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Re: Midget questions, and Update IV

To: "mgs@autox.team.net" <mgs@Autox.Team.Net>
Subject: Re: Midget questions, and Update IV
From: Trevor Boicey <tboicey@brit.ca>
Date: Mon, 19 May 1997 01:48:33 -0400
Aron Travis wrote:
> Could I slip the clutch with a wrench and have it still be good?
> It seems not, as I only have at most one horse power.
> Or should I plan on a new clutch and pressure plate too?

  Well, this is calculable. The Midget 1500 engine produces
less than 100ft/lbs of torque, so let's say that at 100 ft/lbs
the clutch can slip and still be "ok" for normal driving.

  If your wrench is two feet long, and you are pulling with
50 pounds, that's 100ft/lbs, and more powerful than the
engine itself. 50 pounds is easily obtainable, so if
your wrench is a fairly long one it stands to reason that
you can easily apply more force than the engine and slip
an otherwise ok clutch.

  It would be interesting to know how much "extra" is
built into the clutch. I know from rodding up modern sport
compacts (yes, rice burners) that the clutch requires upgrading
after about 50hp of additions to a typical 200-ish hp car. The
Midget 1500 clutch plate would be able to handle the torque
of the UK-spec engine, so that's some extra grip right there
for US editions.

-- 
  .---------------------------------------Ottawa-Canada-GOSENSGO-----.
 /       Trevor Boicey         1992 Celica GT    1975 MG Midget     /
`-----  tboicey@brit.ca  ------------------------------------------'

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