clutch driven automatic

[660Z]

for some reason im intriged by this idea.it`s like the best of both worlds.the launch of dumping the clutch and fast shifting of an auto and then the direct drive of the clutch at top end....TCI makes it for the powerglide for dirt track...but i haven`t seen a set up for a turbo 350....it`s not a new idea some of the racers did it in the 50`s...i think it`s a cool idea from a racers veiw point, it would be much better than say a 10" 3500 stall!!!!...at the track launch at 3500-4k then drive normal on the street home instead of driving 3500 at 30mph!!!....opinons anyone?.......mark

[pparaska]

Yeah, I remember hearing about a "Clutch TH400" 20 years ago. Sounds cool. Clutch, manual valve body, and an H-pattern shifter would be cool! (I designed one on paper years ago and made a working model out of cardboard.)

 

I was reading a Jegs lately and ran across an ad for a Circle Track automatic manual valve body. Something about hooking a pedal up to a valve in the valve body to raise and lower pump pressure to the clutches to get On/Off action inside the automatic. I guess with a direct drive or a "welded" converter shell, you'd have a "Clutch Automatic". Intriguing. I bet it's not very streetable. Anybody familiar with these?

[Mike C]

I almost bought one for a '68 Camaro I used to have in 1985. They were made by Fairbanks as well as some others in the mid to late 60's. They called it the Clutch Turbo and they had a Chrysler one as well, the Clutch Flite. Changed the input shaft and put an adapter on the pump housing to bolt to a manual trans bellhousing. Added some "ears" to the pump drive so the clutch fingers (I think the used the fingers) would drive the pump. Then used a full manual valve body. Their magazine ads about 10 years ago advertised their clearancing the last of their parts. By the mid 70's torque converter technology had advanced to the point that drag cars were faster with a full auto than the clutched auto. I still think it is a great idea for a FAST drag car (8's-9's) that gets driven on the street regularly. Other than that, a true manual trans is a better solution since the gearing is better. When I was autocrossing my Camaro regularly, one of the biggest improvements I made in handling was replacing the auto with a 4 speed. Lap times improved significantly and I though the car was easier to drive. You could definitely bring it back from oversteer conditions much further out and the additional engine braking was a boon as well.

[Dan Juday]

Pete, just when I thought you were human I find out you have made a working model of an automatic transmission out of CARDBOARD!

 

The ultimate fabricator. Forget about the supermodels. If I'm stranded on a deserted island I want Pete with me.

"Here are those coconuts you wanted Pete. Say, that outdrive is coming along nicely! Using palm leaves for bevel gears was a stroke of genius."

 

BTW, got any pics of that tranny Pete?

[660Z]

i agree it wouldn`t be ideal for autocrossing,but since i have a dragracing mind it`s sounds ideal for the 1/4 mile.the TCI powerglide works basicly like pete said a stock PG has a valve that regulates line pressure via the throttle linkage.TCI`s PG with modified valvebody turns that valve into a valve that "dumps the line pressure resulting in a clutch like action" just mount your slave cyl to the bellhousing so it moves the lever a 1/2" back. hook up your clutch pedel (yes the one dangleing in mid air for you auto guys)and your good to go.oh and you need either a coupling or a non functional tourqe converter (isn`t that what pete said?)...as far as it being streetable they say you can smoothly drive it onto your trailer....mmmmmm where`s that pressure valve in a turbo350??????...

 

pete! you should seriously think about making up that shifter that sounds like a winner to me...chrysler should have made a shifter like that instead of the autostick what a joke that is. that`s not like driving a stick like they advertise....i say call up pete he`s got one made of cardboard (just don`t get it wet)....mark

[pparaska]

Dan, 660Z, the cardboard model showed promise. I was away at grad school, living in the basement of an old house in Blacksburg VA, and the idea of using an automatic in my then-only-a-pipe-dream-V8Z (had the same Z though!) intrigued me. But it had to have an H-pattern shifter .

 

I was just sitting around not wanting to study anymore and came up with an idea of how to make an H-pattern shifter that moved a cable linkage in a linear fashion so that 1st, 2nd, 3rd were in the top left, bottom left, and top right of an H, an overdrive would be at the bottom right where 4th is on a manual trans. I think I got it so that anywhere else put it in neutral, and I think reverse and park would have mapped into thecorrect linear cable position as well.

 

Man, that brings back memories. That was 15 years ago!

[Guest Anonymous]

The only thing I'd question on using a circle track tranny for drag racing is how the clutch works and how it reacts to 7k clutch dumps. The roundy round guys only use them to get bump started (yep, they have a powerglide with a option that allows push starts, actually VERY early PG's allowed it to, it had a rear pump on the early ones) and to get rolling, not high rpm clutch dumps. I remember the ClutchFlites as well, those were made for drag racing, I had a instruction at trade school that had a 427 chevy in a el camino with a clutchflite and it would pin you to the seats with ease on launch.

Crower called the one they had (a powerglide) a Crowerglide. Just some info I had laying around in the grey matter to add to the discussion. (may as well get rid of it now, a few more beers on the weekends and my poor one little cell won't retain it anyway).

 

Regards,

 

Lone