Drag Race Tranny

[VPed]

To the OP, there are many TH400 or 4L80E suppliers that can prepare a tranny that would hold up fine behind the multifuelers. Obviously, Allison also can but is way too expensive.

The cost of Nitromethane is about $50 per gallon.

Following is an example of the kind of acceleration we are talking about.

Putting all of this into perspective:

You are driving the average $140,000 Lingenfelter 'twin-turbo' powered Corvette Z06. Over a mile up the road, a top fuel dragster is staged and ready to launch down a quarter mile strip as you pass. You have the advantage of a flying start. You run the 'Vette hard up through the gears and blast across the starting line and pass the dragster at an honest 200 mph. The 'tree' goes green for him at that moment.

The dragster launches and starts after you. You keep your foot down hard, but you hear an incredibly brutal whine that sears your eardrums and within 3 seconds, the dragster catches and passes you. He beats you to the finish line, a quarter mile away from where you just passed him.

Think about it, from a standing start, the dragster had spotted you 200 mph and not only caught, but nearly blasted you off the road when he passed you within a mere 1,320 foot long race course.

I have some relatives that race funny cars for a living. (they no longer race 1/4 mile, it is 1000 ft.) If you like incredible power, should attend an NHRA race at least once in your life. TV does not do it justice. The power and noise you feel is intense, even in the Bob Eucher (sp?) seats. I worked on F-4 aircraft for the Marine Corp and these cars beat that.

 

[spicergear]

We did it for love / tech talk??

Don't mind the call out- Same article filtered all over the net...it must be true. Tell ya what, I'll stick with what I know of drag engines and being in the pits and talking to nitro engine builders...and we'll agree to disagree.

 

[spicergear]

That thing about the Lingenfelter Corvette is pretty cool. I was the digs one night for some exibition where they had a door slammer pro mod car racing a sprint car. The sprint car was fired and warmed up making a lap down the track then down the pit lane then got a run from the line up lanes behind the starting line. He entered those lanes drifting and was wide open when he crossed the starting line. My money was on the Pro Mod. The Pro Mod drove past him at the top end. They interviewed both guys and the sprint car guy was REALLY impressed!

 

[det rebel]

i have been to nhra and ihra drags for years and have seen heads go flying when they try to shut the car down and have built street and strip cars and wish it wasn't so expensive to run ever weekend

 

[treva2]

This has been some of the most fun reading I have had since I joined SS 3 months age. You all hit a topic very close to my heart but my aging body has thrown in the towel. In the last 16 years I have owned 2 drag cars and at the present time i am selling my second and last drag car and plan on buying a deuce to replace some of the fun the drag car once was. My car is a 1965 Corvette tube chassis car 632 cu. in. approx 1600 HP and it does have a Lenco my best time was 6.65 E.T. @ 208 MPH.

 

[jrobinson5093]

I would love a allison 1000 like the one in my 3500. They have a lower first gear than most other autos and even in stock form can hold more power than a duece multifuel will ever make. Mine is a 5 speed but you can get one with a six.

 

[det rebel]

that allison is just so expensive though and i dont think we will have a problem with them cause we are just talking

 

[jrobinson5093]

yea it is expensive and there nwould be some wiring invloved. It also has a spot for A PTO. and not very long, But since we are just talking I think the best thing to do would be to buy a wrecked chevy hd get and transfer the duramax and allison into the deuce. BUt thats just talk.

 

[jw4x4]

One point everyone seems to be overlooking here. Drag cars are designed and built to be EXTREMELY light weight. Most classes have a minimum weight specified in the rulebook (e.t. bracket style racing excluded of course). Their transmissions are engineered for massive acceleration of a light weight vehicle. Just the opposite of a military vehicle. The drag racing team's transporters is where the transmissions of interest for MV'ers would be found. Just my .

 

[det rebel]

true that would be fun to drive i have see one with a 12 valve cummins but couldn't take pic of it

 

[JasonS]

tanner most nitro(top fuel dragsters) run in the 3 to 4 sec quarters if they stay at a constant rpm lets say

9500rpm /60 sec = 185 revolutions per sec now multiply that time 4 sec =633 revolutions if they stay at 9500 and run for the slowest speed

This would assume zero wheel slip and no clutch slippage. Doesn't the clutch slip and gradually lock up?

 

[det rebel]

they are build not to slip but they will weld there selfs together if they do slip i talked to a top fuel dragester driver that spent i think he said about 10 thousand just on the clutch and about every 2 or 3 runs has to get replaced cause its stuck together

 

[plym49]

One point everyone seems to be overlooking here. Drag cars are designed and built to be EXTREMELY light weight. Most classes have a minimum weight specified in the rulebook (e.t. bracket style racing excluded of course). Their transmissions are engineered for massive acceleration of a light weight vehicle. Just the opposite of a military vehicle. The drag racing team's transporters is where the transmissions of interest for MV'ers would be found. Just my .

Yeah, that makes sense.

 

[cluless]

I still don't understand what it is you are trying to do. I have wasted a great deal of time drag racing. I have a 63 dodge that weighs 3700 lbs. I run a modified 727 trans. To get that much weight to mve quickly you have to change the first gear ratio. Not cheap ! Next for a torque convertor for my car I had one built that locks up at 5500 rpm. Till then it slips.
As far as nitro cars go, they have a direct drive with a reverser. They control the launch by geetting the right SLIPPAGE with a multi disc clutch and weights that are interchangable and adjustable. That is also not enough. They add and subtract timing during the run and adjust fuel at the same time. If this didn't work the car just rattles and goes u in smoke.
There are lots of other types of racing trans options available but it won't be cheap.

 

[crazywelder72]

Cluless, does your car have a passenger seat? (hint hint) Have helmet, will travel.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I would think even the 4L80E would be OK in a deuce. I had no problems pulling 13.500# with my old crewcab which had a 6.5. Combined weight was nearly 20,000# and I know the 6.5 has more HP and probably torque than the multi.

 

[supermechanic]

Allison AT 545 Transmission Specification | We carry Allison AT 545, Allison MT 643, Allison HT 740, Allison HT750, Allison MD 3560 Automatic Transmission and many more
Get a trans from a school bus, problem solved.

 

[plym49]

As I stated up front, I am not looking to do this. I was contemplating the Deuce with low HP, fairly high torque and high weight stacks up to these drag race automatic transmissions that handle 1000 HP and huge shock loads. Along the way, we have heard from many with drag race experience and it has been an illuminating discussion. Sometimes, knowledge is best advanced by discussion of 'what if' scenarios. Maybe the information on this thread will someday help someone who swaps a multi into a pickup, or who needs to convert a Deuce/bobber to automatic because of a disability that precludes a manual transmission. We might never know. But I have already learned a lot, so thanks for the information so far.

 

[crazywelder72]

are there different types of clutches for a m35a2?

 

[Sandmann120]

There is a TON of misinformation in this thread, mostly aimed towards the Nitro ranks, which is odd, because it has absolutly NOTHING to do with MVs of any kind. That being said, I believe that a TH400 or 4L80e could be used with in a duece, although it would not be ideal. My thoughts would be that using a Gear Vendors OD/UD unit would make a TH400 more useable, and would afford the possibility of 6 gears, if used correctly. If built correctly, it would without a doubt be strong enough for the application, just not ideal. However, as mentioned previously, if one was disabled, and a manual trans would be difficult to operate, this may be an option.