We’re going to go out on a limb and suggest that the transmission that explodes like it is filled full of dynamite and spreads its guts out over the first 60 feet of Sydney Dragway was a Torqueflite. Why? Because every photo we have seen of a transmission laid out on a drag strip in this fashion was attributed to a Torqueflite. There’s an incredible amount of “instant violence” happening here and you will have to watch the video a couple of times to see it. When the trans actually explodes, it does so in a hard enough fashion to blow trim off of the car. As the camera man discovers after the car stops rolling, there is a trail of destruction like we have never seen before.
In the realm of stuff that blows up awesomely, VW transaxles in older cars like Rabbits do a good job of spitting spider gears and other parts out onto the track but nothing like you will see here. Honestly, it looks like someone took a transmission case and broke it into pieces with a sledge hammer, doused them all in fluid and just sprinkled them out on the track as this car was rolling away. We have not seen anything from the inside of the car but we’re thinking that in a best case scenario, the floor is dented and in a worst case scenario parts and pieces blow through the floor and actually got into the car. That’s the kind of stuff that actually maims people.
We’re going to work on getting more info about this one. Until we find it, revel in this destruction!
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE A VALIANT CHARGER EXPLODE A TRANSMISSION IN GRAND FASHION –
Torqueflite’s——been there. done that!!!! Crazy when they come apart.
They always show TF explosions but never tell why
Owner / drivers misunderstanding of how they work is at the root
A TF has an over running sprag–a one way clutch if you will–ball bearings in a one way cage–on the output shaft. IF you do your burn outs starting in SECOND gear ( you may shift to Third) you will never ever destroy a TF like shown–but when you do burn out in first gear and tires hit the dry ( when you hear the Chirp) that shaft stops instantly–a few of these and it starts to rip the sprag from the case–it is held in by serrated teeth and one set screw–It gets worked over a few times then it will fail and on the next burnout it will turn the drums engine RPM X rear gear ratio –oooh about 20K plus in most cases –Then…K-BOOM the drums spin apart and chaos appears
NEVER do a burn out at the strip in first with a TF and this will never happen again
Circa summer of 1969 at the long since gone Balboa Dragstrip in Eugene, Oregon. The strip owners were featuring a 3-day, 32 Funny car field extravaganza. There was almost that many gas and fuel altereds that weekend as well, a number of the altereds were running torqueflite’s, one hemi powered altered, might have been a Henry-J, did his burnout and a couple of dry hops (very popular back in the day) rolled up to the tree, bogged the car on launch, got off the throttle and nailed it again with spectacular results! Parts of that torqueflite buried themselves in the asphalt, others bounced into the stands, a few put dents in the car body, the remainder left a very long trail of bits and pieces along with ATF on the track. Needless to say, the driver was looking for a unsoiled firesuit the rest of the day.
Never ever do burn out in first gear with a TF and you will never have this issue