Nutro

iTrader: (1)

I was about to order the LUK LFW130 but I see some reviews mention it is too light at 17lbs. I think the OEM one is closer to 30lbs. I also don't know which clutch kit to go with. I'm looking at the LUK or Valeo but the Zoom might be a good one too. I see Valeo has a HD version for $200 but this 350 is stock with just aftermarket exhaust.

Edit: The car has 3.45 gearing and a 1LE aluminum driveshaft. Damn, maybe I want a 20 pounder

aliceempire

iTrader: (14)

For what it's worth, the 190 hp "HO" 305 used the lighter 16lb flywheel. The 30lb unit was used on the even lesser 305s.
You'll see endless contradictions on what is the better choice in online debates. Some say it's too light and I had to slip the clutch too much. Others say they want it to rev faster.
I've used the 30 and 16. Both were fine. Neither seemed detrimentally slow to rev or hard to engage the clutch.
Very mild street deal. I might side with the heavier one.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

I've been driving 4-speed cars since the 70s. Acquired a reputation as somebody that could shift near as fast as an automatic over the years.

My car (83 L69 Z28) came with a 305 (duh), T-5, 3.73s, and a 16-lb flywheel. It revved up real snappy under the gas pedal. Ran like a scalded ape; would completely humiliate the 79 Z28 4-spd w/ 4.10 gears I traded in on it, and the 78 Z28 auto w 3.73s that I still had. Wasn't even close.

Later, late 80s sometime I forget exactly when maybe 87ish, the 305 started smoking alot so I put a 400 that I had laying around in it. Same flywheel, same everything else, just a 400 w Comp Magnum 282S cam. (yes, S) Amazing. Had the flywheel drilled to "unbalance" it to the stock 400 spec. (I admit, I tore up a RIDICULOUS number of T-5s with this setup)

Later still, I moved to California. The car would not pass "enhanced" CA smog as it was. Reluctantly I rebuilt the 305 and put it back. Same everything else, new flywheel, as far as I could tell essentially the same as the one I'd had drilled for the 400. Life was still good even though down by 100 HP at least.

Fast forward several more years. I finally got off my lazy butt in maybe 2004 or 5 or so, and put in a 96 or 7 very low mileage T-56 I had bought in maybe 98, and had been sitting around lo! these many years. Same weeeeeenie stock gears. Among other things, it included a CF flywheel, maybe 24 lbs. The engine revved up REAL LLLLLAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZYYYYYY but would leave a traffic light almost without giving it gas. I didn't like it ONE BIT. To me it felt like driving a tractor. All the ZIP had gone out of it. I have NO TROUBLE WHATSOEVER making a stick shift car leave, in a general way. I don't need or want the "crutch" of a heavy flywheel. However the T-56 has 2.5x or 1.6x 1st gear where the T-5 had 2.95; it didn't leave near as hard as the T-5 did.

If I could get a 16-lb T-56 flywheel, I'd put it in next time I'm in there. Fidanza or somebody used to make an aluminum one; maybe I'll go that route, if it's still available.

I'd recommend decent gears and a light flywheel.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

With 3.73 rear gears, the 16lb flywheel drives fine.

a 30lb would be milder to drive stop-n-go. Or be a better match for 3.23 gears.

Those were the two OEM weights.