[DeTomaso] 3.2 gears and clutch life?
MikeLDrew at aol.com
MikeLDrew at aol.com
Sun Nov 11 00:52:46 EST 2007
In a message dated 11/10/07 10:36:15 AM, kenn_green at yahoo.com writes:
> I've been told that Larry Stock tried 3,2 gears and ended up cooking
> clutches. I'm wondering if that was with a big Holley and a big cam so the
> engine had to be revved to higher RPM from a standing start?
>
>>>His motor was a torque-monster Aussie 351C, with gobs of bottom-end. The
gears were ridiculously tall, and I personally saw his clutch come flying out
of the car on a steep, 10 mph uphill hairpin turn driving around Lake Tahoe
(Darryl Johnson had borrowed the car and wasn't very adept at manipulating a
clutch). When Larry took the car apart the entire flywheel was bright blue
from the heat!
>
> > With EFI and a mild cam (low overlap for turbos), would I have the
> same problem? The engine should run much smoother and much better at a lot
> lower RPM. I know I can get a higher 5th gear, but I like the spacing of the
> stock gears.
>
>>>The 3.20 gearset is completely and totally useless for the street. Lloyd
Butfoy built a ZF for a friend in the UK (whose GT5 has 24-inch short tires)
and sent it to him with the 3.20 by mistake, instead of the proper 3.77. The
car has a 550 hp/550 ft/lb aluminum Windsor, but it's totally miserable to
drive. He cruises on the freeway in 3rd gear, because 4th and 5th are too
tall, effectively turning his car into a three-speed. Even with all that torque,
most any other car can kick his ass at the stoplights, unless he just abuses
it like crazy. I saw him run the car in a dragstrip setting, and he went
through the traps in 2nd gear. How dumb is that???
With standard-sized tires (i.e. 315 or 335/35-17), the problem would just be
worse.
BTW I just shipped him a 3.77 ring and pinion yesterday; Johnny Woods will be
re-rebuilding his gearbox this winter. Lloyd was gentlemanly enough to
acknowledge his error and provided the ring and pinion (which is about a
$2500-3000 affair) for free.
Mike
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