vintage-race
[Top] [All Lists]

Fwd: Re: clutches

To: "Jack W. Drews" <vinttr4@geneseo.net>, vintage-race@autox.team.net
Subject: Fwd: Re: clutches
From: Brian Evans <brian@uunet.ca>
Date: Tue, 5 Mar 2002 10:19:33 -0500
>Date: Tue, 05 Mar 2002 09:36:28 -0500
>To: "Jack W. Drews" <vinttr4@geneseo.net>, vintage-race@autox.team.net
>From: Brian Evans <brian@uunet.ca>
>Subject: Re: clutches
>
>I won't say "don't do it", but I will offer that you might reconsider the 
>Tilton option!  :)
>
>The 7.25" AP style racing clutch (AKA Tilton, Quartermaster, et al) won't 
>fail if not abused.  The problem may be that your car is pretty heavy, and 
>a single plate clutch, while designed to be well up to the power of your 
>engine, may be over-matched based on the combination of the torque and 
>weight of your car.  So just put in a two plate clutch.  This does have 
>the benefit of following the rule that if a little is OK, then monster 
>overkill is just right!  Another benefit is that racing clutch parts are 
>more available at the track than TR-4 parts, if you need to get an 
>emergency replacement.
>
>Winston Cup cars use three plate Tilton's and very rarely have 
>problems.  The only drawback to them is that they have to be installed 
>correctly, so that they cannot be over-thrown, and they cannot be slipped 
>at all.  Drive a car like yours onto a trailer once, and buy a new driven 
>plate, basically.  The trick in the paddock is to get the thing rolling 
>and immediately dip the clutch and let the car roll, or get it into first 
>gear and let it idle around with the clutch fully out.  My car idles at 
>about 16 MPH, which is way too high for a tight paddock.
>
>Brian
>
>
>At 07:42 AM 3/5/02, Jack W. Drews wrote:
>>Putting a aluminum or lightweight steel flywheel on a TR4 reduces the
>>flywheel weight from abut 32 to about 7 lbs. How wonderful.
>>
>>However, the ten pound clutch still weighs ten pounds, and is a fairly
>>large diameter. Hey, how about lightening that thing? Of course, we
>>don't want chunks flying around doing damage to the car's or driver's
>>bodywork so we must be cautious.
>>
>>I have searched the net every way I can think of for info on light
>>clutches and have not found any. I find lots of clutches for sale that
>>are for drag racing, have higher pressures, etc etc but none that are
>>advertised as lighter -- for any type car. I can't even find any
>>pictures of anything that looks lighter except those for top fuel
>>dragsters. I understand that on F1 cars, to reduce the rotating mass,
>>they put them on the axle shafts rather than the crankshaft. Maybe I'm
>>missing something.
>>
>>Yes, I know the Tilton is out there, and is a beautiful piece of work,
>>but after seeing two of the Tilton clutch driven discs fail due to
>>cracks, that is not too attractive to me.
>>
>>Anybody know anything about light clutches, or lightening stock units?
>>(yeah, I know I'll get 50 messages saying "don't do it" but I already
>>know that :)  )
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>
>>uncle jack - red, white, and New Blue

Brian Evans
Director, Canada
MCI Wholesale Internet Services

///  unsubscribe/change address requests to majordomo@autox.team.net  or try
///  http://www.team.net/mailman/listinfo
///  Archives at http://www.team.net/archive/vintage-race


<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>