Clutchflite Info

-
71GSSDemon

71GSSDemon

FABO Gold Member
FABO Gold Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2018
Messages
7,692
Reaction score
17,996
Location
WI
Hello Everyone,

Just gathering information about drag racing from years ago. Who has run or info on Clutchflite set ups? I know they were failure prone, but what did it involve to convert? Would modern billet front drums and bolt in overrunning sprags help them live? Just info and curiosity based. Thank you
 
I've never run one personally......BUT, and this isn't Mopar related, but it's close to what you are asking about. I had a friend on the dirt track circuit years ago that had the B&M setup in a turbo 350. The rules stated "either manual or automatic" at that time, so he was cheatin. The tech guys never looked under the car and just assumed it was a 3 speed manual, because of the clutch pedal and cheap Indy floor shifter. It worked well and won often. We still talk about it some and cannot believe he never got caught. It would slam your eyeballs back in your head it took off so violently. Much more so than a regular automatic.
 
My buddy blew the crap out of one in his front engine dragster. There ended up being a lawsuit at Norwalk over it. The transmission blanket looked like ground up tiger hair. What a mess.
 
pittsburghracer said:
My buddy blew the crap out of one in his front engine dragster. There ended up being a lawsuit at Norwalk over it. The transmission blanket looked like ground up tiger hair. What a mess.
Click to expand...
Do you know what blew up? Was it the clutch or drum or ????
 
71GSSDemon said:
Do you know what blew up? Was it the clutch or drum or ????
Click to expand...


I’m going to bet the drum. Back then we didn’t have fancy parts and he would really wing that thing up doing a burnout. It was an original Hemi front engine dragster that was converted over to a big block Chevy. Years later he switched to a powerglide. He still has it and swears he’s going to race again but we shall see. He’s around two years older than me so he’s pushing 69 years old.
 
pittsburghracer said:
I’m going to bet the drum. Back then we didn’t have fancy parts and he would really wing that thing up doing a burnout. It was an original Hemi front engine dragster that was converted over to a big block Chevy. Years later he switched to a powerglide. He still has it and swears he’s going to race again but we shall see. He’s around two years older than me so he’s pushing 69 years old.
Click to expand...
Cool, thank you for the info. It would be cool to see any and all front engine dragsters out and about again.
 
I’m going to add he sat right on top the 8 3/4 rearend and the transmission was between his legs. When it broke the case spun ripping several Morse cables hooked up on the engine. Probably the only reason he still has legs is the mounts that we used to cut off were still on the transmission. When it spun those mounts hit the chrome moly cage and bent it stopping the transmission from spinning anymore.
 
Last edited:
71GSSDemon said:
Cool, thank you for the info. It would be cool to see any and all front engine dragsters out and about
Click to expand...


Not many pictures years ago like we have today but here’s on at the track years ago and one in his trailer a few years ago.

FBFBBEAE-BE8D-419A-84AF-11A343E5A53D.jpeg


5648505F-AF60-4A97-B4AA-04903BB95551.jpeg
 
pittsburghracer said:
I’m going to add he said right on top the 8 3/4 rearend and the transmission was between his legs. When it broke the case spun ripping several Morse cables hooked up on the engine. Probably the only reason he still has legs is the mounts that we used to cut off were still on the transmission. When it spun those mounts hit the chrome moly cage and bent it stopping the transmission from spinning anymore.
Click to expand...
Wow, that is scary! A buddy shared a story of a John Unamann that ran one. 1956 Tbird with 436 BBC. It exploded at Spencer Speedway got hurt bad. Is that what Garlits was running when he lost some of his foot?
 
Clutchflites have such an appeal, but they are so terrible in many ways.

The input shaft, especially was never designed for the hammer of hard clutch launches. Somewhere someone posted photos of clutchflite or clutch-turbo shafts they used to build and they were pretty well twisted

Plus the oil pump drive--which engages the clutch fingers--is a real mess.

I suppose you could devise an external engine driven pump and plumb that in, doing away with the "finger drive"

And now that tires can really hook, I bet you could do real damage.
 
I just know from reading Tom Hand's Torqueflite book it was basically a crutch to have more control over launch RPM until aftermarket high-stall converters became more common and attainable. The only reason they worked at all was due to the fact that tires were a lot less grippy back then and absorbed a lot of the shock loads. It also beat up the internal clutches and parts more as normally the torque converter would absorb some of the shock from shifting.
 
It was a bad idea then. Today it’s just crazy to spend a dime or more than a few minutes investigating it.

They just weren’t good. As said above they were getting used because converters were pretty much junk AND guys couldn’t drive a stick car.
 
Rat Bastid said:
It was a bad idea then. Today it’s just crazy to spend a dime or more than a few minutes investigating it.

They just weren’t good. As said above they were getting used because converters were pretty much junk AND guys couldn’t drive a stick car.
Click to expand...
No interest in doing such a thing. Just loving all that I am learning about set ups from back in the day. Love Super and Pro Stocks from then.. Curiosity is getting the blood flowing while winter drags on
 
71GSSDemon said:
No interest in doing such a thing. Just loving all that I am learning about set ups from back in the day. Love Super and Pro Stocks from then.. Curiosity is getting the blood flowing while winter drags on
Click to expand...


I‘m always interested in the history of stuff like that. It’s worth doing the research for the history of it, but IMO doing research to to try and use one isn’t really worth it.
 
Rat Bastid said:
I‘m always interested in the history of stuff like that. It’s worth doing the research for the history of it, but IMO doing research to to try and use one isn’t really worth it.
Click to expand...
Most of my curiosity is I am shocked that Dad didn't try it on my car back then. The converter is what was holding the car back very badly. So, although many are horrible, I like the stories surrounding them. Strange I know, but like a train wreck. You want to look away but can't.
 
Rat Bastid said:
They just weren’t good. As said above they were getting used because converters were pretty much junk AND guys couldn’t drive a stick car.
Click to expand...
They could drive stick cars, but people figured the auto shifted faster.
 
71GSSDemon said:
Most of my curiosity is I am shocked that Dad didn't try it on my car back then. The converter is what was holding the car back very badly. So, although many are horrible, I like the stories surrounding them. Strange I know, but like a train wreck. You want to look away but can't.
Click to expand...
I've got a couple of 727 clutchflite kits sitting in boxes. Sooner or later ones going into one of my cars.
Check this out. He is also a member here.
 
Last edited:
A clutchflite is like a neutral drop. Hard on transmissions. You are making it do something it wasn't designed to do.
 
toolmanmike said:
A clutchflite is like a neutral drop. Hard on transmissions. You are making it do something it wasn't designed to do.
Click to expand...
Same could be said for any modifications done to any part on a car.

I’ve always been intrigued by the idea of a clutch flight and wanted one. Then when I was 17 discovered what a Bruno with a lenco behind it could do. Curiosity over.
 
Meh, it's not quite a neutral drop. Not even close, really. It takes off like a regular manual transmission. It just pulls HARD.
 
toolmanmike said:
A clutchflite is like a neutral drop. Hard on transmissions. You are making it do something it wasn't designed to do.
Click to expand...
Transbrake is the way to go, trans, driveshaft and rear diff all under load at launch. But, this about old school info
 
I am now thinking maybe a racer thread like....

Nostalgia Drag Racing Wins and Fails. Show us some odd things that worked and didn't in old school drag racing. Like the Missle wire car..then clutch flites.. hmmmm maybe??
 
71GSSDemon said:
Transbrake is the way to go, trans, driveshaft and rear diff all under load at launch. But, this about old school info
Click to expand...
I agree.....even still, the transbrake does something the transmission isn't designed for. Hangs it up in two gears at once to lock it down until the button is pushed. Talk about stress. lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top