Thinking back on my hotrodding/racing days, I'm wondering if maybe we are ignoring a potential HP maker (or at least removing some HP loss). The crank.
One of the tricks we used to use was a lightened, balanced crank. Lower reciprocating mass and eliminates the need for a heavy harmonic balancer. Since the MINI engine is externally balanced, could we benefit from such a mod? With a properly balanced crank, you could run a super lightweight crank pulley with no worries. And a lightened crank would be just as nice, if not nicer, than a lightweight flywheel.
Anybody experimented with such a thing?

 

Theres already on the market both the Lw Flywheels and crank pullies. Which btw im already running without having to re-balance the crank it self. As for the Crank i think Eric Rowland from GTT already balance and Knife edged the crank on a R53 when he was working on some of his Power packages. You may wish to send him an PM on this .

 

It's a very common engine modification -- there's no magic to it. If the rules allow it, we do it.
There is relatively no power advantage with a lightwieght crank pulley but rather a reliability disadvantage. They may be suitable for a race engine but not a street engine.

 

Don, I'm glad you stopped by, as I value your opinion. If one were shave, say, 15lbs off of the pulley/crank/flywheel combo, wouldn't that be beneficial? I understand fully the problems with just running a lighter pulley/flywheel, as all balancing of the recip. mass is removed.

 

If you are going to split the case then by all means balance and/or knife edge the crank. Less rotating mass equals faster acceleration.