I have been using the Fizanda aluminum flywheel with no issues. I have roughly 30k on it and just serviced the friction material with a new clutch (track use, clutches don't last as long). It sees 9,000 rpm fairly regularly and gives me no issues. I just made the switch to ARP bolts, but I had OEM bolts on it before (again, with no issues).

 

There are steel lightweight flywheels that don't have thru holes. Like this one I used. http://www.euroexportinc.com/media/...a/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/k/2/k20_st.jpg

 

On my red car that I baby, I went with a Fidanza aluminum, but with my second car, that I intend to beat on mercilessly, I am going with a steel wheel almost exactly like yours - is that a Competition Clutch 10-lb flywheel? Anyway this near-disaster is making me wonder... But if it were me, I would have pulled over at the first sign of trouble and towed it.

 

Wow. IIRC that was a Competition Clutch lightweight flywheel. I've seen the spring come off on a clutch before, but never make it past the flywheel.

Im running the same flywheel for the 2zz. Makes me wonder if they should weld something to keep those holes closed.

 

What brand clutch disk is that, CAP? In your case I would go with a factory disk, as they have rubber instead of metal springs.

 

Actually looks pretty darned good for 90-ish miles of steel vs. aluminum.

While I'm tempted to point out that your clutch was older than half the members of this forum , that kind of failure could happen at 100 miles instead of 160K.

 

I've seen that same failure on factory clutches from different manufacturers, ACT, Clutch Masters, Spec......
I haven't seen a spring actually make it through the flywheel before though either.

 

I was thinking of making a '1/2 Cut Aluminum Bagel' to put at the center of the Flywheel.. to keep the pieces away from the Block..

'Course.. you have to secure the Bagel Piece to keep it from becoming part of the debris field..

I have two more of this type of Flywheel on my Nissan 300 ZX's.. so I'd like to find a fix for it.. rather than have to replace them..

Cap

 

I can see it now, beautiful forward and aft machined hole fillers epoxied (hi temp) and bolted together with locktite. Springs leaving home happens just not often-----I hope lightning doesn't strike me after writing that.

Second thought weld the forward and aft together, maybe better long term solution.

 

I think its a one in a million chance that the spring made it through. Play the lotto. Curious too as what clutch disc your using. I think the other one I have seen was Exedy or something. Ill try and search if it comes up.

Looks like RCN had the same problem with his clutch.

 

My problem I believe was installer error, me. This is my current drivetrain.

When I had the 1zz with the competition stage 2 clutch, a piece of the spring broke off and wedge itself into a nook in the disc which then proceeded to make a very deep gouge in the friciton surface of the flywheel. I had an aluminum flywheel with no holes at that time.

 

Gotta stop doing all those clutch dumping, smokie burnouts at stoplights, cap.

 

is this one SMT or manual?

 

Loose springs can do damage to everything. IMHO the engine is what I would not want damaged. I have had a lot of transmissions out, maybe over one hundred maybe two hundred I never counted and it was long ago. I have seen it more than once but not often. IMHO the chance of winning the lottery is much slimmer.

 

I put a couple dozen track hours on the Fidanza aluminium flywheel without issue. The clutch, also a Fidanza, did not survive as well. Part of the spring broke off and embedded itself into the edge of the retainer. The retainer itself was marred, but still keeping the spring enclosed.

When I did the 2zz swap, I moved over to the Competition Clutch steel flywheel because I have heard of Fidanza flywheels exploding, and I wanted to prevent that.

But, I am not worried because my clutch has no springs in it. That's the solution.

 

This thread is improperly labled. It should say "POS Clutch failure". Your flywheel did not fail. If you had been running a quality clutch that wouldn't have failed either. If you look at the way the metal on the sides of the springs is made you can see the issue - they have large holes at the corners and then just bend up the sides. This cheap and easy design has been present on ALL of the ZZ clutch disc failures I have seen where the springs pop out over the years.

And seriously dude - a new clutch disc and pressure plate is under $200 for a stage 1 southbend - how cheap can you possibly be?

 

This is a freak thing to happen with the disc, it does happen. You cant fault the flywheel, who know if u had a solid wheel where would the spring go, it could have caused more damage if it didnt have that escape route who know. Sad part about owning car, shit just happens