Hard Lesson Learned On Removing Magnets
Posted: Mon Aug 12, 2024 8:58 pm
I just wanted to post something that I recently learned about removing magnets and replacing with oil slingers. I am new to the Model T world, only been doing it for 3 years. About a month ago I had to replace the oil pan in my 25 Roadster because the welded motor mount broke. While I had the pan off, I decided to remove the magnets, because I am using a distributor and a 12 volt ignition. I made 4 oil slingers out of 1/16 x 1 x 1 steel angle iron. I figured lightening the flywheel would give me more get up and go. As soon as I started driving it, I realized I had a lot less power. Climbing hills it had 30% to 40% less climbing power. My top speed was 10 mph less. I could not believe it. I had driven this car over 2500 miles this spring and earl summer and I knew how it ran and how much power and speed it had, and now it was a slug. Even my wife noticed how it had such a hard time climbing the hills on one of our rides. I drove it for about 300 miles, and decided to put the magnets back in. I weighed them with the little pads and brass screws, ant they weighed 17.2 lbs. As soon as I started driving it I felt it was back to its original power.
Come to find out less weight on flywheel = less torque. Less torque you lose pulling power.
I even asked Chat GPT:
I said:
will less weight on an automobile flywheel mean less torque, therefor less power
ChatGPT said:
Yes, a lighter flywheel in an automobile will generally result in less torque and, therefore, less power during certain phases of engine operation, particularly when it comes to maintaining momentum and smoothing out power delivery.
Here's why:
1. Torque and Inertia:
The flywheel stores rotational energy due to its inertia. A heavier flywheel has more inertia, which helps maintain engine speed (RPM) during periods when the engine might otherwise slow down (like between power strokes).
A lighter flywheel has less inertia, so it can't store as much energy. This means that the engine may lose RPM more quickly, particularly when under load or during gear changes.
2. Impact on Torque:
With less inertia, a lighter flywheel can result in less torque during situations where the engine needs to maintain RPM, such as accelerating from low speeds or driving up a hill. The engine may feel less powerful in these situations because it requires more effort to keep the flywheel spinning.
3. Power Delivery:
While a lighter flywheel can allow the engine to rev up more quickly (since there's less mass to spin), it also means that power delivery may be less smooth, and the engine may struggle more to maintain torque in situations where consistent power is needed.
4. Overall Power:
The actual peak power output of the engine (measured in horsepower) is not directly affected by the weight of the flywheel. However, the ability to apply that power effectively, particularly in real-world driving conditions, can be compromised by a lighter flywheel, leading to an overall feeling of reduced power.
In summary, while a lighter flywheel can make the engine more responsive and rev quicker, it can also result in less torque being delivered effectively, which can make the car feel less powerful under certain conditions.
I just wanted to share this, because for me it was a big lesson.
I have a you tube channel that I posted about it, just if you go to it, the video I did on this I did not pay attention to how the camera was aimed, and it got pointed at the opening of my nose, so there are several comments on that, and I am sorry about it, but I am just a 65 year old retired toolmaker, not a videographer. This is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At1nKBl2UR8
Come to find out less weight on flywheel = less torque. Less torque you lose pulling power.
I even asked Chat GPT:
I said:
will less weight on an automobile flywheel mean less torque, therefor less power
ChatGPT said:
Yes, a lighter flywheel in an automobile will generally result in less torque and, therefore, less power during certain phases of engine operation, particularly when it comes to maintaining momentum and smoothing out power delivery.
Here's why:
1. Torque and Inertia:
The flywheel stores rotational energy due to its inertia. A heavier flywheel has more inertia, which helps maintain engine speed (RPM) during periods when the engine might otherwise slow down (like between power strokes).
A lighter flywheel has less inertia, so it can't store as much energy. This means that the engine may lose RPM more quickly, particularly when under load or during gear changes.
2. Impact on Torque:
With less inertia, a lighter flywheel can result in less torque during situations where the engine needs to maintain RPM, such as accelerating from low speeds or driving up a hill. The engine may feel less powerful in these situations because it requires more effort to keep the flywheel spinning.
3. Power Delivery:
While a lighter flywheel can allow the engine to rev up more quickly (since there's less mass to spin), it also means that power delivery may be less smooth, and the engine may struggle more to maintain torque in situations where consistent power is needed.
4. Overall Power:
The actual peak power output of the engine (measured in horsepower) is not directly affected by the weight of the flywheel. However, the ability to apply that power effectively, particularly in real-world driving conditions, can be compromised by a lighter flywheel, leading to an overall feeling of reduced power.
In summary, while a lighter flywheel can make the engine more responsive and rev quicker, it can also result in less torque being delivered effectively, which can make the car feel less powerful under certain conditions.
I just wanted to share this, because for me it was a big lesson.
I have a you tube channel that I posted about it, just if you go to it, the video I did on this I did not pay attention to how the camera was aimed, and it got pointed at the opening of my nose, so there are several comments on that, and I am sorry about it, but I am just a 65 year old retired toolmaker, not a videographer. This is a link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=At1nKBl2UR8