Sometimes the perfect Alfa racing flywheel is hard to find. So we created a new one for everyday life. Our 130/131 flywheel is made from 6061-T6 billet aluminum, the friction plates are 1045 mill hardened steel, compatible with most clutch materials: organic, Kevlar, ceramic, metal and sintered iron. The friction plates can be machined or replaced. The plates are attached with aircraft quality screws with self-locking nuts to prevent warping. The ring gears are hardened and swarted to the flywheel with button head screws that are counter bored between the flywheel and ring gear.
Flywheel are made in our shop
Ultra light flywheel and ring gear (7.5 lbs.)
Flywheels are setup to work with OEM clutch kits (hydraulic)
Replacement friction plates are available
A little history for anyone interested. I have been using aluminum flywheels in Alfas since the mid 60’s. Early on, Alfa flywheels were grey cast iron (750 and 1300 101). About Duetto time, earlier for Autodelta, they went to nodular cast iron, referred to by some as the “steel” flywheels. In racing, the most brittle were the grey cast iron. Attempts to lighten them from the about 22 lbs. could cause disaster, with breakage either at the hub or the “posts” that were used to support the pressure plate. I have an AUSCA grey iron unit lightened to 10 lbs with ring gear, that survived a 65 GTA. Though better, the nodular iron or “steel” flywheels still lack flexibility to be really light without some risk. Two years ago I weighed the remains of one that broke at the hub, behind a 1600 single plug. It had been shaved to 8.5 pounds. This brings me to my preference for aluminum flywheels. Early Autodelta units looked a lot like the old Tilton aluminum flywheels, but the facing was plasma-sprayed and did not last long. These could be lightened further with radius posts to support the pressure plate, or often just holes swiss cheesed through the walls. Some material could be removed from the backside, away from the hub, to lighten them more. When they came apart, they bent and contained much of the spinning debris. Sometimes this saved the bell housing. When the facing burnt through, we faced them with thin steel, like current aluminum flywheels, but this did not work well, as the thin steel plate warped with heat and would pack things up, sometimes pretty good. Enter Tilton that used an iron plate and removed material from the back of the aluminum flywheel and thinned the outer walls, with areas completely removed. These weighed 9 lbs or so and were difficult to blow up. We found more material could be cut, like balancing holes from the plate surface down toward the ring gear, cutting weight to 8 lbs, with the iron facing and a thinned ring gear. They did not come apart. I checked with a friend, Richard Jemison, yesterday, and both of us believe Tilton no longer makes these other than special order. However Peter at gtamotorworks.com makes aluminum flywheels in either size, with any bolt pattern and new ring gears for $500. These are of a forged hunk of aluminum, and can be about any weight you wish. He made me a GTA unit @ 7.5 lbs. A very nice piece of work. He is honest, and makes these up to order, very quickly. Use my name as a contact should you inquire. Peters flywheels are not generic, but made to your wishes. Be sure you order correctly! All of these wheels will not loosen if properly torqued, with correct sheet metal locking tabs under the bolt heads and the use of Loctite blue on the threads. No oval holes. ~ Gordon Raymond
