Ka-boom

[Grey Ghost]

Happened a couple of weeks back at a vintage drag race that I follow. The driver didn't lose any body parts. A lot of finger pointing about the installation or failure of high dollar parts...It happened during the 3rd-4th shift.

[snide]

[Brubie]

Wow glad driver ok. This happened to me back in the late sixties with my 61 vette. Street racing on back industrial road when I pulled second gear it let lose. Fortunately everything went down on the street. Left a big gouge in the road.

[Grey Ghost]

Originally Posted by Brubie

Wow glad driver ok. This happened to me back in the late sixties with my 61 vette. Street racing on back industrial road when I pulled second gear it let lose. Fortunately everything went down on the street. Left a big gouge in the road.

I wonder about modern high HP cars from the factories these days and how they prevent something similar or liabilities.

[Uncle Meat]

Doesn't appear that the transmission scatter shield did it's job?

U.M.

[MrPeabody]

Originally Posted by Uncle Meat

Doesn't appear that the transmission scatter shield did it's job?

U.M.

Made in China?

[69camfrk]

Originally Posted by Uncle Meat

Doesn't appear that the transmission scatter shield did it's job?

U.M.

I think I would definitely go with a Lakewood after seeing that.

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by 69camfrk

I think I would definitely go with a Lakewood after seeing that.

There are certain times to be frugal. Safety is not one of those times.

He was extremely lucky.

[Dan Dlabay]

All by stick cars from back in the day had Lakewood blow shields and block plate. I remember back in the 70's at Kil Kare dragway a guy with a black 70 vette drag car with a 60 over 427 4 speed lost a fly wheel on a 9 second pass. He lost the motor clutch assembly transmission and rear end on that pass.

[MrPeabody]

I had a friend back in the 70s that blew up the clutch in his '69 Camaro that had a pretty radical small block. He was street racing. He had a blow-proof bell housing, but the inspection plate on the bottom was not on it. It made a hole in the pavement that you could put your two fists into.

[Grey Ghost]

$600 Quick Time
Lightest steel bellhousing available anywhere
Cone is spun (not rolled or stamped) for extreme dimensional stability
High grade steel — work hardens to over 80,000 PSI strength
Over 2 times the strength of any other steel bellhousing
Engine = Small Block Chevy, Big Block Chevy, LT1
Trans. = Muncie, Richmond, Saginaw, Falcon, Bert, Jerico 4-5 Speed, Brinn, Chevy TKO 500/600, BW-T10
Max Clutch Diameter = 10.5"
Flywheel = 153 tooth
Drilled for most major throwout bearings
Passed SFI testing
Must use mini starter

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by Grey Ghost

$600 Quick Time
Lightest steel bellhousing available anywhere
Cone is spun (not rolled or stamped) for extreme dimensional stability
High grade steel — work hardens to over 80,000 PSI strength
Over 2 times the strength of any other steel bellhousing
Engine = Small Block Chevy, Big Block Chevy, LT1
Trans. = Muncie, Richmond, Saginaw, Falcon, Bert, Jerico 4-5 Speed, Brinn, Chevy TKO 500/600, BW-T10
Max Clutch Diameter = 10.5"
Flywheel = 153 tooth
Drilled for most major throwout bearings
Passed SFI testing
Must use mini starter

That sounds good but did somebody use low grade bolts to attach it? It has to stay in place to work. It is quite obvious it didn't

[Uncle Meat]

Remember when this dudes transmission exploded?

U.M.

When the sprag in the transmission failed as I let the clutch out, the engine over-revved and spun the transmission drum backwards at three times the engine speed. As the drum approached 30,000 rpm it came apart, and sawed the car in two pieces and severed my right foot, taking off all my toes.

[Dan Dlabay]

Originally Posted by Uncle Meat

Remember when this dudes transmission exploded?

U.M.

When the sprag in the transmission failed as I let the clutch out, the engine over-revved and spun the transmission drum backwards at three times the engine speed. As the drum approached 30,000 rpm it came apart, and sawed the car in two pieces and severed my right foot, taking off all my toes.

That was the incident that made Big Daddy Don Garlits determined to get the rear engine dragster perfected. The rest is history.

[mrvette]

What about the guy in the dragster seat?? looks like he lost his legs at minimum....or was he killed??

[Grey Ghost]

Originally Posted by JRD77VET

That sounds good but did somebody use low grade bolts to attach it? It has to stay in place to work. It is quite obvious it didn't

Just going on what I heard that he is an experienced pro builder. Pics of him using a dial gauge, etc.. and hex head bolts during the build. You can still see some of them in the trans.

Originally Posted by mrvette

What about the guy in the dragster seat?? looks like he lost his legs at minimum....or was he killed??

Don Garlits - lived. Drag racing legend. Has the worlds best drag racing museum in Ocala, FL. Great guy! Probably approaching 90 yrs. old these days. Lost part of his foot in that explosion. He was the first to build a rear engine dragster after that and that is why you see them all today.