[DeTomaso] 3.2 gears and clutch life?

[Thomas Tornblom]

Charles McCall skrev:
> This has a very easy way to determine if 3.2 gears will work in your car. 
> 
> Start in 3rd gear and see if you like it. The effect will be similar to
> starting in 1st with a set of 3.2 gears. If you can do it with minimal
> clutch slippage then you're probably fine.  

Actually it is not that bad.

gear ratios (-2):
1:st is 2.23
2:nd is 1.47
3:rd is 1.04
4:th is 0.846
5:th is 0.705

Changing from a standard 4.22:1 ring gear to a 3.2:1, would give you the 
equivalent of:

1:st 2.23  * (3.2/4.22) = 1.69
2:nd 1.47  * (3.2/4.22) = 1.11
3:rd 1.04  * (3.2/4.22) = 0.79
4:th 0.846 * (3.2/4.22) = 0.64
5:th 0.705 * (3.2/4.22) = 0.53

So going from a 4.22 to a 3.2 would give you a first gear that is 
slightly shorter than 2:nd gear. I think that would probably be similar 
to first gear on a Diablo, which by the way can eat your clutch in no 
time flat :-)

Thomas

> 
> -----Mensaje original-----
> De: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] En
> nombre de Ken Green
> Enviado el: Monday, 12 November, 2007 12:10 AM
> Para: MikeLDrew at aol.com; detomaso at realbig.com
> Asunto: Re: [DeTomaso] 3.2 gears and clutch life?
> 
> Mike,
>    
>       I have a vey strong suspecision that the new Vettes have a 6th gear
> higher then the Pantera 5th with 3.20 R&P, which works just fine with EFI.
> I just don't think you can compare 40 year old technology (Holley & big cam)
> with a modern EFI motor.  It may be possible that Johnny's motor can't run
> under 2000 RPM, but that's not true for modern engines.
>    
>   Ken
>    
>    
>   
> 
> MikeLDrew at aol.com wrote:
>   
> 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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Real life:   Thomas Törnblom             Email:  Thomas.Tornblom at Hax.SE
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