Well, I did it. I needed a new clutch and after doing an extensive amount of research I chose the GMG sport clutch kit which includes the GMG lightweight flywheel. It should be noted that I made this decision utilizing my personal requirements regarding the level of horsepower and torque my Gt2 produces. I’m not in the stratosphere with regard to horsepower, my little 2 only has a flash, exhaust, waste gates and DVs (530 fwhp?).

So I must tell you I was a little apprehensive about getting the flywheel; citing the usual horror stories for reference. "It will rattle like bbs in a tin can, it is annoyingly loud, it is hard to drive, the idle is all over the place;" just to name a few. Well, I am here to tell you from my own personal experience and in my humble opinion, “What a bunch of crap!” I’m not sure where some of the members of this board come up with these conclusions and/or recommendations, but they couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The truth is this, yes, the car revs a little faster, but nothing severe. I would say that you do feel a little better throttle response, rev matching is a little easier but that’s it. It isn’t some over the top difference. On a scale of 1 to 10, the difference regarding throttle response is about a 3. As far as the noise, oh the dreaded noise, the rattle, the chatter, oh my God, the noise. Again reporting from my own personal experience and in my humble opinion; you have to be a very sensitive person to let this alleged noise, one that I can’t really hear, nor can my wife (who is ultra-sensitive and she couldn’t hear it) bother you. Really dudes, I can’t hear anything. In neutral, at idle; nothing, nada, zilch. Now, the only thing I did hear is a little more gear noise, this is attributed to the lack of the rubber bushing after you go from a dual mass to a single mass flywheel. You can only hear it if the windows are rolled up and you are really listening to it. As you up shift, you hear the gears winding.

For the record, Luke at Atspeed told me that this should also quiet down after the clutch gets broken in along with the new gear oil. I used Mobil 1 synthetic LS 75-90. I’ve only put 50 miles on the new clutch since the install, and I have to take it easy for 500 miles before I let her loose. The noise at idle in neutral on a scale of 1 to 10 is a 1, if not lower. In gear going through the up shifts and downshifts the gear noise is about a 3, and that is with the windows up and no radio. I also noticed an improvement with the on/off throttle response. When you let off the throttle, the car does not coast; it will grab and slow down. The same is also true when you accelerate, instant response and you can feel the clutch doing its job. It grips.

The same also applies to the clutch pedal feel. Exactly the same, no difference in pedal feel, effort, and the spot where the clutch engages. This is the same clutch and flywheel that GMG uses in their 700 hp Gt2, so I should be safe. Lastly, Fabryce was very helpful, informative, gave me a fair price and shipped out the parts and they arrived without any issues. They are real pros over there, and are highly respected in the race world. Atspeed Motorsports who competes with them in the Speed GT World Challenge can’t say enough good things about them. They were in the pit next to each other in that deluge at Sebring last weekend. I’ve included a link to the clutch package so you can see and read it for yourself.

So this is my write up on the dreaded LWFW. I was a little apprehensive, but after the installation, and driving the car around, I really don’t know what the hubbub was and is about all this alleged noise. To sum it up, I am very happy with my decision. Especially after I felt how much the OEM flywheel weighed in contrast to the new one; talk about relieving stress on the drive train! If anyone in the Mid-Atlantic wants to hear it in person, I will see you at the Atspeed Grand Opening on April 5th and you can hear it (or not) for yourself.

http://www.gmgracing.com/porsche_drivetrain.shtml

 

9 Eleven..........

Thanks for the kind words!! Glad the clutch worked out.

Will be sure to come and visit when I am out in DC.


Hope you can make it out to Jersey for the Speed GT race in Sept.



Thanks again!

 

Mario awesome man, those are my impressions as well, although I think it changes the Turbo porsches dramatically revving/throttle response wise, but it could be due to upgraded turbos and other variables as well!

Congrats and enjoy

Fabryce btw, you never pm'd me about the cup components for my suspension, I pm'd you my email!

 

My sentiments exactly. I have a LWFW and love it. It is how the car should come from the factory.

 

The 1st 996tt I drove had a light weight flywheel in it. I could not hear any weird transmission noise. The owner said he never noticed it either. The car felt very natural to drive with the lighter flywheel but as I said this was the 1st 996tt I ever drove so I dont have a stock tt to compare it with.

 

Mario, I just went with a LWFW (500 miles on it) and clutch setup and I can tell you that the bbi n the tin can rattle will start to happen somewhere around 250 miles... Mine was dead quiet the first 200-250 miles and now I hear it. I'm having to go with a different clutch, as the clutch and pressureplate in the Lufteknic kit wasn't strong enough to hold the power at last weekend's track event, even with 500 easy driven miles...

Mike

 

Mike is right-- I thought the same thing you did when I first put mine in. The noise will show up but it really isn't a big deal. STALLING, on the other hand, could be. Be careful turning into parking lots where you might usually just push the clutch in...... Kevin says he has a patch for this but you gotta buy the cow.......all I need is a cup of milk....

 

I bought the cow, but it's missing a few utters!

Mike

 

+1


Mine came as part of a clutch replacement...made the installation "free".

 

Mario, sounds cool. I'll have to check it out next time we meet up. Haven't decided if Im going to make the Atspeed meet or not.

 

Mike, I'll keep on listening for it, but it's possible that the noise may never appear. The flywheel I purchased is specifcally made for GMG, it isn't the normal RS or 964 LWFW, so there is a possibility that the noise or lack thereof is normal for this flywheel. I hope you can come out to Atspeed in Hanover Maryland on the 5th, we can all look at each others set ups and compare. April 5th, see you there.

 

Does a light flywheel cause stalling?
When I drove the TT with the light flywheel I stalled it in a parking lot, and the owner said it happened allot. Also my Boxster has a light flywheel, (its a TT also via aftermarket kit) and sometimes I stall in parking lots, and other slow speed maneuvers.

And to stay on topic I dont notice noise on my light flywheel either.

 

I can only report on my experience. No stalling or a problem with the idle. Let's me put it this way, I pulled a full k turn in my driveway and backed her in the garage without a problem. The clutch pedal feel, engagement, and effort felt exactly the same. The only difference I feel is a slight increase in throttle response and rev's. As I reported earlier, when I felt how heavy the OEM flywheel felt in contrast to the new one, the decision was a no brainer. Why would you want to stress out the drivetrain with an additional 15 or so pounds of weight?

 

The stalling happens because of the lack of mass. As quickly as it revs, it also slows when you let off. Some guys say the ecu can "figure it out," but not mine. It is by no means a deal breaker but you do need to pay attention to it pretty much constantly.

Revs are noticebaly quicker and crisper, but as far as any real hp "gains," I cannot tell any difference, but then again I am simply a layman and not a track/.25 miler....

If I had it to do over I'd do it again and not think twice if for no other reason than it "feels" better. Hard to quantify but the "seat of your pants" experience counts for a whole lot in my book.

 

I think the GMG flywheel is in between i weight fron OEM and RS, i love my rs and think you are 100% right in all above, the only thing i feel diffrent are the trottle responce, i say it 8 in diffrent in responce but i have the RS LWFW