Auto tranny in Nascar?

No question avaiable to import.

  • Yes

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    0
I think so. It gives another option and another point of interest. It requires a different engine "tune up" to ad to the excitement. The problem is, I'm not sure if any auto trany currently around would hold up...that is, one that wouldn't be a power hog. Maybe I'm wrong. I'd like to be wrong...

Windsor
 
Automaitc shift??:bs:

takes too much control away from the driver. That's NOT Racing

HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS to auto trans.

GET RID OF PLATES!!!!!:(
 
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! why race if you don't shift gears..............i agree kat2220.........HISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
 
Well considering that except for two road courses and two races at Pocono, shifting gears is virtually a non-factor in WC racing it might prove interesting.

Windsor brings up a good point in that it would open the door for some different engine tuning. Gear selection would have to rethought as well. Then we could have a lively debate over which is the better driver cause Clyde Rufus uses an auto and Steely Steve use a stick!!:)

Problem is heat build up would probably be catastrophic. Don't know if you could hang enough coolers on the car to keep it under control.
 
With all the red flags at the end of the races, the race would be over for the driver if the starter fails. Can't push start an auto.
 
I think knowing when to shifting should be part of a drivers ability, even if they don't shift that much, I just like it that way.
 
I might not know stick too well, but then again that's why they are professional racers and i drive a Jeep. They should keep it Manual, that's a part of racing.
 
I dont think too many drivers would vote for an automatic tranny in their car, after all, when was the last time your auto tranny downshifted to slow you down for a turn?
 
Ok,
I'm going to jump in with my 2 cents. I worked for A1 Automatic Trans in Calif. for a couple of years. One of our clients and testers was Ron Hornaday. He ran the Saugus Speedway using a two speed powerglide behind a small block Chevy with nitrous. The transmissions didn't use torque converters, but rather a direct drive connector bolted to the flex plate and inserted into the front pump. They used a dump valve in line making it possible to push start the cars when necessary. There was also beefed up in put shafts, sprags, manual valve body, hi performance hub with more clutch packs, and different ratios available for planetary gears. A healthy sized independent cooler was also utilized. When built and maintained properly these automatic units are almost bullet proof. We also built units for truck pulls, dragsters and the transmissions for the Vector proto types. The only weakness in an automatic transmission is you can't down shift them and have them live. Some of the dyno tests for engines that these units went behind were in the 1000 to 1100 HP range. The same things were done with the Ford C6 and Chryler 727's. The technology's out there, and it really doesn't detract for the racing program. Personally I don't think Nascar will ever sanction them, but you never know. Well that's my spiel for now.
 
Excellent Info Walrus!!

The internal workings of an automatic transmission are to this day somewhat mysterious to me. I had never considered that you could run one without a torque converter.

While I agree that NASCAR will never approve the piece, it is good to have the info that it could be done effectively.
 
Also todays drivers have used mauals all of their lives, would their driving styles be capable of the switch?
 
There left foot would be pumping air when ever they slowed down like mine when I drive my girlfriends car, but I do not think they would have a problem driving one.
 
I prefer the manual trannies but HS makes a good point about them not changing gears much.
 
There is to much advantage to having a manual trans.Like pit stops,and keeping rpms up.There is a lot more shifting in a race than one would think.The cost of an automatics maintence would be out of line,when the cost is getting higher than ever to field a car.:)
 
One driver who did not drive a stick all his life is Jeff Gordon. He didn't drive one until he got in Busch car, they had to teach him how to drive it.
 
Interesting comments all the way around.

Walrus! I thought of the glide later last night myself. A little know fella named Brian Butler used to fabricate and run his own similar glide combo around here, as described by you...this was a few years before moving South and opening up Butler Built.

I'm still not sure the glide would hold up over the distance. I know it will take the POWER, but a lot of heat is generated over time. Like I said before, I'd like to be wrong!

As for folks having fears of auto trannies doing all he shifting, have NO FEAR! These things have manual valve bodies and require manual shifts just like Jerry's Jericos (you could probably even build in a H patern). Even the glide combo mentioned earlier, requires additional control to work the dump valve.

As for maintenance costs, well maintance of an auto tranny is by and large much less expensive than that of a stick. I should know, that new avatar I just put up is a not too often seen example of the worlds lowest inertia, single cluster, dog ring style clutchless 5 speed DRag Race manual. It's a G-Force all chuck full of cryogenically treated un-obtanium parts, just like the type that helped the Pro Stock Trucks run soo fast with their idy bidy engines...when you rake the teath of a cog or take out a dog ring...$$$$. It helps our naturally aspirated SBF powered Door Slammer run 7s...until it looses a few teath off 3rd or 4th gear (Ouch!)...also, it is shifted with a vertical gate shifter.

Another of our cars runs a C4, behind a 1400hp SBF in a 2900lb car. When it starts giving up, you can pull it out swap out $250 worth of parts and go back racing...something to be said for that.

...just a few more things to think about...

Windsor
 
Man you guys are out of my league with all this tech stuff on auto transmissions!!:) I always thought you just mashed the pedal and the transmission did the rest!!

Give me my manual transmission any day......I stomp the left most pedal and shift with my right hand!!:D

And the reason they had to teach Jeffie how to shift is because his sprint cars didn't have a transmission at all!! Direct drive!!:D
 
At the 1963 race in Riverside, California, Richard Petty drove a Plymouth equipped with an automatic transmission as an experiment for Chrysler, who had an extensive program of developing automatic transmissions for drag racing. (Mainly because their manual transmissions were junk) The experiment didn't fare too well and Richard dropped out after 27 laps with transmission failure. Years earlier, Trim Flock actually won a Daytona Beach and Road course event in a Chrysler equipped with an automatic transmission.
 
Nope, That would make it to the point of where road courses would be fun and you know nascar wount make it to where the fans would like to watch races.
 
Speaking of tooths gone to hell, I had to rotate the main shaft a bit just to hide 3 missing tooths on the #4 main gear!!!!...place another call to Leonard or Mike Long...
 
Windsor.Is a C6 a better ford tranny,than a C4?I tore my C4 all to haitis in my Ford Torino.:(
 
Hey PB,
Know I'm not Windsor, but I know the C6s are a lot stouter than a C4 unit. Don't know what else you're looking for, but I'll help if I can.
 
Walrus.Thanks this was years ago I use to race my 68 Torino,and I was running a C4 with a shift kit.I destroyed it.I had a guy put a C6 in it,I know he had to make mods to do it.I was running a 289 hypo,bored.It was real fast in the 1/4.I was running a 388 gear.I never did tear up the C6. :)
 
The C6 eats torque like it's on the buffet table. These days, the C4 is the way to go for a Ford auto tranny.

Windsor
 
By the way, I'm not an auto tranny expert. Walrus probably knows more about the inner workings. I just know what goes fast and what the maintenace costs are...I'm really an engine guy with some chassis responsibility.

Windsor
 
Thanks Windsor,I thought due to time gone by that might be the case,no pun intended.:)
 
...Case!!!...yeah, we've kicked stuff through the side of that G-Force case before!!!! Big OUCH!!!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom