably don't realize that warping an aluminum flywheel has got to be one of the more practically impossible things to do. With the heat dissipation properties of aluminum and relatively low heat generated by the clutch this is a myth. The thinking is actually that the steel friction disc will warp, and that in turn will pull the aluminum out of true. Again, heat is dissipated so fast I really don't see this being an issue. Likewise, the mass of a steel friction ring is lot likely to have the internal forces needed to pull the more massive aluminum wheel out of true.

Contrary to the fact, a steel wheel will not dissipate heat as well and is prone to hot spotting, cracking, and warping under abusive conditions. While the friction disc on an aluminum wheel can warp, it can also be replaced. When a steel or iron wheel goes bad, it goes in the garbage.

Likewise, to say that the comptech wheel would suffer none of the cons of a lightened oem wheel....what cons are we speaking about. Can you link me? I am curious about this. I have dealt with lightened oem wheels for years and am not aware of any issues that other steel wheels would not be subject to as well.

All that being said, lightweight flywheels do have an amazing effect on the drivability of the car. The engine is so free to spin and rev! An aluminum wheel, being lighter, would enhance these benefits. I am sure you noticed and increased amount of revving and slipping during takeoff. An aluminum wheel would require this even more, as part of the performance tradeoff. The revs dropping slower than others mention is likely due to them using aluminum wheels which are lighter. If you are referring to other comptech wheel owners, you are possibly putting too much weight in what people say online. Or possibly your perceptions are just different than others. In fact, consider that it would be impossible for the effect of reduced mass to have such a profound impact on angular acceleration without a similar impact on deceleration, as you seem to be reporting. There is so much hearsay and opinion online, you really can't put any stock into what is posted until you can verify for yourself. That even goes for people reading your and my posts.

Congrats on the find and install! You will have lots of fun with the car for sure!

Marcus

 

^^And to add to that, you don't want a super lightweight flywheel (in our daily driver and quasi-racing uses as I'm sure some are asking) because the inertia of the flywheel is actually what helps make the engine run. The crank needs the weight of the flywheel to keep those pistons running, so it seems from Comptech and Fidanza that something around the 9.5-10lb range is where the optimal limit seems to be.

 

What difference does it make if the steel friction disc warps and pulls the aluminum out of true? The aluminum still warps. Your statements are based on "the thinking" or "likely" with no solid proof.

The wheel is prone to the above under abusive conditions, I do not plan to abuse my transmission and drive like a maniac.

Firstly, I never said the comptech wheel suffers none of the cons of a lightened oem wheel. I said it suffers none of the cons of lightweight flywheels in general. Cons such as excessive deceleration, excessive drops in rpms, irratic idle, etc. I would personally never lighten an OEM wheel.

The aluminum wheel is not much lighter then the comptech wheel (being aluminum aside). I had an aluminum flywheel in my old civic (i think 7lbs) and the revs dropped extremely fast. I am not saying that this is a objective science experiment as the two cases are completely different, but I could compare the difference. Furthermore, I understand that acceleration with respect to a flywheel cannot be affected without a subsequent decrease on deceleration, but it is not completely proportional in either case. Like i said in my initial post, the comptech wheel does not decelerate as severely as people mentioned in previous posts regarding lightweight flywheels.

I don't see why one small statement that I made regarding why I went to the comptech wheel over the fidanza flywheel irritated you so much. I prefer the quality of comptech over fidanza (i am biased toward comptech in other words). That is not to say the fidanza is inferior, I just chose to to go this route because I feel more comfortable going this route. I have spoken to many mechanics (i am not one nor do i claim to be one), and this is the recommended option.

I realize you probably sell the fidanza wheel which is why you are trying to knit pick here, but at the same time, look at what was mentioned. I am not trying to bash the fidanza flywheel in the least bit. I'm sure its great, but I went this way for my own reasons.

 

Angular momentum (inertia) helps the engine spin when load is applied, such as when taking off from a start. This is apparent by the need to increase the "take-off" revs when a lightened flywheel is applied. Clutch slip with help in taking off from a start. I have a rather extensive article I am writing that will detail this point.

But make no mistake, this momentum does not keep the engine running. Combustion of fossil fuels does. Suck squish bang blow. In fact, any mass attached to the crank will cause drivetrain loss. The flywheel inhibits power transmission and contributes to inefficiency. As a matter of fact, a power gain will actually be seen on a chassis dyno when the flywheel is lightened. There is no limit to the extent of this fact. The lighter the flywheel, the better. This is also why aluminum crank pullies are so effective. Same concept.

These companies, I have a strong suspicion, are not in any way calculating the bet weight to shoot for. They are simply making the wheels as light as they can without compromising structural integrity.

Marcus

 

The difference is that the aluminum wheel DOES NOT warp. As I mentioned, I see no liklihood that the thin steel disc will pull the realtively massive aluminum wheel. And until you can show me proof that it does, I will have to rely on my knowledge of engineering materials and manufacturing processes. I am not just another member here. I went to school for this stuff.



Nobody said you were going to. I am illustrating a point for the community here that once a steel wheel is burned, it is trash. And abuse does not mean driving like a maniac. Anyone can burn a clutch.


You did not say "lightweight flywheels in general" you said a lightened flywheel, which in real world industry speak means you took a stock wheel, put it on a lathe, and cut it down to reduce it's mass. And literally there is nothing wrong with doing this. Indeed it is not a far cry from what you bought. But I do now understand your meaning.

Excessive deceleration? Excessive drop in RPM? I fail to see how these are problems. They will require a modified driving technique, but is that a con for people? The idle change is probably due to the fact you have changed a mechanical item in the system and the computer is not sure how to compensate for it. I imagine that with time the PCM will adapt. And forgive me but I have yet to drive a modern era Acura that felt like it had anything near a smooth idle to begin with. I understand in general it is undesirable and would not wont to be exacerbated, but this is again part of the tradeoff.



Hmm, well, if that is the case then both wheels should feel the same. I think what we are talking about is a matter of perception. Also note that modern vehicles, especially Hondas, are programmed to resist quick rev dropping as an emissions factor. When revs drop fast, 'I believe' that a condition occurs where hydrocarbons are dumped out the exhaust. The engines no resist rpm deceleration to allow for complete burn to lower emission. So, the fact that the rpms do not drop fast does not surprise me. The thought that others out there think that it is some amazing drop is what is mixing me up on the subject. Perhaps there is a point at which weight effects these systems and dropping below X lbs will cause the revs to fall faster. Either way, it is good to know that if someone does not want fast falling revs for whatever reason, but they do want better acceleration, the Comptech wheel is a good option.



Indeed, you are the one who mentioned the F-word here. I don't sell fidanza as a matter of fact. They can rot in hell for all I care. They are really good at spitting out product and dumping it on the market, but it is not a sustainable product to sell. As a business man, I avoid them like the plague. The fact is I question the reliability of their products and and generally opposed to using them if I can avoid it.

It really does not bother me one way or the other. I in no way intended to come off irritated or rude. But I generally state facts with carefully worded sentences. That might come off dickish, but maybe that's because people are not used to reading facts in message forums.

Marcus

 

The flywheel or combustion from other cylinders on the same shaft are required to return a motor to top dead center. To combat the compression forces and shear weight of the motor (crank, pistons), you need a body to store that angular momentum. At high RPMs, you have the necessary forces required to do this from combustion. But at idle, if the flywheel was removed or lightened beyond a certain mass, then the motor would stall because it doesn't have the necessary force to drive the other "non-working" components. Am I mistaken?

 

I agree, you do often state facts, but you have a reputation that proceeds you, both good and questionable. I only ask that you also provide the facts about failure rates and quality concerns rather than saying, "Fidanza can rot in hell...." or "The fact is I question the reliability of their products and and generally opposed to using them if I can avoid it." You run a profitable business and recognize that selling quality products, both perceived and experienced, is critical for sustainability. If you want to bash Fidanza, indirectly or directly, please do so using your well-known facts. My impression, to bring the topic back to equilibrium, is that their engineering is quality. I worked directly with them to build a TSX specific application. I'm not sure of your dealings with them, but I'd invite you to post your first hand experiences.

Also mass production is not a bad thing. Honda is the world's top producer of motors. They are secondarily a car manufacturer to being an engine manufacturer. Their goal is to mass produce and get it to market quickly. Dumping is a term I'm sure Ford would use to talk about Honda, but how does that term have any reflection on quality in that comparison.

My only point is the use of tact and that is all. You have quite a following on this forum and you are respected... and for good reason.

 

I can assure most everyone here that you are no materials engineer. That is plainly obvious. I am not either, nor do i pretend to have any knowledge/experience of the "engineering" process. Your elimentary knowledge of automotive physics is your downfall.

A little burning of the clutch from time to time will not cause the symptoms you purport to be true of steel flywheels. You are always looking at the worst case scenario. I've taken apart transmissions where the tranny and cluch were abused so badly (i.e. sheared synros, grinded gear, completely burnt clutch, etc) and the flywheel came out perfect except for a few heat marks. These expereinces must be extraordinary in your mind.

Im my humble opinion (i didn't go to any fancy school for this stuff so keep that in mind), excessive dropping of the rpms really affects the drivability of a street driven car. It is definitely a con for most people. My idle pre and post flywheel upgrade is extremely constant. It doesn't flutter at all unless a load like a/c is ut on, but it recovers and idles properly after that.

This is all I am saying.

This makes you come off dickish. You might think you are vastly superior in terms of knowledge when it comes to people on this forum, but it's time you get off your high horse and admit that maybe someone else has some knowledge of things as well.

I think we should leave it at this as this argument here is not the point of this thread. The thread is about my comptech flywheel review. Lets leave it at that. If you have any further issues, feel free to message me privately.