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StangFlyer · 04-09-2001, 10:12 PM

Hey now xspeed02, don't tell on me!

Yes, in fact, I've been running the new combination since the middle of last summer. I finished it just before the Cyberbrawl event last year in Bowling Green, which was its first outing.

Although I only ran the car in Street Trim (10 lbs of boost, pump gas, and street EEC calibrations) I was able to go a best for the day of 10.9 at 128 MPH. However, this was also with a slipping clutch (at the time I thought I just wasn't hooking up well). I made eight passes that day. Just before winter I went to the local track to see if I could do better hooking up (still not realizing it wasn't a traction, but clutch problem). I launched at 5000 RPM and my clutch totally gave way, and destroyed itself. Nothing bad with the clutch, a RAM long style HP900, but I simply over powered it as the motor, even in street trim, makes in the 600 HP range. It's obvious with an adequate clutch and traction the cars got enough to go mid-10's at around 130 MPH, even at its heavy 3600 lbs (with me) weigh in.

I sent the clutch back to Mike Norcia at RAM Clutches, who simply said, "WHAT A MESS! Yeah, you definitely just over powered this thing".

Over the winter, actually only about a month ago, I changed the whole clutch set-up over to an 11" sintered iron RAM racing clutch set-up. This is a new 1000 HP rated set-up RAM has come up with since I originally got the long style HP900. It uses a billet aluminum flywheel, which is about half the weight of the billet steel Ford Racing flywheel I was using, and has a billet steel ring where the clutch disc sits. The sintered iron disc is solid meat, not small pads like the diaphragm clutches use, and looks like a semi metallic brake pad in a way. The 11" pressure plate has adjustable springs and can be adjusted with an allen wrench. Each turn adds 15 lbs to each spring (80 lbs total per turn for them all), which allows you to take the base pressure of only 360 lbs up to about 960 lbs.

OK, now your saying, 960 lbs?! A diaphragm clutch has 2500 lbs! But yep, and that's maxed out too. But, in fact, Mike says they usually only run 400 lbs on the strip. The sintered iron disc simply doesn't require much press plate force because it grip so much more. I've adjusted mine to 720 lbs, as a compromise between street and strip. The clutch is also designed to slip, and once it heats up and glazes, it grabs like crazy and you can throw anything at it supposedly. This makes it easier to hook up with a high horsepower car, and makes it easier on your drivetrain parts I would imagine too.

I am still playing with it to be honest. It was 79 degrees here in the Detroit Metro area in Michigan Sunday. We had record breaking weather for April. So I finally had the opportunity to take the car out, and I was able to cruise it around on the street for a while. I still have a clutch fork clearance problem to work out, and I need to readjust the clutch cable. However, I can tell you that the thing does slip as Mike described (quite a bit actually, but I think some of it is due to clutch adjustment). However, I'll know more later.

Regardless, I'll be setting the car up with my race pulley's some time this summer and doing some testing in that regard. That'll mean around 18 lbs of boost, C16 race fuel, and totally different EEC tuning. In this trim the car should make about 800 HP and go mid-9's. To tell you the truth, this is really a near 8-second engine in a 3000 lbs strip only Mustang probably.

I do plan to start the project section for the car this spring and I'll detail the whole car the best I can there, including track and dyno testing results. Furthermore, I'm about to do work with the Lightning and that'll be presented in the Project section also as "Project: Lightning Hauler". Look for it soon too. It's first upgrade is a complete Bassani exhaust system with before and after dyno results!

------------------
Dan McClain, Editor
The Mustang Works Magazine
1991 Mustang GT - NOVI Supercharged 377 Stroker
1999 Ford Lightning SVT - 2000 Prototype updated by Roush

[This message has been edited by Dan McClain (edited 04-09-2001).]

04-09-2001, 10:12 PM	#3
StangFlyer Founder Join Date: Jun 1995 Location: Michigan Posts: 19,326	Hey now xspeed02, don't tell on me! Yes, in fact, I've been running the new combination since the middle of last summer. I finished it just before the Cyberbrawl event last year in Bowling Green, which was its first outing. Although I only ran the car in Street Trim (10 lbs of boost, pump gas, and street EEC calibrations) I was able to go a best for the day of 10.9 at 128 MPH. However, this was also with a slipping clutch (at the time I thought I just wasn't hooking up well). I made eight passes that day. Just before winter I went to the local track to see if I could do better hooking up (still not realizing it wasn't a traction, but clutch problem). I launched at 5000 RPM and my clutch totally gave way, and destroyed itself. Nothing bad with the clutch, a RAM long style HP900, but I simply over powered it as the motor, even in street trim, makes in the 600 HP range. It's obvious with an adequate clutch and traction the cars got enough to go mid-10's at around 130 MPH, even at its heavy 3600 lbs (with me) weigh in. I sent the clutch back to Mike Norcia at RAM Clutches, who simply said, "WHAT A MESS! Yeah, you definitely just over powered this thing". Over the winter, actually only about a month ago, I changed the whole clutch set-up over to an 11" sintered iron RAM racing clutch set-up. This is a new 1000 HP rated set-up RAM has come up with since I originally got the long style HP900. It uses a billet aluminum flywheel, which is about half the weight of the billet steel Ford Racing flywheel I was using, and has a billet steel ring where the clutch disc sits. The sintered iron disc is solid meat, not small pads like the diaphragm clutches use, and looks like a semi metallic brake pad in a way. The 11" pressure plate has adjustable springs and can be adjusted with an allen wrench. Each turn adds 15 lbs to each spring (80 lbs total per turn for them all), which allows you to take the base pressure of only 360 lbs up to about 960 lbs. OK, now your saying, 960 lbs?! A diaphragm clutch has 2500 lbs! But yep, and that's maxed out too. But, in fact, Mike says they usually only run 400 lbs on the strip. The sintered iron disc simply doesn't require much press plate force because it grip so much more. I've adjusted mine to 720 lbs, as a compromise between street and strip. The clutch is also designed to slip, and once it heats up and glazes, it grabs like crazy and you can throw anything at it supposedly. This makes it easier to hook up with a high horsepower car, and makes it easier on your drivetrain parts I would imagine too. I am still playing with it to be honest. It was 79 degrees here in the Detroit Metro area in Michigan Sunday. We had record breaking weather for April. So I finally had the opportunity to take the car out, and I was able to cruise it around on the street for a while. I still have a clutch fork clearance problem to work out, and I need to readjust the clutch cable. However, I can tell you that the thing does slip as Mike described (quite a bit actually, but I think some of it is due to clutch adjustment). However, I'll know more later. Regardless, I'll be setting the car up with my race pulley's some time this summer and doing some testing in that regard. That'll mean around 18 lbs of boost, C16 race fuel, and totally different EEC tuning. In this trim the car should make about 800 HP and go mid-9's. To tell you the truth, this is really a near 8-second engine in a 3000 lbs strip only Mustang probably. I do plan to start the project section for the car this spring and I'll detail the whole car the best I can there, including track and dyno testing results. Furthermore, I'm about to do work with the Lightning and that'll be presented in the Project section also as "Project: Lightning Hauler". Look for it soon too. It's first upgrade is a complete Bassani exhaust system with before and after dyno results! ------------------ Dan McClain, Editor The Mustang Works Magazine 1991 Mustang GT - NOVI Supercharged 377 Stroker 1999 Ford Lightning SVT - 2000 Prototype updated by Roush [This message has been edited by Dan McClain (edited 04-09-2001).]