This is What Happened and What I Found

2 years ago
351

Well, the video tells the most of the story - except what exactly went wrong. What failed? Was a piece of equipment defective? Was something installed wrong? I wish I knew the answer. All of the equipment was damaged or ruined. I did the recommended 500 mile breakin of the clutch perfectly, no messing around - I took it very seriously. The equipment used was: SPEC #SF01A Billet ALUMINUM Flywheel. Clutch = P/P 10.5" KUSTOM Hi Rev ALUMINUM Ring with Replacable STEEL Insert @ 14.75 lbs. 11'' x 1 1/8 - 26 Spline Kustom Ceramic Both Sides. Throw out bearing was McLeod 1400 series.
The equipment was installed by myself and all the rules were followed. It was checked, double checked, and even triple checked, then checked by my long time mechanic, a semi-professional drag racer who did most of his own work, and has a long history of working on this car, this engine, this clutch and this tranny. Pictures and video were sent to the tranny builder and to McLeod racing tech department. Here's what each of them said:
The mechanic: after examining the parts said we have to think outside the box. We've had multiple transmission and clutch failures and we need to look at other parts that may be causing this. He brought up the bell housing. It's 23 years old, has been blown up once causing a dent in it that may affect the shape and fit. Also, it was re-drilled to fit the TKO 600 tranny instead of the T5. If it wasn't re-drilled properly, it could cause problems with the alignment of the tranny to the engine block.
The Tranny Builder: Is convinced it was the throw out bearing being mounted on the shaft wrong - or somehow went wrong upon use. The video he bases this on was taken with a GoPro with a wide angle lens, causing the bearing to look really crooked on the shaft. I checked this closely and I don't think that was the problem.
McLeod Racing: Answered that everything looked fine with the bearing and it is still good and can still be used as is. Nothing wrong with it at all.
What am I planning? I'm going to buy a new duplicate aluminum flywheel. I'm going back to a dual disc McLeod racing clutch(two of my old ones rebuilt by McLeod are being delivered here today) and my old throw out bearing(also rebuilt by McLeod and being delivered here today). The old bearing is much longer than the newer ones, and I think it sets on the shaft more stable because it's longer. I'm going to buy a new explosion proof bell housing specifically made for the TKO 600 tranny. I'm going to have a carbon fiber driveshaft custom build for the Cobra - they are safer and actually flex a bit during launch, which should soften the blow to all the components.
So, any opinions from the viewers ARE WELCOME! Am I missing something? Are there better options than what I have chosen? Is there anything else I can check to pinpoint the cause of this mess? I'm open to any and all suggestions and ideas. A lot of racers out there watch my videos, have you ever experienced anything like this? Is a faulty bell housing feasible?

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