Topic: Is this Flywheel Ring Necessary – Antique Outboard Motor Club,Inc

This topic has 16 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 2 years, 4 months ago by labrador-guy.

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January 8, 2023 at 9:44 am #270860
labrador-guy
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OMC guys is this heavy ring that goes on the flywheel of the 15/25hp outboards necessary? Has anyone ran a motor with it off? I am wondering if lighter might be better. I know the electric start uses the ring gear and the pull start uses the ring. It might weigh 5 lbs or more.

dale
January 8, 2023 at 9:52 am #270863
Buccaneer
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It may give you better low speed idle to have the ring on,
other than that, I don’t know!

Prepare to be boarded!
January 8, 2023 at 10:26 am #270865
Boonie
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Canada Member
Back in my hotrodding vw motor days we would shave a couple lbs off the flywheel to bring the revs up quicker. But that was a four stroke motor. Why do you not want it on there?
January 8, 2023 at 10:31 am #270866
frankr
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Have you ever seen the results of an exploding flywheel? I have. You don’t want to .experience that.

I figure that steel ring helps to reinforce the flywheel as well as provide a good idle.
January 8, 2023 at 11:14 am #270868
seakaye12
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Yikes Frank. I guess you don’t have a video; eh? What engine was it where the flywheel exploded?
January 8, 2023 at 12:43 pm #270887
billw
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When I was a kid, I took one off my 18, to try to go faster. If it made a difference in top end, I couldn’t tell; but it sure did idle a lot worse. God sometimes protects the ignorant. It was only when I “grew up,” that it dawned on me that it probably held the flywheel together, and I had been extremely lucky.

Long live American manufacturing!
January 8, 2023 at 12:58 pm #270891
crosbyman
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don’t redesign what works…..somebody (RIP) figured all this out a long time ago for us young fellows . !!

Joining AOMCI has priviledges 🙂
January 8, 2023 at 1:03 pm #270892
Mumbles
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It’s an inertia ring, meant to smooth out the power pulses.

Best to leave it on or the motor might try to pull your arm out of its socket when roping it over or it might try running backwards at idle.
January 8, 2023 at 2:26 pm #270903
joecb
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With my background in industrial manufacturing, I approach a question like this from a corporate “Bean Counter” perspective. That ring cost quite a bit of money to manufacture and install…. trust me, the “bean counters” would have badgered the engineers to leave if off if it was not necessary. In this case looks like logic and the engineers prevailed.

Any time you encounter what appears to be an extraneous part, apply the bean counter test.

Joe B
January 8, 2023 at 5:04 pm #270921
frankr
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seakaye12 wrote:

Yikes Frank. I guess you don’t have a video; eh? What engine was it where the flywheel exploded?

I didn’t see the actual accident, just the guy when he dropped by for a visit a number of weeks afterwards. It was a cast iron flywheel on an industrial engine, (a Wisconsin, I think), mounted in a midget race car. The thing blew up in his face and punched a few holes in his head. He survived but was never the same after that.
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