Lightened flywheel

[Rex]

My car is a 2002  SV  U.S. spec Zetec.  It has some characteristics that make me think it has a lightened flywheel.  It revs up very quickly, but spools down even quicker. It idles at 1400 RPM, but will die every time at stoplights unless you really work to keep the revs up. The car has 38,000 original miles and has always behaved like this. The engine itself runs great, and I am used to it trying to die at stop signs.  I am just curious because I have heard that Caterham uses a lighter flywheel than the standard Ford unit.  

[SM25T]

1400rpm is a very fast idle. The problem you describe sounds like something wrong with the idle control settings, and someone has increased the idle speed to try and compensate ?

[rj]

Something's wrong if it has to idle at 1400RPM unless you have silly cams in it.

I have no experience with Zetec engined cars, but for the Rover installation the flywheel can be from 3.2 to 7+ kgs. You quickly learn to adjust to it, but of course if your clutch is a pure race clutch and has only "on" and "off" it can become difficult.

 

[oilyhands]

Is it carburettored or injected? Insufficient idle advance can cause issues as can poor fuelling at idle. I have engine with 300 degree cams and 3kg flywheels that idle happily at 1000RPM. 1400 RPM idle is an act of desperation.

Oily

[Scotland North AR]

I have a super light flywheel, engine idles nicely around 900 rpm. Pulling away requires slightly more concentration than with a heavy flywheel, particularly hill starts but no real problem when used to it. Engine revs much quicker than with previous flywheel. Maybe someone couldn't get used to the flywheel and associated clutch control and turned the wick up on the idle. I did change the master cylinder at one point which made the clutch control easier compared to standard.