It's time to install the clutch into our Top Fuel Dragster. By the end of this video, you'll understand the basics of how a crew member installs a new clutch pack before every 300mph pass! #topfuel #steveread #clutch #techtalk #racing
Reminds me so much of setting up brakes on 20-50-ton overhead cranes. If you took 2 hours with feeler gauges between each of the posts, to get the pull-in and release just perfect as every time you set one post, the others changed so slightly, for the electric solenoid's magnetic field, the brakes would not chatter or buzz, and would last for years. If you just stuck the feeler gauge in at each post bolt and set it once. it would last a month. I wish that they had thought of having precision length posts around the threaded rods like this. (Glad I am retired now, but if hoist brake manufacturers could see this, their parts sales would be cut 90%. (OOPS!, did I say that out loud.🤐) I can't imagine the patience it would take, to adjust that many posts, without the bars around the screws.
I’m just curious if you use copper-based anti-seize on the clutch stand threads and hat nuts.. and what your feelings are on using a speed loader versus a dummy shaft?
Hi mate, No I don’t use anything on the threads as if you use any type of lubricant the clutch dust sticks to the threads and seizes them. As the stands are titanium, that gets pretty expensive to replace. Fuel car these days wear between 120 to 180 thousands of an inch wear every run which is the black cloud when you see the car leaves the start line. The dummy shaft was so viewers could see how it went together, at a race meeting we would use a speed loader due to time restraints in between runs. Thanks for the question!
More real tech info that makes A fuel, A fuel Funny Car. Top Fuel and Top Fuel Funny Car watching understandable about how much time, money, experience it takes to make a single run. Then do it again (REPEAT) every single run. I have an even greater respect for the clutch person than before your video presentations. This must be with the coordination of the crew chief/tuner/chassis set up, ect, ect, ect. What a coordinated effort, you folks that love the sport are appreciated, by this old naturally aspirated door car guy. Thank you for the time, effort and resources that it takes to make these videos.
I don’t know who owned it in America. Graham Cowin brought it over to Australia around 2006. It ran with Martin Stamatis behind the wheel until 2012. Since then it has been front and back halved and upgraded to the latest spec. This has never been run since the rebuild.
