On Sep 3, 11:03*am, Charles Vincent wrote:
Zebulon wrote:

Has anyone published actual tested results on the amount of torque required
to flex these mechanisms? Whatever it is, I would guess they would offer
little resistance to a V-8 crankshaft and steel flywheel assembly spinning
5000 to 8000 RPM, when someone dumps a clutch. I always assumed that's why
most of them have springs with a flat profile wire. It looks to me like the
springs are designed to be bottomed out regularly.

If you read the engineering texts you will find they are for reducing
shock loads and prevent gear chatter when idling or loafing around in
third gear on surface streets. *Dan Horton who used to post hear did
measure them, though did not publish all of his data. *They bottom out
well before the torque the engine is able to produce is reached, as you
would expect. *In fact, I believe this is necessary to avoid a
longitudinal resonance during aggressive throttle changes.

Charles

The reciprocating engine has power pulses, which the flywheel
is expected to damp out. That flywheel can't damp it all out, of
course, and so those springs will allow a bit of flex to minimize the
pulsations being transmitted to the drive train. In racing, component
life and smoothness are not prime concerns; strength and minimal
failure points are, so they're left out.

Dan