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Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:00 am

Hi guys a little dilemma, the subject tells it all, what is the stock VW bug 200mm 12V flywheel made of? is it cast iron or other material
:?: :?:

Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:07 am

The stock German flywheels are Chromium vanadium steel very high quality by OEM standards (most OEM stuff is cast), yes there are cheapo cast iron wheels out off brazil etc both OEM and aftermarket.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:15 am

Joe Bence wrote: The stock German flywheels are Chromium vanadium steel very high quality by OEM standards (most OEM stuff is cast), yes there are cheapo cast iron wheels out off brazil etc both OEM and aftermarket.

Thank you Joe Bence and is there a way to identify these from one another?

Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:18 am

I can tell just from looking at it. Also if some one is selling a flywheel or lightened flywheel too cheap it is most likely cast.

Cast wheels have a dull machine finish and pressed on ring gear, German wheels have a shiny machine finish.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:00 am

The machine finish is from the machining after it is cast. Cast iron provides a very effective frictional surface in such an application. There would be no logical reason to forge such a part (except the "forgery" of marketing.)

Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:25 am

Quokka42 wrote: The machine finish is from the machining after it is cast. Cast iron provides a very effective frictional surface in such an application. There would be no logical reason to forge such a part (except the "forgery" of marketing.) What is your point? The VW stock flywheel is Chrome Vanadium steel. It is a good choice of material. The cast aftermarket ones are very weak as discovered by some who had them fall off leaving the center on the crank.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:45 am

Not sure of the metallurgy, I'd have though Chrome Vanadium too expensive and unnecessary for this application, but it is definitely cast steel - you can often see the mould impression. Very hard metals such as Cr-V tend too provide poorer friction and less heat tolerance, as does forged metal.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:09 pm

If your application is high performance, I would not settle for anything but a NEW forged chromoly flywheel. Vw's have enough issues with the dowl pin area already. Dont settle for anything but a REAL Chromoly flywheel such as this:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=1382480

I spun the Center out of a "German" flywheel after a hard launch on the street. Never again will I mess with a stock VW flywheel of any sort in high performance application.

Jeff

Mon Aug 11, 2014 12:36 pm

jpaull wrote:

I spun the Center out of a "German" flywheel after a hard launch on the street. Never again will I mess with a stock VW flywheel of any sort in high performance application.

Jeff I almost called BS on that remark. I honestly dont think its possible to to do. Maybe the "German" flywheel was made by a guy called Chang...
You cannot get a better flywheel than stock.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:05 pm

This is true. I saw the light a few years ago myself and almost always try to run a german flywheel when .possible on builds now. A loose or improperly torqued gland nut can accomplish the same results.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:15 pm

Where are you finding German flywheels? Buying a used one and 8 doweling? Refacing ect?

Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:32 pm

I used to shoot at an old VW flywheel at a gravel pit when I was a teenager. 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser with fmj ammunition wouldn't even leave a dent in an oem german flywheel. Just a shiny spot and it rang like a bell.. That was not cast iron.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 1:43 pm

andy198712 wrote: Where are you finding German flywheels? Buying a used one and 8 doweling? Refacing ect?

DPR Jose will take a good German core and re-manufacture it to your liking.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 2:18 pm

I'll have a look at his site, being in the uk mean postage is a killer on something like that

Mon Aug 11, 2014 3:35 pm

From first hand experience, I have lighten stock flywheels and they are anything but cast iron ,cast iron is very flake when machined like drilling a cast rotor and Cr-v does not chip very well it wants to come off the tool in strings. Also the stones to resurface most import fly wheels are speced for Cr-v. I highly recommend buying only OG VW flywheels especially for daily drivers.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 4:16 pm

Boolean wrote: I almost called BS on that remark. I honestly don't think its possible to to do. Maybe the "German" flywheel was made by a guy called Chang... You cannot get a better flywheel than stock.

German was in quotations, probably meaning he got burned by a cast flywheel masquerading as a true OG steel one. I've seen pics of an exploded cast flywheel, and it wasn't even on a strung out motor. Get a real German one, or a a confirmed steel one to avoid issues. The Ford and Chevy guys can get away with it, we can't.

Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:18 pm

Boolean wrote: Quokka42 wrote: The machine finish is from the machining after it is cast. Cast iron provides a very effective frictional surface in such an application. There would be no logical reason to forge such a part (except the "forgery" of marketing.) What is your point? The VW stock flywheel is Chrome Vanadium steel. It is a good choice of material. The cast aftermarket ones are very weak as discovered by some who had them fall off leaving the center on the crank. Later OEM VWs had cast cranks and flywheels.

Tue Aug 12, 2014 4:31 am

I think the Germans were a little too clever to forge a flywheel ever. It doesn't mean they were cast iron, a lot of metal can be cast (and what we traditionally know as "cast iron" would be unsuitable for this application due to it's high carbon content.) Ironically, (pun intended,) several "stainless steel" alloys work well for flywheels and brake disks and drums, but they are almost invariably cast.

Mon Apr 03, 2017 1:52 pm

Old thread, but I am curious about the use of cast flywheels. Seems like they have been around for ACVW's for a number of years now. Has there been any improvement in metallurgy to where they are now ok to use?

p.s. remember old quokka42?

Mon Apr 03, 2017 3:41 pm

Lot of crap in this thread. The stock flywheels are indeed steel...cast and hardened steel...not cast iron...and not forged. They are tougher than hell.

For instance among type 4 engines (I realize we are speaking of type 1 here)..the only models that came with a forged flywheel were the early 411 with 200mm (Europe only) and the Porsche 914 2.0 liter.

Cast steel is totally different than cast iron...alot stronger tensile wise but with some of the same issues.

All aircooled VW types 1 through 4 cranks that came out of Germany were forged. Whether they started making some cast cranks in Brazil in the last years.....mainly 1980s....I do not know.

Aftermarket cast flywheels...I have no idea what they are made of whether its iron or steel. Ray