Clutch Failure

[Dynoroom]

I'd like to know if anyone has had or seen a clutch or flywheel failure in the last 25 years. I don't mean pictures from the 60's I'm talking about failures you've seen yourself, not something you've "heard about". If you have please include any information you might have, but lets not name or blame any manufacture.

[dwarner]

Mike,

Contact Miler Mike Stweart. They had a flywheel break a few years ago on their banger.

DW

[SPDRACR]

Mike, years ago when my dad and i where campaigning the old 831 highboy ,we lost a pressure plate and disk at El mirage single disk 300 ci nitrous engine. bought all new flywheel and clutch assy. went to bolt the engine in and only one hole lined up one the back of the block. Had to buy new scatersheild. found a piece of the disk two years later wedged under a water tank. On the 832 roadster lost a starter/ring gear lots of nosies but everthing OK.Just heard from a friend who road races English cars , just last weekend lost the ring gear at speed in a MG, Aluminum bellhousing all most cut it in two!!! already got him to build a steel shield around his new transmission.  Eric

[RichFox]

You also might want to contact Greg Meyers
E-mail Address(es):
  advo@comcast.net. His Stude six lost a clutch and flywheel as I remember. Maybe 5 years ago.

[RichFox]

Stude clutch and pressure plate along with some bellhousing parts. The flywheel did not come apart

[MCR]

Normally the clutches fail on launch.  That is where the heat and impact loading occur.

We put over well over 1,000 launches on 2 late model cars all over the US, a 2000 Camaro, and 2002 Corvette.  Launching was done at 3500 to 7500 rpm depending on tires and track.  I've blown rear gears out, motor mounts, bell housing mounts, transmission internals, engines, but not modern clutches.

One aftermarket pressure plate had a piece come off and blow a hole through the factory bell hsg, but didn't come close to breeching the factory sheetmetal

The OEM stuff wears out, but is bulletproof.  This is not just my experience, the experience of thousands of others shared on the large car forums via the interwebbythingy.

Clutches are big problem if you use old design parts and metallurgy, or if you lighten them excessively.

Problem is, rulebooks in general give no allowances for improvements in safety equipment that occurred in the last 60 years.

They are written to insure the "worst case" is protected.

[1212FBGS]

yeh the rules might be written to "worse case senerio" but ours are also written to be the minimum acceptible... do everyone a favor and build to our rules

[MCR]

yeh the rules might be written to "worse case senerio" but ours are also written to be the minimum acceptible... do everyone a favor and build to our rules

Not just your rulebook, most all rulebooks.

With clutches, there is a catch-22.  Late model stuff is safer - there is no SFI parts for late model stuff.  So you must adapt old school parts into the vehicle.

This is nothing new, or unique to SCTA, it's just a common complaint that's been heard at the tracks for decades.  I have no dog in this hunt other than experience.

I'm running an Allison automatic which is the heaviest duty transmission put in a non-commercial vehicle in history. 

[jl222]

I'd like to know if anyone has had or seen a clutch or flywheel failure in the last 25 years. I don't mean pictures from the 60's I'm talking about failures you've seen yourself, not something you've "heard about". If you have please include any information you might have, but lets not name or blame any manufacture.

  Dynoroom
We started out with a 2 disk 3 finger clutch that they used in top alcohol dragsters in the mid to late 1980's but the torque of the motor mashed the clutch stands together making it inoperable.No explosions though if thats what you want to know. Now running a Hays 3 disk 6 finger clutch with no problems. Set up with no slip with either clutch.

              JL222