[DeTomaso] CLUTCH BASICS / Dick Ruzzin

[Ken Green]

I recently looked for a book on clutches, and all I could find was an HP book dated 1977 by Tom Monroe.  Surprisingly, it looks like not much has changed, other than the new twin disk clutches.  The pressure plates look the same as what we have now.  Used copies are available here for a couple bucks:
 
http://product.half.ebay.com/Clutch-Flywheel-Handbook_W0QQtgZinfoQQprZ1248067
 
It answers a lot of basic questions.
 
Regarding clutch torque capacity, one problem is that some pressure plates include a centrifugal effect which increase the force on the disk as RPM increases, so it is not a simple static problem.  It may be best to just find out what has worked for someone else, and copy them?  I think a lot of people have used the Centerforce Dual Friction clutch with fairly healthy Clevelands.  But I think Dennis (MD) had to upgrade when he started making more HP?  My recollection is that Bob Byers provided something that is still working.
 
I haven't found the manufactures to be particularly helpful.  They just want you to follow the company line and use the recommended off the shelf setup.  They don't seem to like to get into theory.  From working 24 years in aerospace, about 10% of the engineers did real analysis, and 90% just looked up what had sorta worked before.
 
Ken

--- On Sat, 11/29/08, Göran Malmberg <hemipanter at hemipanter.se> wrote:

From: Göran Malmberg <hemipanter at hemipanter.se>
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso]  CLUTCH BASICS / Dick Ruzzin
To: Dickruzzindesign at aol.com, dyogi at hawaii.rr.com, detomaso at realbig.com
Date: Saturday, November 29, 2008, 8:56 AM

That was what I had in mind to do. But many clutch manufacturers does not
provide 
the nesesary numbers to do any calculations, they use some more public friendly
words like "suitable for smallblock with cams, headers, carbs and some
occational
track use". 
I was figuring to use some average coefficient of friction numbers for those
disc 
material in use in relation to diameter and static pressure numbers for a rough
calculation. 
A simple formula that everyone could use. Do you think that would be something?
Goran
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Dickruzzindesign at aol.com 
  To: hemipanter at hemipanter.se ; Dickruzzindesign at aol.com ; dyogi at hawaii.rr.com
; detomaso at realbig.com 
  Sent: Saturday, November 29, 2008 5:27 PM
  Subject: Re: [DeTomaso]  CLUTCH BASICS / Dick Ruzzin


  It would be good if someone who knows, would give us all some basic criteria
on how to choose a clutch disc / pressure plate and maybe flywheel.



  All the best,
  Dick Ruzzin
  ____________________________________________________
  dickruzzinDESIGN at aol.com
  920 Whittier Rd. Grosse Pointe Park, MI 48230
  Phone: +313-824-0539 / Cell: +313-300-9558



  **************
  Life should be easier. So should your homepage. Try the NEW AOL.com.
(http://www.aol.com/?optin=new-dp&icid=aolcom40vanity&ncid=emlcntaolcom00000002)

_______________________________________________

Detomaso Forum Managed by POCA

Archive Search Engine Now Available at http://www.realbig.com/detomaso/

DeTomaso mailing list
DeTomaso at list.realbig.com
http://list.realbig.com/mailman/listinfo/detomaso