While most of you readers are likely focused on circuit racing and time attack, the drag market tends to get a lot of attention and participation at the PRI show. And, when it comes to drag racing, automatic transmissions are pretty much still king. Precision Industries may not be a name you’re familiar with, but you probably know ProTorque. Now, Precision Industries is part of the same family as ProTorque, so expect to continue to see interesting things.
On the topic of driveline, someone told me I had to go check out the Speedtek booth to see their T56-compatible straight-cut gearset. A couple of PRIs ago we took a look at the PPG T56 sequential box. While it was insanely cool, it was also insanely expensive. Well, for those of you with a T56, you might be able to get your sequential fix much more cost-effectively. Speedtek’s gearset looks like it will retail for under $6,000. With slightly different gear ratios that look better suited to circuit use, support for various input/output shaft configurations and input spline counts, this looks to be a serious option if you want to clutchless shift without destroying things.
If you’re wondering about the durability of a billet gearset from a relative unknown, the system is currently in testing for drift applications, and will likely be used in Formula D during the 2024 season. If these gears can withstand 1000+HP clutch kicks, your track car is probably going to be just fine.
Oh, and check out this neat transmission cooling plate. It helps to circulate and spray transmission fluid on the gears to improve gear lubrication, and can even be run via a dry-sump stage.
Project SC300 has got some trick Tilton equipment, so we had to stop in and check to see what was new. While our car features Tilton’s 7.25″ clutch system, they have now released an 8.5″ (215mm) system. Why a bigger clutch, you might ask? Well, a lot of it has to do with heat, and, more specifically, drifting applications.
Normal track cars see quite a lot of clutch use, but it’s not normally in a high-slip scenario. Drifting, on the other hand, involves a lot of clutch kicking and slippage. This puts heat into the system, and, when dealing with 1000+HP cars, it puts a lot of heat in. The 7.25″ clutches just don’t have the heat handling capacity needed for such an abusive scenario. Enter the 8.5″ system.
With roughly 50% more heat capacity and support for up to 1680lb.ft of torque in a 4-disc setup, this new, larger multi-plate clutch system from Tilton should offer a massive improvement for drifting.
With all this talk of power and heat, it only makes sense to talk about cooling, and to visit the folks at Engine Ice. You may have seen Engine Ice in previous PRI coverage but, at the time, their automotive offerings were not glycol-free. Well, that has now changed.
Engine Ice is not an additive. It’s a coolant, with all the amazing properties you might expect from an additive, but better. Superior corrosion and oxidation protection, better protection for seals and other components, and better heat transfer characteristics than either antifreeze or water alone, Engine Ice looks to be a great product.
1 comment
Somebody get Mike a MotoIQ hat. I know you used to have them, that’s how I got mine. 😉