SoFL_RX8

First off let me say the install was quite an undertaking. Besides trouble wiggling the tranny loose, the stock flywheel refused to come off. We actually bent our flywheel puller in the process, but it didnt budge. After taking a torch to it for about 20 minutes the metal expanded and it finally popped off, and when I say popped of it went about 3 feet and nearly hit me in the face.
I was under my car untill 12:15 this morning doing the install, and Im glad its overwith.

When I started her up I noticed it started more immediately, and with just a little blip of the throttle the revs come right up in neutral. I notice a much stronger pull in first gear with very little bogginess when slipping the clutch at low RPMS. Second and third gear seem to be much more powerfull and the bottem end no longer has that hesitation it used to. Fourth and fifth gear feel a bit stronger and smoother, but the biggest difference is how much more throttle response I get in higher gearing.

The car feels fantastic, and Im extremely pleased with the results. For $375 shipped and about 14 hours of install time (not on a lift) its definitly the most noticeable power mod Ive done on the car thus far. Id highly reccomend ACTs products, they are of very high quality and it looks pretty nice too.
So yay for me, I feel very accomplished doing my first transmission install with such great sucess, and now Im gunna go out a reap the rewards!

Next up for the car is the RB ECU flash, probably sometime after X-Mas when Im done spending money on other people

Landon

Very nice bro... How is it going up hills since it doesnt have much weight to keep the inertia? Do you find yourself shifting more on mid to steep grades or what?

kwescott

14 hour install...that sucks. Glad you were able to get it done and are happy with the results. I've had mine for so long, it just seems "stock" to me now. I've had a couple of other people drive the car, and their response is usually that my car feels like it has more "pep". I don't know if this is true or not, or whether the increased sound (RB intake, exhaust and RP supercat) just make it sound faster....

The revs are definately faster in 1st and 2nd...didn't find much change beyond that. There is a definate improvement over stock. In a drag race between mine and a stock 8...mine definately gets the advantage on the start....but by the time the shift is made into 3rd, there is no longer any advantage.

SmokeyTheBalrog

I apologize if this is a noob question,

How is if at low rpm?

i.e. stop and go traffic, parallel parking, slowish up hill climbs

kwescott

I don't notice any change...this doesn't change driveability. I remember people saying that a lite flywheel would be hard to drive...hard to launch....I don't notice any changes with the ACT prolite.

SmokeyTheBalrog

May I ask roughly at what rpm do you usually begin dropping the clutch and at what rpm you are at when you release?

Skiptomylue

Very nice! i wish i were brave enough to attempt my own Flywheel change,
ive been greatly debating the Mazdaspeed flywheel or the ACT prolite...i hear nothing but great reviews from both, and even though the ms flywheel may be heavier i hear its built really well, hmm, the prolite i cheaper...
Nicely done!

SoFL_RX8

Id say I start dropping the clutch at about 2500 and I fall in at about 2000. Since the car revs more freely it is sort of intuitive to give it more gas to counter-act any bogging down in first.

As for the person who asked how it was on inclines, I wouldnt know, I live in Miami... dead flat everywhere you go. I was on a parking ramp for a minute though and like I said, the easier revving sort of couter-acts any bogging down the car might have.

The install would have gone much faster, but I had to go out the autoparts store twice, and I was doing it on my back with the car up on jack stands by myself, so 14 hours with breaks to eat and get supplies wasnt too bad, but the install was a bit of a PITA Ill admit.
Fun stuff though, Id really reccommend getting under the car and doing it yourself if you have the means. Gives you a chance to see just how well the drivetrain and tranny on our cars are put together, plus you have the piece of mind of doing it yourself. Our driveshaft is very pretty (Carbon Fiber) and weighs less than my midpipe does!

All in all money and time well spent, and Im loving driving my car.

swoope

iTrader: (5)

aint it cool!!!! i guess you dont know the flywheel removal the easy way trick.

beers

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

Is that the - whack it with a sledge hammer method ?

swoope

iTrader: (5)

close,

got it from a very talented semi local... get flywheel bolts and the big *** bolt out...

put the big *** bolt back in and whack the bolt with a hammer a couple of times. the good thing is when flywheel comes off the bolt catches it..

beers

Brettus

iTrader: (2)

sounds good although not so sure about the "big ***" bit . Prefer well rounded myself .

SoFL_RX8

Well I was using a flywheel puller and impact wrench at 550psi and like I said, the puller bent before the flywheel came off. Im sure if we hadnt taken a torch to it we never would have gotten it off.

SmokeyTheBalrog

Wow, great description. I wasn't planning on looking at a light fly wheel but I just might add it to my second list of planned upgrades.

(First list is all about me fitting into the car)

devildog1679

I got the MS flywheel and there was a noticeable difference in revs. I recommend it, when compared to the stack side by side you can see the workmanship. Go for it.

kwescott

the difference in revs is most noticeable in nuetral...under load, there continues to be a difference, but just not as much.

SoFL_RX8

Its noticable enough for me to want to punch it every chance Ive got

kwescott

oh yeah, definately fun...but not something I would have done if I didn't have access to a friend with prior experience in replacing the flywheel/clutch. The labor costs are high if paying a shop.

SiLVeRE8

iTrader: (8)

damn im glad you made this thread, this tells me that i didnt buy the wrong thing. my flywheel is going to arrive on thursday and cant wait to get it installed!!

NgoRX8

iTrader: (1)

i want this... but i don't plan on having a shop do it so i will wait till i learn or have a friend that knows how. lol

SoFL_RX8

Forreal, it is not as big a deal as youd think. Everything bolts right off/on to eachother. HArdest part is remembering what bolts go where when your ready to put it all back together.

Read up on some of the tranny install DIYs and go spend 15 minutes under your car looking at how everything fits together, you'll see its as simple as moving some things out of the way (midpipe and braces, driveshaft and braces) and then unbolting and dropping the tranny. I know its seems scary and like alot of techincal work, but its really not. All it takes is a basic understanding of reverse engineering, anyone who can change a light bulb in a flashlight can do this install if they want to.

Silver- I hope you enjoy the new flywheel as much as I am, and GL on the install, be ready to get your hands nice and dirty if youre doing it yourself!

kwescott

...and remember that there is fluid in the tranny....so make sure you buy some Royal Purple or Redline to replace/refill when your done....

Diamel91

I'm sold on buying a after market flywheel, but I wanna know which counter weight u used for the installation?

04Green

iTrader: (1)

This thread is just shy of a decade old my friend.

I did a counter weight from the same company that made the flywheel. It worked for me.

As for getting the factory one off.. Loosen the big nut a few turns, but a 2x4 on the flywheel, near the edge, whack that with a big hammer. Beating on the flywheel does not work. The board appears to have magical properties, or at least changes the impact to whatever it needs to be to pop the flywheel loose. Then the nut will catch it. I am just glad the OP was not killed when he launched a 20 lb flywheel at his face.

Diamel91

Damn I noticed how old It was after submitting it lol.But I appreciate the cool quick reply. Im sure there's a thread that talks bout counter weights but I'm new to this forum, still trying to figure it out a bit. Again thanks for the removal tip as well, very good to know. 👍