CCI Lightweight Flywheel Review

[H3LlIoN]

I'm posting this here as well, since I know some of you all aren't on MI....

There's also a DIY available here... pics will be up by Sunday. PM me or post with questions. Thanks.

- H


It's always been one of my biggest gripes about manual transmissions...You set off from the line in a drag and the adrenaline rushes as you inch forward on the competition. As you hit the power band, the engine comes alive as the car surges forward clicking it off...four thousand...five thousand...six thousand....you look back in the mirror and see the front bumper of the competition as the shift light flashes like a camera and snaps you back in to the moment. You reach for the shift knob as you slam the clutch to the floor, rip the shifter back and dump the clutch....only to hear the deep burble of a strained engine...it's the last thing you hear as you catch the glare off the chrome trim of the car next to you as he sneaks on by, laughing his way all the way to the finish line....

It's all too common, in this day and age. I, too, used to suffer from heavyflywheelitis, but then I talked to my doctor (Garm), and he told me about this wonderful new product, available over the counter and without a prescription, available new from CCI and Micro Image.



Hehe. I got a little carried away with the intro, but the situation I described above is an experience I've definitely had with the yaris at the track. I remember the last time...it was a mazda3 2.0L wagon, and I had her, all the way to second gear. :(

As I'm sure most of you know from the DIY, CCI is coming to market with a line of performance flywheels/clutches for the 1nz motor. Garm asked that I install and review the CCI flywheel unit as well as write the DIY on behalf of MI. The flywheel has been in for a few weeks now, but I wanted to spend a decent bit of time driving the unit so that I could speak to the differences between the lightweight vs stock, as opposed to initial shock reviews. After about 500 miles, I am prepared to comment on the unit. Furthermore, no other modifications were made to the car to influence my opinion one way or the other.

Firstly though, a basic list of pros/cons of lightweight flywheels one might find on google:

Good: increased acceleration and throttle response, lighter weight, decreased turbo lag
Bad: loss of engine momentum during shifts resulting in a need to shift more quickly

Now that that's done, my personal experience has been that this is an outstandingly rewarding modification. If you've ever done the NST lightweight crank pulley, imagine that same feeling, except tripled. The difference is undeniable. I can't go to the track to pull 60 ft times since they are closed, but the butt dyno is off the charts on this one. My car accelerates a lot more quickly out of the hole. Furthermore, the engine used to bog down a lot when starting off and after shifting. You could hear the intake drone get deeper as the engine fought back up in the rpm range . That's all gone now.

From a start, the car sets off in no time, and it's much easier to break the tires loose if you're not careful. After shifts, the engine is back in the powerband almost as soon as my foot touches the accelerator. The throttle response is crisper than ever. I also find that it's much easier to pass people when necessary...the car gets up after downshift much easier than she used to. All things considered, this is my most favorite modification to date in terms of personal enjoyment.

From a fuel economy perspective, I'm not a green nut, and I think an ecometer is blasphemous, but I would speculate that this would also be good for hypermiling as well. The engine used to be incredibly loud at highway speeds (especially without a backseat) and it runs so much quieter now, as it doesn't have to spin the heavy steel unit. I have not yet hooked up a tach to see if there is an actual difference in rpm, but I do plan on it this weekend.

This one gets 5 thumbs up from me. I have not had any negative experiences from the unit since install. My only neutral comment would be that I have to skip 3rd when downshifting for the purpose of slowing, as the engine doesn't have the drag that it used to, but that's not really a negative. As far as the "google con" about shifting quickly, it is a non issue on the 1nz. My car doesn't care if I shift like the devil, or like betty white....either way all I have to do it look at the accelerator pedal and it's back up @ redline. I <3 lightweight flywheel :nomnomnom:

Regarding the turbo lag, I can't comment, as I'm not blown at this time. I'm sure Garm will chime in on that issue.

Regarding the CCI unit specifically, it's a beautiful piece that I am happy to have installed. Fit and finish is excellent, and CCI did a great job. Even with steel, they still came in at 9.2 pounds (down from 15.1 stock.) While I had previously looked at flywheels, I had concerns about the existing aluminum designs in terms of durability and longevity. Furthermore, similar aluminum units are two piece designs, adding internal connectors and bolts to secure steel friction plates to the aluminum wheel. I have no such concerns with the one piece steel CCI unit.

We're still waiting to hear back from CCI as to availability/price on this, as well as the clutch kits. The unit has not yet been released, but we are also anticipating an SFI rating. Keep an eye out on the forums and in the store...I'm sure Garm will have an official release notice soon.

As far as compatibility, I *believe* this unit will be universal for 1nz's, meaning yaris/xb/xa/echo/vios & prius.


Here's some calculations and theory concerning lightweight flywheels. While not directly related to the 1nz unit, the mathematics at least illustrate the point. I don't have the inertia numbers on the 1nz units to work it up for our car, although I will try and find this info so that I can do a 1nz specific comparison.

So, to sum up....Awesome friggin' mod, wish I'd done it months ago.