Competition Your thoughts on the Schied Diesel Extravaganza 2002

[DarrellB]

Just to lighten things up a little

I think I need some Safety Equipment for my cooler





The beer really went flying out of it Saturday. :--) :--) :--) :--) I couldn't do any thing about it, I tried to stop it but was unsuccessful. That's what I get for camping next to those Kentucky boys.







Good times! Good times!



Darrell

 

[Rob Thomas]

Just for the record, as first hand knowledge goes, I was there, like 8-10' away from the bada$$ Mitchell truck at the 345' mark, with video rollin'. Unlike some of you guys, who seem to know it all from your computer chair, I did witness it, and will set the record straight.



Yes, the bell housing and pressure plate were in peices, however, the bolts that hold the clutch to the flywheel were sheared clean off, therefore IMO caused the rest the carnage to follow. The flywheel was in one peice, as was the clutch disks, the pressure plate guts were MIA as a result of the sheared bolts, however the pressure plate housing was in good shape, both the housing and the disks were hanging from the input shaft.



I'm sure the sheared bolts were grade 8's, do they make a grade 10 or 12? Or hell maybee they need to use 1/2" pressure plate bolts. Then somethin' else would be the weakest link. With the majior power of THAT truck, somthin' has to give occansionally. Some of you guys are so egar to place fault on someones product because it broke, if you even had a notion of what serious power that truck makes, its a wonder it stays togather at all.



I drove a truck with a Mitchell clutch in it, about 2 weeks ago, I loved it, and as some of you know, mine is on order, and I cant wait to have it, that is by far IMO the BEST PULLING CLUTCH MONEY CAN BUY!



The Mitchells dont post awhole lot, so I thought I'd clear the air in they're defense (as if they need my help, they're products speak for themselves). Some of you guys need to find somthin' else to do instead of bashin' every thread you can, you sound like a bunch of women, I can't belive that this thread is still going, when it's in direct violation of the rules. Aperently some guys are imune to the "rules".



Later, Rob

 

[D Factor]

Two thumbs up to Rob. I completely agree with everything you said.

DALE

 

[South Bend Clutch]

To set the record straight to those who try to read between the lines, my post was not to attack anyone but to express the need for the safety issues just in case something like this were to happen. With power comes responsibility. There is no excuse to have parts flying through the air.



Now to address the comment on sheared bolts, sir, you are just plain wrong. The pressure plate casting explodes outward into the pressure plate housing and then shears the bolts on it's path out. A steel casting WILL NOT break into many pieces whereas a cast iron casting WILL. Even if you were right about the bolts shearing first it does not explain the pressure plate casting missing within the cover (fact).



The point still remains, it doesn't matter what you have inside your bell housing, it must be shielded from causing injury not only to yourself but to the innocent bystanders.



Hey, who am I to say anything?



Please drop the egos and address the issues. I am working hard as we speak to find someone to make kevlar blankets. That's a start.



Peter

 

[South Bend Clutch]

I might have found a guy in Georga that makes kevlar blankets. He makes them now for bullet proof limo's.



Phillip Emanuel

Meggitt 1

404-841-1048



I have put the call in but I am sure he is going to need some dementions. Anyone willing to step up?



Peter

 

[Pat@BD]

I

A Vendor that is building parts to take your trucks to these kind of levels should not find out its level at the track at the exspence of me, my wife or my childs life!!!!



My pulling clutch is now NOT for sale untill someone comes up with some sort of blanket. A scatter sheild only protects the driver not the crowd.



Peter [/B][/QUOTE]



One thing that snowmobile racers have been usuing for years as an inexpensive form of blanket is to use old conveyor belt. You wrap the transmission then bolt it together on the bottom. You wont get any parts through that. Just a suggestion that we have used with great success. I guess it is an affordable option.

 

[Big_DQ]

I have to post on this thread concerning the safety and apparent lack of safety eguipment for our trucks. I have a billet steel flywheel and an SFI approved blanket surrounding my bellhousing. I also have drive shaft loops and U-Joint guards in place on all shafts. The blanket was under $100 at my local speed shop. I have $0 dollars invested in the driveshaft loops, All I have is the time it took to find a piece of 1/4" wall pipe, some angle Iron and the time it took to cut and weld it together. We seem not to care how long it takes us to find parts to go fast or make power, but when it comes to being safe, it becomes to much hassle. We need to fix this NOW before someone gets seriously hurt or killed, be they driver or fan. Anybodies clutch can come apart, just ask Don Garlits. By the way, Lakewood and one of our vendors are working on an SFI approved bellhousing for our trucks as we post. If I'm out of line, someone just say so.



Don Quaethem

Quaethem Family Motorsports

 

[StakeMan]

Thumbs up to Rob and Peter (SBC).

 

[Cousin Billy]

Big_DQ out of line? NO WAY

Don,



IMHO you are not out of line in any way, shape or form. Nor are any others who are researching and ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING about very serious issues we all should be concerned about.

Many years ago, I was about twenty feet from a small block Chevy Nova when the flywheel came apart at barely over 1000 rpm . The damage was very hard to believe. Even more

unbelievable was the fact that there were no injuries.



Before anyone starts "keyboard peckin" insinuating I might be bad mouthing someones products, save your fingers. I mean NO disrespect to anyone associated with any product.

By the way, respect is something which should be shown to those who have earned it. But the ones who don't give the proper respect probably don't really know what it is anyway.



This forum should be used to further develop and educate all of us in a variety of subjects. More power is a great thing, but safety to ourselves and especially others should be at the top of our lists. We like to bring our families to these events and it would take only one(which is too many) bad incident to ruin an entire families lives because of a truck builders negligence.



BTW, the term "keyboard peckers" was introduced to me at the Scheid event by a wise and well respected vendor of quality parts for our trucks. It describes an all knowing one who has no dirt under their fingernails, much less grease.



We should all thank and respect the people who use their time, effort and money to develop products we use. Even if it is not a part we use or even agree with.



My thanks and respects to those who have earned it.



Cousin Billy

 

[Mojo293]

Great posts on safety. I also could not understand why anyone is looking for a specialty blanket. All the tractor pullers have to have one and I thought pretty much one size fits most, just pull the straps tighter. I would also like to take this time to apolgize to Scheid for passing on what I heard from someone their Saturday night, I know better than to believe rumors now. I seems they did not burn a piston. From now on I will get the facts before posting what I hear second hand. Thanks for putting on a top notch event.

 

[Briar Hopper]

Hey Mojo, regarding your asking about the dyno numbers , I did try a run with propane on, or so I thought. The switch was on, tank valve closed. So, my last dyno was actually on #2 alone. No biggie, I wanted to see what the propane would add, just for the heck of it. Now I'll have to get up to TST to find out, or use a local dyno.

See you around town...