Safety Reminder: What flywheel/bellhousing?

[Vegas69]

I ran across this thread over on Chevelles.com. It's a reminder of how important a quality SFI billet flywheel AND SFI bellhousing are for any type of performance application.
http://www.chevelles.com/forums/showthread.php?t=360588
http://www.flickr.com/photos/65538622@N05/6005887929/

[Sieg]

Amen! Doesn't look like there was a block saver plate........

[Rick D]

Originally Posted by ratman67

what is a block saver plate?

Steel plate that goes behind the fly wheel to "save the block"

Looks like this:

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MCL-8630/

[wmhjr]

Absolutely. An sfi scattershield and block plate were must haves for my build. I've seen too many examples of disasters from not having them.

[wellis77]

The comment about billet flywheel's, are these aluminum or steel? I can get a chromoly or billet aluminum flywheel for my application. Which one would be the better way to go? I'm checking if either are SFI rated. Thanks.

[70rs]

Originally Posted by wellis77

The comment about billet flywheel's, are these aluminum or steel? I can get a chromoly or billet aluminum flywheel for my application. Which one would be the better way to go? I'm checking if either are SFI rated. Thanks.

The SFI flywheel is just one part of the "system" you should have in place. You also need top quality (arp) flywheel bolts, clutch mount bolts, SFI bellhousing, or scatter shield, and a high quality clutch disc and pressure plate.
Any of those parts can grenade on you and destroy your feet/legs.

[wmhjr]

Originally Posted by wellis77

The comment about billet flywheel's, are these aluminum or steel? I can get a chromoly or billet aluminum flywheel for my application. Which one would be the better way to go? I'm checking if either are SFI rated. Thanks.

I think your questions is really about how heavy a flywheel is most appropriate, and you'll probably find differences of opinion in that regard. Personally, I'm not a fan of aluminum/lightweight flywheels on street cars. But I know others who find them far more favorable than I do.

[WSSix]

Originally Posted by wellis77

The comment about billet flywheel's, are these aluminum or steel? I can get a chromoly or billet aluminum flywheel for my application. Which one would be the better way to go? I'm checking if either are SFI rated. Thanks.

Billet means it is machined from raw stock as delivered from the mill. The part is machined from this chunk of metal into the part. Alternatively, a part is cast into the design and then finished machined into tolerance. It's the process not the material really. So you can have billet steel or billet aluminum.

As for aluminum or not flywheels I can only speak from experience with my car. I put an aluminum flywheel in my formula. It revved more easily and would respond well after already moving. From a stop, the cast steel flywheel hit harder and would get the car up and moving more quickly. The cast flywheel had more inertia to transfer to the rear wheels and get the car moving from a stop. I didn't regret putting the Fidanza flywheel in the car even though I would randomly stall out at a stop light after many thousands of miles of driving the car. However, if I were to do it again, I'd go billet steel. Lighter than cast, heavier than aluminum, and stronger than both.