OT: automatic van hire - possible?

[Steve Firth]

I wouldn't. He's talking shit. Again.

[Steve Firth]

Umm they do have a clutch and it isn't destroyed in milliseconds. Not even handling 7000bhp.

[Huge]

Oh, well. Things have changed greatly since I last peered into the guts of a top fueller.

[The Natural Philosopher]

I have found no evidence to support that proposition on the top fuel and serious drag racers.

[Steve Firth]

The same for me, I'm just surprised that The clutch pack stands up to it with each plate surviving five runs. And as posted previously, the last time that I was seriously interested the cars had a two speed gearbox. It looks like no gearbox can handle current power outputs.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I wasn't talking about 'top fuel' types. Serious, yes.

[hugh]

In message , Steve Firth writes

Just like a DAF then.

[Steve Firth]

Umm no, the DAF had a single plate clutch and a big rubber band.

[Huge]

Especially since I've seen what clutch plates look like after a "clutch system malfunction" in a top fueller. Hence my "milliseconds" comment. I think the statement made was something like "700 milliseconds into the run the clutch management system noticed a problem and aborted the run". The clutch was toast.

No wonder I can hear the things, even though Santa Pod is 9 miles away.

[hugh]

No it had a 2 stage multi-plate centrifugal clutch - hence my (humorous) comment - and it had 2 rubber bands, one for each rear wheel.

[Steve Walker]

stepped cone pulleys!

SteveW

[Steve Walker]

axle over end to end to make them run backwards for that.

SteveW

[Steve Walker]

When I last went (probably 13 or 14 years ago) I remember Showtime (a top-fuel funny-car) having an 11 litre V8, producing 6400 BHP and using just over 13 gallons per 1/4 mile run!

Ah, just had a look and things have changed, the current version has an

8.2 litre V8, 6500 BHP and 12 gallons - with a very OTT fuel injection set-up.

[hugh]

No need to do anything with a DAF. It was intrinsically just as fast in reverse as forwards. The ratio range was the same.

[polygonum]

Was that not also the case fro the Messerschmidt?

But I dare say you didn't have to switch the engine off in the Daf.

[Steve Walker]

I did realise that there was no need to do that in a DAF, but the times I've seen it they were using a whole range of cars, old BMWs, etc.

SteveW

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

First time I heard one properly, I was sitting at the end stand in direct line of the zorsts. Fark me.

[Andy Burns]

Went there today, one of those "something for everyone" days out, the top fuel dragsters were certainly the loudest, they seemed impressive until they rolled-out the jet dragster, but FUCK ME, the fastest thing there by a country mile, was the jet motorbike

This chap, 1/4 mile in 5.notmuch seconds, how he hangs on, I'll never know ...

[dennis]

Its only about a couple of Gs and he is sitting down as far as the forces go.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

You've never ridden a powerful bike, then?