[DeTomaso] 3.2 gears and clutch life?

[Dave Doddek]

Switching from 4.22 to 3.2 is only about a 25% change.  That means that
6000 rpm in 1st moves from 50 mph to 66 mph.  Should not be a problem, most
new sports cars can hit 60 in first.  This is how they get sub 4 second
0-60 times, no shifting.  Normal 2nd gear is 76mph with a 4.22.  So the 3.2
rear is not as bad as starting out in 2nd gear on a normal transmission.  I
dont see it as any problem.  If anyone wants to donate a 3.2 gear to me, I
will take it.  Ill even give you 500 bucks for it.

Dave "Tired of 3000 rpm at 80" D

At 08:22 AM 11/12/2007 +0100, you wrote:
>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.  
>
>-----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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