LLY: Flywheel / Flexplate Upgrade ?s

[dmaxtruck]

Ok my flywheel teeth are shot (23 attempts to start yesterday before the starter finally "caught"), and now I have torn up two starters (OEM and an aftermarket replacement).

I have to upgrade the flywheel now, is it worth getting
an ATS Flywheel/Flexplate or something similar or would there be little to no advantage to that vs the OEM replacement.

Cost: ATS = ~$800
OEM = ~$300

ATS is billet so strength is obviously improved vs the cast OEM. Wade from ATS said there is no weight difference between the two either, which is unfortunate as that would have made me lean a little more towards ATS.

Anyone else know something I don't, or have any experiences??? Anyone hurt their OEM flywheel / flexplate with big hp/torque that upgraded or replaced it?

 

[Kat]

I don't know if these are available yet?

http://www.duramaxdiesels.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4294

 

[Noreaster]

Kat beat me to it

 

[C.A.P]

Why are you eating Fly wheels?

 

[jbarker@bankspower]

We're still getting the SFI cert done on the production pieces. I might be able to get you one from our race program (off the type-d) if you need one in a hurry But it's a custom prototype part. Here's a more direct comparison between ours and the ATS version:
http://www.duramaxdiesels.com/forum/showthread.php?p=67505#post67505

 

[Trippin]

I have the ATS in stock.

A stock LB7 flywheel and the flexy sheet metal thingy is 18.6 lbs on my scale.

The ATS billet is 18.3 lbs.

 

[dmaxtruck]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Jeff pm sent... any data on how the 20% weight reduction of a rotating mass assembly translates into efficiency?

Trippin, I'm an LLY you happen to have the weight on that one or is it the same?

C.A.P. Only eaten one flywheel, the first time it happened I thought it was the starter so I replaced the starter... it did it again soon thereafter. The obvious culprit would have been crappy install job on the shims, but there were no shims on the OEM starter and none on the replacement. Only thing I can figure out is that the flywheel was bad. Looking at the teeth they do look bad, but it looks like I'd be able to just unbolt and rotate the flywheel and be ok, but by the time I do all that crap (play the balancing game with the trans, xfer case etc on two rolling floor jacks) I might as well have just put a new flywheel in there and be done with it.

 

[Trippin]

Stock LLY is the same as LB7.

Stock LBZ is heavier.

As far as the reduction goes, lighter is always better as long as the part can withstand the stresses it is subjected to.

Guy

 

[jbarker@bankspower]

No problem I'll check on getting you one from our race shop. The flexplate we build was due to the fact that the only common part out there, ATS, wouldn't stand up to what we threw at it. That's not to bag on the ATS part as it is better then the stock piece, but us (and a few customers of ours) were shreading them. The flex plates stack up like this (LBZ type, ours works on ALL allison transmissions)

Banks:

- Billet A36 steel construction for high strength.
- SFI certified
- 0.275" material thickness at converter mount bolts (0.115" stock) prevents 'ovaling' of converter mounting bolts.
- Multiple bolt patterns - allows use of stock Allison or aftermarket / performance GM converters.
- Removable (bolt-on) counterweight for ease of balancing in non-stock rotating assembly applications.
- Removable torque converter pilot - allows use of stock Allison or aftermarket / performance GM converters.
- Lighter than stock for faster engine response (Stock: 20.4 lbs / Banks 16.0 lbs).

Competitive Products

- Only commonly used part is from ATS
- SFI certified.
- Material thickness .250" at torque converter mounting bolts.
- Single bolt pattern (Allison converter only).
- One-piece billet body - changing balance requires machining flexplate body, changing torque converter pilot size requires machining flexplate body / bushing.
- Weight: 16.4 lbs.

 

[Trippin]

That's amazing, I never heard of anyone hurting an ATS flywheel.

I look forward to getting my hands on some of the Banks versions as soon as it becomes available.

 

[Noreaster]

I think he just messed up the stock one & was speculating on the ATS

 

[JoshH]

The flexplate we build was due to the fact that the only common part out there, ATS, wouldn't stand up to what we threw at it.

I think this is what Guy was referring to.

 

[Noreaster]

Oh missed that part.

 

[jbarker@bankspower]

That's amazing, I never heard of anyone hurting an ATS flywheel.

I look forward to getting my hands on some of the Banks versions as soon as it becomes available.

I'll see if I can get you a production piece to check out

 

[jbarker@bankspower]

I think this is what Guy was referring to.

Exactly We found that slamming the flexplate with 1400hp+ in the type-d did bad things

 

[dmaxtruck]

FYI it was the flywheel... the teeth on both flywheel and starter were just straight up chewwwwwwed

 

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

I had my share of flex plate problems. I listens to pat and instead of putting 8 bolts back in the flex plate / flywheel i put 4 in it star shape. No problems as of yet and the tranny shifts harder not then before. Gotta love that transgo

 

[never satisfied]

Please explain.

 

[2wd_Sled_Puller]

Please explain.

About a year ago i broke my stock flexplate at the track. Then i was going to get ATS flexplate but after talking to a couple dodge buddys and going on compd and stuff i seen they where also being broke because there was no flex. They where a soild unit. So after making a post on here and asking questions quit a few people replyed back saying only put 4 bolts in it and a start shape. So i did and now to this day still no problems.

 

[specialagentPK]

I am having a hard time understanding a star shape with 4 bolts, I can understand a star shape with 5. Anyway you could make a diagram?