Flywheel

DESCRIPTION

Fig. 3:

The flywheel (Fig. 3) is a heavy plate bolted to the rear of the crankshaft. The flywheel incorporates the ring gear around the outer circumference to mesh with the starter to permit engine cranking. The rear face of the flywheel serves as the driving member to the clutch disc.

OPERATION
The flywheel serves to dampen the engine firing pulses. The heavy weight of the flywheel relative to the rotating mass of the engine components serves to stabilize the flow of power to the remainder of the drivetrain. The crankshaft has the tendency to attempt to speed up and slow down in response to the cylinder firing pulses. The flywheel dampens these impulses by absorbing energy when the crankshaft speeds and releasing the energy back into the system when the crankshaft slows down.