Is a lightened flywheel overrated? (I think so)

[ursus]

I have heard a few others say that the smoothest running engine of this lineage was the Model B engine with pressed on counterweights. These weights were added on to the earlier uncounterweighted Model B crankshafts when such engines were returned to Ford for rebuilding. Ford reassembled these with the stock flywheel, thus making the assembly heavier than the stock counterweighted assembly. Ford must have thought this was OK.

[Purdy Swoft]

Originally Posted by ursus

I have heard a few others say that the smoothest running engine of this lineage was the Model B engine with pressed on counterweights. These weights were added on to the earlier uncounterweighted Model B crankshafts when such engines were returned to Ford for rebuilding. Ford reassembled these with the stock flywheel, thus making the assembly heavier than the stock counterweighted assembly. Ford must have thought this was OK.

The original flywheel that was used with the first year model B engines with uncounterweighted crankshafts were not the same as model A flywheels. All of the model B flywheels were lighter than model A flywheels as far as I know. I have one of the flywheels that was used with the early B engine on my roadster. I didn't record the weights at the time but the clean B flywheel without the ring gear was 20 lbs. lighter than the flywheel that I removed from my A . I meant to re weigh the B flywheel after I installed the new ring gear . In my exitement To get the engine together I forgot . The ring gear probably weighs around 4 lbs. . If this is the case my flywheel would be around 16 lbs lighter than a model A flywheel . The engines in two of my cars have similar mods, same head, cam and both run dual up draft B carbs. One has a B flywheel and the other has a stock model A flywheel. The one with the B flywheel has better throttle response and accelerates faster than any model A that I have ever driven. The gears shift smoother than any model A that I have ever driven. I am convinced that if a flywheel is properly lightened and balanced, low and mid range performance will increase. A hevier flywheel may actually have a higher top end speed. I'm more concerned with low and mid range power than cruising at 65-70 mph. I've had the A flywheel car up to 75 mph going up hill picking up speed. I still prefer the lighter flywheel.