Any of you that have been reading my posts will know that I used to have/race a manual setup in my '66. My old tranny was initially the Muncie M-20 that came in the car, and later a Richmond ST-10. At the time my engine was making ~550 and I was breaking parts left and right. I eventually caved in and switched over to an automatic. I've been running an auto for the past ~3 years and while it's been good for bracket racing, I really miss rowing the gears.

Today I ordered a 6 speed transmission and modified Lakewood scattershield from G-Force. I will also be ordering a billet steel flywheel, McLeod street-twin in the next couple of days. I've decided to take a new direction with the car, one that more favors street driving. I've always wanted to be able to cruise my Chevelle on the freeway without winding 4,000 RPMs just to keep pace with traffic. The 6 speed will give me the best of both worlds. The gear spread in the new tranny is:

1st - 2.71
2nd - 1.79
3rd - 1.30
4 - 1:1
5 - .80
6 - .54

According to my calculations I should be able to cruise at 80 MPH running ~2,150 RPMs. The cam in the 540 is pretty big, but I think it can live happily above 2k given the power/tq it's making. G-Force is going to start building the tranny tomorrow. They said it will take about two weeks to ship. I'm in the middle of a restoration on my car so this will be the ideal time to make the necessary modifications to the floorboard.

The new transmission is rated at 900hp/800ft lbs and should be more than adequate for what I'm planning to do with it. It will see the track 6-10 times a year, but will be driven on the street extensively. Hell, I might even drive the car to CB07 :D

Jim, Roger and the handfull of other stick racers.... I'm back!

WOW!!!
What a changeup. Nice.
Someday I`d like to put a 4 spd back in BigRed just like it came.

That`s an unreal power level on that trans...impressive.

I don`t blame you on the move...:thumbsup:

:eek:
OMG...those brand new floor pans!! :confused: You're a brave soul...

He's back!
SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:hurray:
Watch that 1st to 2nd gear spread at the track though. My calculations say that if you shift out of 1st at 7,000 RPM, you will be entering 2nd down at 4624 RPM. May want to consider a closer ratio gearset for the track.
2nd to 3rd with the gears you mentioned above woud be would put you out of 2nd at 7,000RPM into 3rd at 5084 RPM.
3rd to 4th shifting at 7000 RPM puts you at 5385RPM.

Very cool, I would love to have fast clutch car someday. Which tranny did you get..and how much are they$$. Is it a G-force or modified by G-force.....did not think they made a 6 spd.

Thanks, BigRed.

Bill, I know what you mean. Nothing is permanent except death and taxes :D

Jim,

I ran through a few different gear ratio scenarios with "Bubba" at G-Force. We're still kicking some ideas around, but that's where we're at currently. The new engine makes 650ft lbs at 4,500RPMs, so I hardly think it will have trouble pulling back up to the red line from there ;)

69RattVette,

Yes, it's a G-Force. It lists for $5,695. Here's a link:

http://www.gforcetransmissions.com/tran_gt-56.asp

Have they got a 2.00 or so second? that's a big bite from first to second. Well, you could just skip first altogether...


only $5695? I'm in for 10, I'll use them for stocking stuffers next Christmas. :)

hey Ken,
I am also building my '68 for mostly street driving as well....putting in a 555 with HR cam, 4150 carb, et cetera....

Please keep us in the loop how this transmission fits and other details....when do you expect to have it and the car running?

I want to see install pics!!!:) I am drooling over this already.

There are three gearsets available. I ran the calculations on them earlier and they are as follows:

2.62 Gear Set shifted at 6,800

1-2 Shift = 53mph
2nd gear recovery = 4,500RPM
2-3 shift = 80mph
3rd gear recovery = 5,300RPM
3-4 shift = 102mph
4th gear recovery = 5,000
Trap speed = 138MPH

2.71 Gear Set Shifted at 6,800

1-2 Shift = 51mph
2nd gear recovery = 4,500RPM
2-3 shift = 77mph
3rd gear recovery = 4,900RPM
3-4 shift = 106mph
4th gear recovery = 5,200
Trap speed = 138MPH

2.99 Gear Set Shifted at 6,800

1-2 Shift = 51mph
2nd gear recovery = 5,000RPM
2-3 shift = 69mph
3rd gear recovery = 4,600RPM
3-4 shift = 102mph
4th gear recovery = 5,000
Trap speed = 138MPH

The G-Force rep is going to check with his gear ratio guy and see if the 2.62 gear set wouldn't be better. The 2.71 has a pretty steep SLR, and the 2.62 has a little better gear spread. I'll let you know what I decide.

Yanniz, In all reality it will probably be another 4-5 weeks before the car is back on the road. That is assuming that the body shop stays on schedule.

Jim,

I'll definitely post some pictures as this part of the project progresses.

I think this is going to be a pretty fun ride.

I'm going to have to trade in my Roth IRAs to keep up with you guys who are getting the best of both worlds. High horse power and Overdrive is where it's at! :cool:

See you at Chevelle-abration.

I'll be in ATL this weekend. Going to the Acquarium on Sunday (girlfriend's choice). Then work stuff on Monday. I"ll get in Saturday evening. So if you youngsters are having a house party with a Keg or two, give me a call. ;) :D

I'm gearbox illiterate when it comes to manuals.:clonk: So don't ridicule me for this. Do you still have to let off the gas to shift this type of trans? Do you have to use the clutch to shift? Or would you leave your foot in the gas and powershift and hope you don't miss the shift? How much would something like a Lenco cost to achieve similar results, or are they just too street unfriendly? I know I'm stupid but I just don't see setups like this too often. It will be way cool any way you look at it!:cool:

Be careful. I bought a brand new dog ring T5 from the same company. This is how it looked after after seven passes.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2450000-2450999/2450004_29_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2450000-2450999/2450004_35_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2450000-2450999/2450004_30_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/2/web/2450000-2450999/2450004_31_full.jpg

When I ordered the transmission, the salesman told me that it would easily handle the power I was going to throw at it. It didn't. Those power ratings don't mean much. I called G-force and they sent out a new CS and third gear NO QUESTIONS ASKED. After putting it all back together, it broke again after seven passes. I called, and they sent another CS and third gear NO QUESTIONS ASKED. They stood behind the product and sent me parts to repair it for free. The customer service after the sale was excellent. However I was a little disappointed, as I'm not making the power they said this tranny would handle. I would have ordered the G-101 but I can't cut up the floor boards for the shifter. I guess the week link in any T5 is third gear, hopefully you will have a better experience as the T56 is a stronger piece to start with.

Scot

I'm going to have to trade in my Roth IRAs to keep up with you guys who are getting the best of both worlds. High horse power and Overdrive is where it's at! :cool:

That's funny right there, I don't care who you are :D

I'm gearbox illiterate when it comes to manuals.:clonk: So don't ridicule me for this. Do you still have to let off the gas to shift this type of trans? Do you have to use the clutch to shift? Or would you leave your foot in the gas and powershift and hope you don't miss the shift? How much would something like a Lenco cost to achieve similar results, or are they just too street unfriendly? I know I'm stupid but I just don't see setups like this too often. It will be way cool any way you look at it!:cool:

Jbird,

This transmission requires disengaging the clutch/pp to shift. You can still speed shift with the proper clutch adjustment if you know how ;) The three cone synchro's in this transmission are supposed to be slicker than owl !#$%

Ken - It's great to hear you're giving up the slush box and going back to rowing your own.:hurray: With the power you're making, particularly the 650 ftlbs @ 4500, you won't have any problem with shift recovery. I'll be looking forward to hearing about the progress.

Be careful. I bought a brand new dog ring T5 from the same company. This is how it looked after after seven passes.

When I ordered the transmission, the salesman told me that it would easily handle the power I was going to throw at it. It didn't. Those power ratings don't mean much. I called G-force and they sent out a new CS and third gear NO QUESTIONS ASKED. After putting it all back together, it broke again after seven passes. I called, and they sent another CS and third gear NO QUESTIONS ASKED. They stood behind the product and sent me parts to repair it for free. The customer service after the sale was excellent. However I was a little disappointed, as I'm not making the power they said this tranny would handle. I would have ordered the G-101 but I can't cut up the floor boards for the shifter. I guess the week link in any T5 is third gear, hopefully you will have a better experience as the T56 is a stronger piece to start with.

Scot

Sorry to hear about your misfortune, Scot. What sort of engine/car was this transmission behind? I'm guessing you were shifting the transmission without disengaging the clutch as I believe the dog ring gear sets are made for this purpose?

Good for you, Ken! :thumbsup: Doing it how you want to do it is what it's all about.

Ken - It's great to hear you're giving up the slush box and going back to rowing your own.:hurray: With the power you're making, particularly the 650 ftlbs @ 4500, you won't have any problem with shift recovery. I'll be looking forward to hearing about the progress.

Thanks, Roger. I can't wait to get this thing on the road, get a few miles on the new tranny/clutch, and start ripping through the gears. With the sort of drivability I'll get from a double OD transmission I may install A/C on the car :D

Ken, it was behind a 383 in a 1991 Camaro. It was shifted with the clutch; foot to the floor at about the third amber and never lifted until the traps-no RPM drop between shifts. Here it is with the current set up (TH350 w/brake) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2BRCSHxlIg

Scot

Ken, it was behind a 383 in a 1991 Camaro. It was shifted with the clutch; foot to the floor at about the third amber and never lifted until the traps-no RPM drop between shifts. Here it is with the current set up (TH350 w/brake) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2BRCSHxlIg

Scot

Scot,

That's a real bummer. My brother has a 94 Camaro with a 396 stroker LT-1 built by Moore Performance/Atlanta Chassis Dyno. It makes 420RWHP. He had over 80,000 hard street miles and over 300 1/4 passes over the course of 10 years before his stock T56 finally gave up the ghost. His race weight is 3,650lbs IIRC (A/C, power everything, T-Tops, etc...). His transmission is currently at D&D Performance getting new internals, new input shaft and Viper output shaft. The T56 is a tough platform in stock form, so I'm hoping the highly moded G-Force piece will hold up. Only time will tell :thumbsup:

I am glad to hear that G-Force has good customer service. That goes a long way in my book. Parts breakage is inevitable when we abuse these cars the way we do. It's nice to have people that stand behind there product.

Thanks for sharing the video :cool: Looks like you car was launching pretty hard. What sort of ET was it turning? It's hard to tell from the video.

Good for you, Ken! :thumbsup: Doing it how you want to do it is what it's all about.

Thanks, Man ;) I gave up the idea of being able to keep up with you and the rest of the gang. Now I can blame it on the stick, lol.

Ken, that pass was a 10.19 with a 1.35 short time. After breaking the T5 twice, (on top of sending me free parts to fix it) G-force did offer to buy back the T5 if I wanted to purchade a G-101. They weren't going to give me back what I paid, but they did offer me enough to make me realize that I should have brought a G-101 for my other car rather than a Jerico. I would certanly do business with G-force again. I have not had good service when dealing with Jerico, but the tranny has never given me a lick of problems.

Scot

Ken, that pass was a 10.19 with a 1.35 short time. After breaking the T5 twice, (on top of sending me free parts to fix it) G-force did offer to buy back the T5 if I wanted to purchade a G-101. They weren't going to give me back what I paid, but they did offer me enough to make me realize that I should have brought a G-101 for my other car rather than a Jerico. I would certanly do business with G-force again. I have not had good service when dealing with Jerico, but the tranny has never given me a lick of problems.

Scot

Scot, that's honking! If you don't mind me asking, what is the was the race weight of the car on the 10.19 pass and is that N/A or on the squeeze? What rear gear are you running? What clutch/pp? Sorry for the 20 questions.... Regardless, that's an impressive pass and for a stick car no less!

ken,that great!!!,not only will you be running a stick,putting lots of street miles as well

isn't that what makes it fun????

only thing is i would look into a sintered iron adjustable clutch that you can get to slip a little at the track for parts longivity,an added bonus is a traction advantage.perfectly streetable also,just have all the pressure adjusted into it for the street.only takes a few minutes to adjust.

Scot - I understand your frustration with the breakage, but it may not be the trannies problem. We run a Liberty (identical to that used by NHRA Pro stock cars). The second week out, we twisted the main shaft, and shelled 2nd and 3rd gear. Craig Liberty took one look at the Racepak data and said "you're running waaay too much clutch". We rebuilt the tranny, took out some clutch and have not broken anything since (5 years later).

IMO, the toughest job with any stick car is getting the clutch dialed in to maximize performance and minimize breakage (unless of course you have Billy Glidden or a similar clone tuning your clutch).

Awesome News Ken !!Sounds like a great plan plus you made your mark at the track!! "real men drive sticks and solids " :)..... I went thru the gear spread analysis when I went Tremec it has a similar drop on the 1-2 and my torque peaks at 4500 I dont have a problem with my little motor you should be fine ......what rear gear ?? .54 6th gear wow thats low ...not that I'm in your league but mine does not like anything lower than 2200 rpm .........so I'm changing my OD from .82 3.73rear to .64 and going up to 4.30 rear gear ...... then I can truly enjoy driving the car on the freeway etc

Again I dont have the knowledge like alot here but in a conversation with McLeod they told me the same thing as above post by Roger ......dont use too much clutch ...he suggested the soft lok over the twin disc for my HP and weight / gear to ensure reliability Curious now that your going stik do you think the tires you have will hook as well as when you had an auto ?? I always thought bias ply slicks were needed for stik cars

Again great to here you doing it your way ?? Be great to see car at CB07

ken,that great!!!,not only will you be running a stick,putting lots of street miles as well

isn't that what makes it fun????

only thing is i would look into a sintered iron adjustable clutch that you can get to slip a little at the track for parts longivity,an added bonus is a traction advantage.perfectly streetable also,just have all the pressure adjusted into it for the street.only takes a few minutes to adjust.

Thanks, Erik. I haven't ordered my clutch/pp just yet. I'm checking all my options. I would like to get some feedback on the Softlok. I sent one of the team members here (Jim with the Corvette) a PM about his some time ago, but sadly never heard back from him. I ran the McLeod Street-Twin in my car before with the ST-10. No doubt that clutch/pp combo contributed to my parts breakage as it is very unforgiving (no slip whatsoever).

Awesome News Ken !!Sounds like a great plan plus you made your mark at the track!! "real men drive sticks and solids " :)..... I went thru the gear spread analysis when I went Tremec it has a similar drop on the 1-2 and my torque peaks at 4500 I dont have a problem with my little motor you should be fine ......what rear gear ?? .54 6th gear wow thats low ...not that I'm in your league but mine does not like anything lower than 2200 rpm .........so I'm changing my OD from .82 3.73rear to .64 and going up to 4.30 rear gear ...... then I can truly enjoy driving the car on the freeway etc

Again I dont have the knowledge like alot here but in a conversation with McLeod they told me the same thing as above post by Roger ......dont use too much clutch ...he suggested the soft lok over the twin disc for my HP and weight / gear to ensure reliability Curious now that your going stik do you think the tires you have will hook as well as when you had an auto ?? I always thought bias ply slicks were needed for stik cars

Again great to here you doing it your way ?? Be great to see car at CB07

Hey Bill :D

I didn't know you were running a Soft-Lok setup. Please tell me more about it. I had spoken to a couple of Nostalgia SS racers several years ago (before switching to an auto) that were running that setup. A couple of them had driven their cars on the street, and said that the Soft-Lok required completely different setups for the track vs. street. Makes sense to me as a clutch that's set up to slip some at the track would prolly develop a lot of heat and wear prematurely in stop and go traffic. I'm a little concerned about the car "bucking" at lower RPMs, but I think with the torque the 540 has it should be ok and pull from low rpms pretty well. I'm running a 4.10 rear gear so that should help as well. I do like the idea of a .54 OD for long rides :thumsup: My brother is able to knock down ~23 MPG on the freeway with his 11 second N/A 396 LT1 using the same gear ratio with the A/C running!!! Now, I don't expect my car to get anywhere near that mileage, but it will be able to make the long trips. Who knows, maybe put an EFI setup on there next year....

Hey...first....GREAT to see you back with us stick guys!! Sure is a lot more fun!!

Second...I agree with everyone here...G-force is a great company to deal with. Never a problem with service.

Third....sorry...somehow I missed the questions on clutch and combo....shoot again and I'll give you all I know and all I've stolen from everyone else!!


JIM

Hey...first....GREAT to see you back with us stick guys!! Sure is a lot more fun!!

Second...I agree with everyone here...G-force is a great company to deal with. Never a problem with service.

Third....sorry...somehow I missed the questions on clutch and combo....shoot again and I'll give you all I know and all I've stolen from everyone else!!


JIM

Thanks, Jim. I sent you a PM.

Ken, the current set up is a TH350 w/a brake and is good for 10 teens. We were only able to get 14 runs on the stick with a best of 11.35 @ 129 using Hoosier Quicktime DOT pros (1.90 short times). The car weighs 3360 w/o driver. It is a dedicated nitrous car currently running a simple plate with room to grow.

Roger, I have been told the T5 box is too small to be a strong piece. G-force builds the unit based upon stock T5 dimensions so that it will fit the 82-92 Camaro tunnel. To compare the DR4 (Jerico) with a T5 you would see that the DR4 is a taller box. I have been told by reliable sources that the T5 box (any T5 box) has the CS and MS too close to each other. Upon the 2-3 shift the CS and MS spread and third gear goes every time. I was told when I ordered the tranny that the G-force case would help, but it didn't.

I am not bashing G-force, I just don't the think HP/torque ratings on the T5 boxes are accurate. Like I said before, they really did go above and beyond after the sale to help me out. If I was willing to cut the floor of the car, I would buy a G-101. I just can't bring myself to cut it up, so I have to settle with an automatic.

Scot

Gotcha this time K-Jett!!


JIM

Glad to see you back Ken! :thumbsup:
:hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray::hurray:

i'm jealous ken! way to go. ray

Ken - We've run both the Street-Twin and the Soft-Lok. The primary problem that we had with the Street-Twin was that the dual disks required more total air gap (because it gets spread over both disks) in order to allow the clutch to release enough for clean shifting. In addition, the organic disks wore a lot quicker, requiring more frequent clutch adjustments and replacement. The sintered iron disk we use in the Soft-Lok would last forever (well, not quite) if you don't have the pressure backed way off to help control tire spin at the track. In fact, now it is pressure plate re-surfacing (rather than disk wear) that controls our maintenance cycle. And remember, the organic disk slips when it gets hot, the coefficient of friction for the sintered iron disk increases when it gets hot.

IMO, as long as you have an adjustment window in your bellhousing to allow you to get to the pressure plate, the Soft-Lok can provide a good solution for both street and strip (but weighted toward the strip).

Ken - We've run both the Street-Twin and the Soft-Lok. The primary problem that we had with the Street-Twin was that the dual disks required more total air gap (because it gets spread over both disks) in order to allow the clutch to release enough for clean shifting. In addition, the organic disks wore a lot quicker, requiring more frequent clutch adjustments and replacement. The sintered iron disk we use in the Soft-Lok would last forever (well, not quite) if you don't have the pressure backed way off to help control tire spin at the track. In fact, now it is pressure plate re-surfacing (rather than disk wear) that controls our maintenance cycle. And remember, the organic disk slips when it gets hot, the coefficient of friction for the sintered iron disk increases when it gets hot.

IMO, as long as you have an adjustment window in your bellhousing to allow you to get to the pressure plate, the Soft-Lok can provide a good solution for both street and strip (but weighted toward the strip).


Roger IMHO there is NO WAY I would consider the McLeod stuff again , simply because its waaaaaay over priced . The difference in the friction co-efficient between thier stuff and Ram , whether there is some small diff. or not probably doesn't make a gnats gash worth of diff. in performance and since the Sof Lok disc is so expensive ( unrealistic) I will avoid buying another and convert over to the Ram disc ASAP. Have you priced both? Huge diff. No way the McLeod disc is worth 400 clams..............a ripoff!

Joe - We use Ram discs (5135 material) in our Soft-Lok. I think we give about $180 for them.

Gotcha this time K-Jett!!


JIM

Jim, thanks! I tried to reply to your PM, but your mailbox is full ;) This does help a lot. In reviewing the video I can see what you mean about your gearing. Sounded like you must have shifted 3-4 at ~1,100'. It sure sounds good leaving :)

A couple of questions for you:

- Are you using the stock GM linkage, or have you upgraded to the spherical end/heim joint linkage?
- I assume you had to modify your bellhousing to access the pressure plate for spring pressure/counterweight tuning? If so, how did you go about this and still meet SFI?
- Who's flywheel are you using?

Thanks again :thumbsup:

Ken, the current set up is a TH350 w/a brake and is good for 10 teens. We were only able to get 14 runs on the stick with a best of 11.35 @ 129 using Hoosier Quicktime DOT pros (1.90 short times). The car weighs 3360 w/o driver. It is a dedicated nitrous car currently running a simple plate with room to grow.

Roger, I have been told the T5 box is too small to be a strong piece. G-force builds the unit based upon stock T5 dimensions so that it will fit the 82-92 Camaro tunnel. To compare the DR4 (Jerico) with a T5 you would see that the DR4 is a taller box. I have been told by reliable sources that the T5 box (any T5 box) has the CS and MS too close to each other. Upon the 2-3 shift the CS and MS spread and third gear goes every time. I was told when I ordered the tranny that the G-force case would help, but it didn't.

I am not bashing G-force, I just don't the think HP/torque ratings on the T5 boxes are accurate. Like I said before, they really did go above and beyond after the sale to help me out. If I was willing to cut the floor of the car, I would buy a G-101. I just can't bring myself to cut it up, so I have to settle with an automatic.

Scot

Ah....So the video pass was with an auto? I kept listening for shifts but didn't hear any. I thought, damn this guy is good on the throw :D Cool ride and congrats on the performance! What's the Jerico in?

Ken, FWIW, and you probably already know this anyway, I know a guy here that has a Lenco in an early Nova. He runs a very tight street dual disk clutch, probably the McLeod but I'm not sure about that. He has broken the Lenco I think three times. He is now down to a high 3 something low gear, and 5 speed I think, trying to get it to launch. It's behind a 509 BBC I believe. It only runs 6.20's in the 1/8th. I believe he has been told his clutch is too tight, and he needs to look at the softlok, but he just won't for some reason. I'm sure that is why his pump gas 509 is able to break the Lenco. With the higher gear ratios he had tried, the car would try to launch and then bog when the engine got loaded too early. He is trying to go lower gearing instead of a softer clutch hit. Not working out too well so far.:sad:

Wow, this is quite a surprise.

Ken, I assume your re-evaluating what your car will be used for now? I take it with the stick it won't be raced near as much?

I've had thoughts of trying a clutch in my car, but no way am I ready for the costs in volved, nor the dedication it'll take to get it sorted out.

Good luck with the new setup! Sure will be interesting to see how things work out.

Ken, FWIW, and you probably already know this anyway, I know a guy here that has a Lenco in an early Nova. He runs a very tight street dual disk clutch, probably the McLeod but I'm not sure about that. He has broken the Lenco I think three times. He is now down to a high 3 something low gear, and 5 speed I think, trying to get it to launch. It's behind a 509 BBC I believe. It only runs 6.20's in the 1/8th. I believe he has been told his clutch is too tight, and he needs to look at the softlok, but he just won't for some reason. I'm sure that is why his pump gas 509 is able to break the Lenco. With the higher gear ratios he had tried, the car would try to launch and then bog when the engine got loaded too early. He is trying to go lower gearing instead of a softer clutch hit. Not working out too well so far.:sad:

Yes, Jbird. That has been my experience with the McLeod Street Twin as well. It's relentless on parts because there is so much clutch surface area it won't slip at all. I guess you could open the air gap up wide enough to slip, but it would prbably go through disks like nobodies business (as Roger has pointed out). I'm going to seriously consider the Sof Lok set up from McLeod. I'll be calling them later today to discuss. I got some good information from Jim, and Roger seems to like that set up as well.

Wow, this is quite a surprise.

Ken, I assume your re-evaluating what your car will be used for now? I take it with the stick it won't be raced near as much?

I've had thoughts of trying a clutch in my car, but no way am I ready for the costs in volved, nor the dedication it'll take to get it sorted out.

Good luck with the new setup! Sure will be interesting to see how things work out.

Todd, I've decided not to chase points anymore even though I really enjoy bracket racing. To be competitive in bracket racing you need to attend every race. Our local track has 16 scheduled races this year. My oldest son is involved in sports and I help with coaching. I fell it would be selfish of me to run points and miss out on his Saturday games. My boys will only be young once, drag racing will always be around.

I will certainly be racing my car with the stick. I plan to be dedicated to making this new setup work for both street and strip use. I'll keep you updated as everything unfolds.

thats why JR dragsters were invented! its not for the kids....its so you can keep racing on saturday :D

Sounds like a cool plan! becareful with the cut in the floor pan. Last one i did, i made a small cut, then folded the edges over to make the area larger and create a smooth cut.

thats why JR dragsters were invented! its not for the kids....its so you can keep racing on saturday :D

Sounds like a cool plan! becareful with the cut in the floor pan. Last one i did, i made a small cut, then folded the edges over to make the area larger and create a smooth cut.

I hear ya, Brian :) I'm not giving up racing, just points racing. My son hasn't shown an interest in a JD or he would have one.

Have you done one of these conversions in an early Chevelle? If so, do you have any pictures you can share?

Doing a few jericos in early chevelles coming up soon, but no 6 speeds.

The best advice i can offer is to measure from a few different spots to where you want the hole in the floor.....drill a pilot hole, then go under the car and make sure you're close.

I usually do this type of stuff with left and right hand tin snips, and cut a path through the area i want to trim. the first hole is usually ugly, then as you trim away it'll clean up, and get easier to cut.
Most people think i'm nuts for using tin snips, but abrasive wheels make a real mess, and some air operated tools can cause you to go a little to far in some detailed work.

I typically measure from the back of the block to the center of the shifter, then measure from the back of the block to the firewall, then from the firewall on the inside to where i want the cut.


when finished with the cut, i cut into the corners at a 45 degree angle, then fold the edge over (about 3/8") and hammer/dolly bar the fold until its flat.

If you want it to look nice on the underside of the car, fold the edge over to the driver compartment, since you're going to have a rug/shifter boot.

Doing a few jericos in early chevelles coming up soon, but no 6 speeds.

The best advice i can offer is to measure from a few different spots to where you want the hole in the floor.....drill a pilot hole, then go under the car and make sure you're close.

I usually do this type of stuff with left and right hand tin snips, and cut a path through the area i want to trim. the first hole is usually ugly, then as you trim away it'll clean up, and get easier to cut.
Most people think i'm nuts for using tin snips, but abrasive wheels make a real mess, and some air operated tools can cause you to go a little to far in some detailed work.

I typically measure from the back of the block to the center of the shifter, then measure from the back of the block to the firewall, then from the firewall on the inside to where i want the cut.


when finished with the cut, i cut into the corners at a 45 degree angle, then fold the edge over (about 3/8") and hammer/dolly bar the fold until its flat.

If you want it to look nice on the underside of the car, fold the edge over to the driver compartment, since you're going to have a rug/shifter boot.


I guess I'm a little surprised that you don't have access to or don't use a plasma cutter for this sort of work? I say that having never used or owned one, so maybe that's overkill for a project like this (like trying to drive a thumbtack with a slege hammer :) ). At any rate, thanks for the response and I'll take your suggestions into account as I dive deeper into the conversion :thumbsup:

I'm going to have to trade in my Roth IRAs to keep up with you guys who are getting the best of both worlds.

Pretty clear this guy's not married, huh? :)

Oops....had to clean the mailbox.....just not paying enough attention to that bad boy....

My linkage is *sorta* stock. When I ran the Street Twin I did all kinds of stuff to get it shift as clean as I liked. It takes LOTS of travel to get it clean. I modified the crosshaft..actually took arms off and flipped them side for side to make ratio faster..and re-drilled pivot point for upper link. Then I made a new heim joint arm from pedal to crosshaft...and welded reinforcements to pedal assy. All of that was to make it stiff and solid as well as fast enough to release clean. When all was done..it worked fine...just pretty violent.

Fast forward to Soft Lok.....the pedal effort on that dude is so low that you really don't need anything above stock really. When tightened up to 10+ turns on pressure plate..it's is still about half the effort of a Street Twin if that gives you an idea. Stiffer linkage would be an asset when racing mainly at high rpm when you have to push back against centrifugal weight. Suffice it to say mine is way overkill,,,but it can't hurt!!

When set to race mode.....you can literally push it with two fingers....you'll never believe the car will move.


I've got the Mcleod 22lb lightened steel flywheel.

I found an old ancient two piece Lakewood scattershield. A buddy had a new one sitting around that he never used. I drilled a hole in it to allow pressure plate adjustment with allen wrench..and I can drop lower inspection cover to change centrifugal weights.


Yes....my 3.07 gears makes it a little long legged.....and you're about right..4th is just before the line. But again my car is a big compromise...

A couple of months ago I got to *play* with a buddy who has a brand new C-6 Z06 Vette. Already had a new cam, headers, exhaust, intake and throttle body mods and tuning done. Making 585 or so RWHP now....DEEP 10's@low 130's mph. We kicked it in 2nd gear from a 45 mph roll.......at about 140-145 mph I had 15-20 lengths on him when we let out!! Those Looonnnngggg gears sure help in situations like that...makes that 540 work for it!!


JIM

I guess I'm a little surprised that you don't have access to or don't use a plasma cutter for this sort of work? I say that having never used or owned one, so maybe that's overkill for a project like this (like trying to drive a thumbtack with a slege hammer :) ). At any rate, thanks for the response and I'll take your suggestions into account as I dive deeper into the conversion :thumbsup:


A jig saw is the first thing that popped into my small brain for something like this!:D