ECS Clutch upgrade

[Chipped]

Hi All,

I find it surprising that a clutch upgrade with a lightweight flywheel isn't really promoted/discussed/viewed etc as a "performance mod." (maybe it is but not discussed much)
With 5-9kw at the wheels I view this as an attractive perfromance mod. More power quicker acceleration as well as a stronger, longer lasting clutch...I wouldn't even had known about it had I not posted re: my OEM clutch slowly packing it in....I have one ordered - I'll post finingss once installed. I was all for a FMIC but considering winters on the way, I'll go for the clutch for now and consider a FMIC end of spring

[Jmac]

You must have been asleep mate we have been talking about ecs clutches here for quit some time

[mozzzy_2000]

Hi All,

I find it surprising that a clutch upgrade with a lightweight flywheel isn't really promoted/discussed/viewed etc as a "performance mod." (maybe it is but not discussed much)
With 5-9kw at the wheels I view this as an attractive perfromance mod. More power quicker acceleration as well as a stronger, longer lasting clutch...I wouldn't even had known about it had I not posted re: my OEM clutch slowly packing it in....I have one ordered - I'll post finingss once installed. I was all for a FMIC but considering winters on the way, I'll go for the clutch for now and consider a FMIC end of spring

I'm right wth you on this one mate! I too think its one of the best areas of modifications but I don't think most people fully appreciate what a lightend flywheel means. In terms of what you have or experienced with the clutch, after reading a lot of threads, it may actually be the gear box not the clutch that is playing up. Its just a thought but there seems to be a lot of polos with gear box issues such as crunchy gears and dodgy syncro meshs. It did also occur to me that if you do upgrade the clutch you may just introduce problems to the gear box as the stronger clutch puts added work on the gears. Again its just a thought. But then again there are the benefits of a lightened flywheel so it may all just cancell each other out and be ok on the gearbox. I suppose you don't know these things until you give them ago.

In regards to a FMIC I too think I'll put that off as well. I find I don't really drive as much in the heat but when I do I don't really drive far enough or long enough for heatsoak to be a noticable hindrance. I'd much rather look at the exhaust at the moment and put the FMIC off to a latter date.

[Bug_racer]

Hi All,

I find it surprising that a clutch upgrade with a lightweight flywheel isn't really promoted/discussed/viewed etc as a "performance mod." (maybe it is but not discussed much)
With 5-9kw at the wheels I view this as an attractive perfromance mod. More power quicker acceleration as well as a stronger, longer lasting clutch...I wouldn't even had known about it had I not posted re: my OEM clutch slowly packing it in....I have one ordered - I'll post finingss once installed. I was all for a FMIC but considering winters on the way, I'll go for the clutch for now and consider a FMIC end of spring

I dont understand where you got the idea that a flywheel increases power ?
All a flywheel does is allow the engine to spin up faster and not maintain as much momentum from the engine . There is no change to the efficiency of the combustion . This is classified in the same section as weight reduction , lighter wheels and gearing changes . It doesnt make the car more powerful but it does make it faster

[shaneth]

I dont understand where you got the idea that a flywheel increases power ?
All a flywheel does is allow the engine to spin up faster and not maintain as much momentum from the engine . There is no change to the efficiency of the combustion . This is classified in the same section as weight reduction , lighter wheels and gearing changes . It doesnt make the car more powerful but it does make it faster

Someone on here said it does if you look at the other clutch thread. Not syaing he is right just that is where he got it from.

[Roodosutaa]

One thing that lets the Polo down I reckon is the looooooooong clutch travel and I find it way too light and the take-up point too vague for my liking (but then I'm used to heavy clutches having cut my teeth on a Nissan Patrol, then an MGB) - would an uprated clutch change that?

Have driven a Civic Type-R and a S2000 - now those are on the other extreme, clutch pedal travel is way too short, great for racing I'm sure but takes a lot of getting used to.

[shaneth]

Yes it does make the clutch feel heavier and shorter travel but in my case not to short. if this makes sense.

[mozzzy_2000]

I dont understand where you got the idea that a flywheel increases power ?
All a flywheel does is allow the engine to spin up faster and not maintain as much momentum from the engine . There is no change to the efficiency of the combustion . This is classified in the same section as weight reduction , lighter wheels and gearing changes . It doesnt make the car more powerful but it does make it faster

Yeah you are right - It doesn't add any extra power to the engine but what it does do is that it allows the power you already have to be better utilised since there is less rotational mass for the engine to turn. This results in more power to the ground through the wheels and as such you will see this on a dyno. However slight its still a fact. Not only that but the extra clamping power of the clutch itself allows a greater transfer of power to the transmission. So yes it doesn't make the engine more powerful, it allows a more efficient use of that power to make the car perform better.

One thing that lets the Polo down I reckon is the looooooooong clutch travel and I find it way too light and the take-up point too vague for my liking (but then I'm used to heavy clutches having cut my teeth on a Nissan Patrol, then an MGB) - would an uprated clutch change that?

Have driven a Civic Type-R and a S2000 - now those are on the other extreme, clutch pedal travel is way too short, great for racing I'm sure but takes a lot of getting used to.

Yes the stock clutch is, shall we say, soft & spongy. If you get the right aftermarket clutch this will improve things dramatically.

[Plautos]

Lightweight flywheel... I lost some hours of sleep thinking about it and until now I not sure what to do.

There are some good and bad things about it.

I don’t know if for a street turbocharged engine using a lightweight flywheel is a good thing.

The flywheel is an “energy accumulator”, it will give you torque, will help you climb, will awake the turbo faster, but, the engine will respond slower.

A LWFW will change your torque curve, I don’t know if will be less torque or it will be in other place in the graph, the engine will respond faster, probably you will need to use more the throttle. Also the engine will lost rpm more quickly, you will need to be more precise in your shifts.

Those ECS aluminum FW have a significant weight drop, I’m very curious to see a car with one of them

Hi performance V8 N/A cars use LWFW, the clutch is double plate and they are “heavy”, however they work well between 6000rpm to 8000rpm

Who has a LWFW in the Polo?
Where can I find a Dyno graph from a car equipped with a LWFW?

[shaneth]

I have one mate and there is a dyno plot in one of my threads. Search custom code in the polo section and you will find it.