I'm about to return my Supaswift Galaxy to impulse starting now I have all the parts. But I notice that both the Villiers and Supaswift parts lists for the late-model Torque-Major 140 show two different flywheels, one for impulse starters, and one for relax (rewind) starters, the numbers being D2276AU and P1580AU respectively. I don't understand why. What could the difference be? Both flywheels are for the Phelon ignition system, both bolt to the same drive shaft and both have the three raised bars that slot into the starter cup. All I know is the flywheel currently in the engine works OK with the impulse starter. Is there something I've overlooked?
Hello suebutcher I can only take a guess on this, but I think the difference may be in that the impulse starter flywheel had locating lugs for the starter cup to accommodate the greater shock loads of the impulse.
If that is the case, I'm OK, because both of the flywheels I've got for the Torque-Major have the three lugs (raised bars) that slot into the impulse cup. But the lugs wouldn't stop you using the relax-rewind cup too, so why they'd need to make two different flywheels is a puzzle. Looking at the pictures of other people's restoration projects I do know that there was a curved fan blade flywheel and a straight fan blade flywheel used on the Torque-Major. I assume this is a design modification, with the straight blade being the later type; both my T-Ms are Seventies engines and have the straight blades.
Just got an email suggesting another possibility. The two flywheels listed are technically the same item, but D2276AU is the Villiers part number, and P1580AU is the Phelon part number.
Hello SB CJ and PC Most of the differences are listed above,the Phelon flywheel is lighter and is USA made ,it has 3 bolt holes near the centre for removing with a puller.On some mowers eg. Rover,they use a roll pin in one of the 3 holes to locate the starter cup,it's alloy centre has a morse taper.
The earlier Villiers flywheel has the curved cooling fins and has heavier weights attached,made in Sydney under licence by Wipac, it has a steel centre insert with a morse taper and has no bolt holes for removal.
If I have a Wipac flywheel on a Torque-Major motor I prefer to replace it with the Phelon flywheel.
That makes things clearer, thanks! My spare flywheel has the roll pin, which confirms that the spare Torque-Major 140 in the shed is from a Rover. I should have noted the source when I was collecting all those bits.
