Figured out my clutch/trans problem

[2.216VTurbo]

So the wazoo Tilton clutch/custom steel flywheel that I had built last year was always too aggressive and *very* hard to modulate. It may have been good to 690 Ftlbs and all that but it was a PIA live with. Starting from a dead stop was particularly heinous:(

A few weeks ago at the SoCal Team Shelby Weekend race at AutoClub Speedway 1/2 way thru the second 20 minute session, I poked it into 3rd (and was just about to have a run up the infield strait with a Z06:eyebrows:) and it was end of any forward motion at all from the car. The clutch still had tension on it (although the pedal was lower than before), and I could select all the gears so the linkage/trans felt alright.

This weekend I got around to pulling the trans and found out what the trouble was. Wedged behind the throwout bearing was this chunk of knarled metal. It's all balled up but it looks like if it were unrolled and flattened out, it would be about 3" long and has a large round hole drilled at each end. The throwout bearing 'fork' could not return and move away from the diaphram so the clutch was always 'engaged'. Technically, I could just reinstall the trans and be good to go... Any guesses what it is? Track debris? Sabotage?:D

[DodgeZ]

did something fall in your timing window?

[turbovanman²]

Wow, I have no idea what this is, kinda looks like the end of a cable that a pin slides thru. :confused:

I would hedge on installation error and sabotage, ;)

BTW, your hand's are way too clean, you couldn't have possibly pulled that out, :lol:

[GLHNSLHT2]

I'll buy the clutch setup from ya alan since you hate it so much :)

[2.216VTurbo]

did something fall in your timing window?

Sigh, that was too easy...

In November of last year when I was installing the GT35, I kinda had to assemble it with the center section already bolted to the header. I had forgotten all about the compressor holdown plate/strap that fell somewhere:( Literally I looked for 2+ hours, checked everywhere ran a magnet down the frame rails EVERYWHERE I could think of. It's pretty clear now that it fell inot the timing window:o I replaced that strap with a couple of washers and went ahead with the build. I drove the car to Vegas in January, two days on the track there, 600-700 miles since then and 30+ minutes on Auto Club speedway before it kicked loose from wherever it was, got balled up and wedged behind the TOB.

I'm gonna have the PP rebuilt to a little lower pressure spec and try and get some custom discs made. Tilton only offers the metalo-ceramic so I need to contract with another manufacturer.

[butchsuppe]

Alan, you got NO luck at all. But I got to give you credit, you are persistent.

[BadAssPerformance]

Ouch! Glad it was something somewhat simple tho. Maybe thats what all the clutch rattling was? ;)

Oh, and Nitrous bottles work best when pointed towards the front of the vehicle. :D

[Vigo]

BTW, your hand's are way too clean, you couldn't have possibly pulled that out,

Heh, dont you know he's a glove wearing type? One would hope, considering...



Thats got to be one of the most unlikely issues ever. Makes a great story though. And if you think your time is worth less than your money (..if) than you made out alright by not spending any money so far!:D

Glad to see you're going to continue trying to make that basic clutch setup work with some different settings and materials.

Those mustangs will still be slow next time you go out to pass them, there'll be another chance :thumb::p

[2.216VTurbo]

I gotta shave 12 seconds per lap to beat the fastest Super Snake out there. I figure slicks and lightweight rims outta be good for 6-8 seconds. Not sure if a little more track time and a little better driving will get me the other 4-5 seconds or not...

Surgical gloves FTW;) Can't have grubby paws in my line of work:D

[speeddemon]

Well good to see that the problem is solved.

Nice tow vehicle BTW.

[OmniLuvr]

how many turns, more time on the track will always net a lower E.T., and those pumpers arent the lightest wheels out there. Glad to see it wasnt the tranny, and like stated before, hope it gets rid of some of that clutch noise;)

[JamesL]

That is a good story. I had similar issue with a carburetor air cleaner stud when I was 15. My brother said I could use his car (1969 Aqua Mustang Mach 1 351c) if I got he distributor stabbed properly after he spent a day messing with it. I got it stabbed and timed perfectly. Car started right up no worries. Went to put the air cleaner back on and the damn stud was gone. Where could it be? I searched everywhere. Decided it must not have been there. LOL. Found another put the air cleaner on…had to go to work. Brother came home from work took the car out. Apparently the stud had fallen into the secondaires…..didn’t look there dumba$$. It got sucked into a cylinder when he opened it up, cracked the block, bent some valves, destroyed the chamber. Boy was he mad. He picked me up from work on his motorcycle and proceeded to try to kill me on the way home. Then I got my --- kicked and I was broke for several months afterward.

[turboshad]

When the hell am I going to catch one of these threads before the mystery is solved!!! ..........I was thinking as I looked at the picture that it really looked like one of those straps holding the compressor on. Sure I was gonna suggest maybe a strap from the clutch since I couldn't see how one from the turbo could get in there but the thought was there. :thumb:


At least it's a solution Alan. I hate finding stuff and not knowing where it came from. It always plagues the back of your mind.

[Vigo]

I thought it looked like one of those spacers under the spindle to strut bolts, but WAY smaller.. so i didnt post that. lol.

[DodgeZ]

I gotta shave 12 seconds per lap to beat the fastest Super Snake out there. I figure slicks and lightweight rims outta be good for 6-8 seconds. Not sure if a little more track time and a little better driving will get me the other 4-5 seconds or not...

Surgical gloves FTW;) Can't have grubby paws in my line of work:D

Just a guess. If you got rid of the red your car would be happier. I'd guess you would pick up at least a 1-2 seconds. :D

[johnl]

Well . .. . good for you in figurin it out. And . . . . good too that it wasn't the trans, or the clutch.

[Vigo]

....or the clutch indeed since the clutch costs 5 times more than the tranny:lol:

[2.216VTurbo]

....or the clutch indeed since the clutch costs 5 times more than the tranny:lol:

Yeah, and the clutch is not getting any *less* expensive either, turns out Tilton doesn't make hubs that are splined for the large spline 568 I am switching to. So Vince the clutch builder had to send out 'blanks' to have them broached for the 17 spline center. Not so much the $200. more but the extra 4 days could kill my chances to make the SAAC show in Santa Monica next weekend:o

[Vigo]

Well, hopefully you'll get it to a point that you're happy with it.

It can be expensive to be the first and only, sometimes.

Of course, since yesterday i might be the first and only person to have srt4 springs and struts in a dodge dynasty, and that didnt cost me anything :p ...didnt help me run down any super snakes so far either, though.

[2.216VTurbo]

Might not be any 'Snakes in the $2009 Challenge but I'll bet there will be some old Fox bodies to beat up on;)

[Vigo]

Heheh, less than a month to go... :D