Lenco or Glide?

What are most of the Blown alky cars running for a trans?

I have two options, I have a mid plate for a Lenco and I recently bought an ATI conversion plate for a glide. Other? Bruno drive maybe? pro's, cons's?

This is for a 2500 lb 25.1e Moly tube chassis car, 585cid blown motor.
Not sure what the final HP will be but we are shooting for the 1800-2000 range.

thanks!

 

Lenco or Glide

I run a similair car to what you are running. Strickly for the fun factor I run a pedal clutch, Lenco with levers. May not be the most consistant combo anymore, but what a ride.

My 2 cents

 

Consistency, dependability, and ease of operation....you have to go with an Lencodrive. Call Larry Snyder @ Snyder Motorsports and he will get you everything you need.

Brandon

 

caution with converter and blown car

High idle speed common with a blown car causes a problem with some who run a torque converter. They have to idle them down around 1800 so that the brakes will hold the car when it is in gear and also stop the car after a burn out. Idle that low may be a problem to some from lope. If the car lopes in gear, it may stall. None of that is a problem with a clutch car since the driver can push in the clutch. Our engine idles well at 2,300 RPM (with a 290 deg. duration cam). I expect problems if we were to run a converter. We run a clutch. It is about 0.005 slow on the launch over button triggered trans brake blown car. While it is a pain to get certified every year, it is trouble free, reliable, consistent, and adjustable.
I am aware of one blown car with a torque converter that backed over the xmas tree after a burnout. The brakes would not hold the car very well. He installed dual calipers after that. I know of another top alcohol car that tried a converter setup. Could not stop the rear wheels from turning on jack stands with the hand brake. I described that to another top alcohol combo and he said they rely on the 4 wheel brakes to stop the car when it is on the ground. He acknowledged that his rear brakes will not hold the rear tires by themselves either. Just another consideration for which way to go. Keep in mind that a trans brake will hold a blown car on the line at part throttle for launch. However, it cannot be used to stop a car. It is all on or all off.
bob szabo
author of a fuel injection racing manual and a methanol racing manual
www.racecarbook.com

 

converter

It depends on whether you have to run a converter for a particular class. We ran a glide w/ blown sbc at 2000rpm in our TD and didn't have a problem.

 

we run a glide in a blown dragster with a brad motor in it and love it Brian Ratliff out of ok. built our trans and conv. we run in the 3 in the 1/8 and 6.0 in the 1/4 with 92/93/94 60 foots. ran all last season with just changing the hydrulic fluid after each weekend

 

This is what I have found we have one car with a bruno/lenco runs all season
no problems. w/1800 hp. tryed glydes in two other cars. Both wazoo top of line trans from 2 seperate MAJOR trans manufactures and these engines were only making about 1600 hp and we broke both of them on the first outings.
1 made 11/2 passes and the other made 5 passes. what I am trying to say is
every body claims to build these things to hold 2500 hp but its a crap shoot if you get one that works. Save your self some money in the long run (on over reved motor repairs) and buy a lenco or bruno.
P.S. those other cars are going to try the glydes 1 more time

Jay

 

I labored over this same decision for my 7.50 F/C with a 482 BA/TFX/8-71 combo. Finally went with the hoped up 'glide from Steve Casner after talking with Beckman about the car he was driving in CIFCA.

But now I have a new concern. I also bought the 1/2" motor plate deal from ATI, but the flexplate that came with it is already making me nervous. I don't need the ring gear to start the car and I'm afraid the flexplate is going to be too wimpy.

Is that ATI flexplate going to be O.K. or should I get a Reactor aluminum deal instead?

 

Reactor all the way!!
Brandon

 

Just my 2-cents worth from my T/D days. Brandon is right, get the Reactor, broke all the others. It will take a GOOD glide to live in that combo. In our dragster could go consistent 6.60's all day long. Went 6.40's on a glide but broke inputs any time you shook the tires, EVERYTIME! Went to a Bruno/Lenco, problem solved! Good Luck PS - Considered a LencoDrive for the FC thinking about less work, but love the adjustability of the clutch

 

I ran 5 years with a powerglide with a dedenbear case and BTE internal parts : 8 clutch drum , planetary with straight cut 1.80 low gear, valve body . Ran 7.00s to 7.30s in a IHRA T/S 2700 lbs 509 BBC blown car , Never break a single part. only replace clutch pack once a year.
Sammy

 

High Idle Cars No Good For Lencodrive

Two cents worth: We have Lencodrive #5 and this is our sixth season with it. Helped Gary Sumek with the early problems, but never broke it. We even ran the C6 shaft up until now,(changed to 1.25 shaft under pressure from Larry Snyder). We've launched at 2800 thru 6400 with the trans brake and the foot brake, and never had the car roll. We've idled from 1550 thru 2400 and our trans brake always held and always stopped the input, like after a burnout, so we could fwd/rev the car. I changed to carbon brakes after not being able to stop after a 5.90 run / parachute failure / sand trap visit 5 years ago. You just have to warm them on the burnout/backup trip. never had shifting problems or stopping problems with the Lenco. If people would set them up correctly, they WILL work. I've seen lots of them that I wouldn't drive due to set up, but I've never had to even change clutches in the trans brake yet. Mick Snyder did get me the latest clutches for the trans brake and I'll fill you in later on how that went. If we had the budget others have, could have gone a lot faster, but we use other people's junk. Just never had a no stopping/no holding problem with the Lencodrive. If you do, it ain't set up right. Bobby Blue 359

 

If you have enough money for the LENCODRIVE ; go for it !
You can look also BRUNO/LENCO set up . But if you are on the budget , i'm sure a good powerglide/dedenbear set up will do the job for 1/2 of cost of the 2 other.

Sammy

 

which is great, but what about a 2500 lb car with driver and a 585 cid and a 1471 hi helix blower? hopefully makes north of 2000 HP? or thats what we're after anyway. Would a Powerglide make 300 passes? As opposed to the Lenco drive? Would it be money ahead to buy one lenco drive as opposed to several powerglides? I keep hearing that the guys running on the east coast in the pro mod auto classes are doing it, but are they making them LAST or are they keeping several handy?

 

power glide

We are running a 2100 lbs rail , 500 inch motor w/ a psi blower on alky and have been for the last 5 years , I have had over 200 runs on my unit that I got at Mikes Trans , it is a Monster glide , we run 6.10 to 630. and we have not had a failure yet. Call Mike at 661 723 0081 . see if what he has will work for you. let him know that Butch says hi. He also runs his trans in his own race car and he has gone 6.0's a lot. Just my 2 cents . good luck .

 

Sounds great, I'll give him a call. thanks.

 

Butch, what style/mfg. flexplate are you using?

 

We run a Donovan/Lenco combo unit that's similar to the Bruno in our 3000# 6.90's T/S - Q16 car with a blown AJ headeded TFX motor. We used to spit out convertors twice a year until we upgraded from the Coan units we were using to Neal Chance units. Since then, after probably 100 passes, we've had no convertor problems. Also note that that was before Coan came out with their split-case convertors like Snyder runs. Those are just as stout. The only issues we've had has been a few broken front pump gears in the Donovan unit after severe tire shake. But the Donovan is a cheap version of a Bruno that's literally a bandsawed front pump section of a stock powerglide. I think the Bruno uses a different, heavier duty pump. One thing we like about the Donovan is that the trans brake is pneumatically operated which we have on the same pneumatic circuit with and air accutator that slaps the throttle open with the delay box. Like many other people have said here, if you can afford it.. go for the Lencodrive. The Snyders have proven their durability. In the long run they are cheaper than clutch discs and flaoters.

 

Bill

Bill, Call Mike, I got the complete set up from him, the flex plate is big and I think that he has them made for the applacation w sfi cert , 661 723 0081 , Like I said he is a great guy and he runs what he makes !!!

 

I don't know if this is true but I have heard that guys are having trouble holding on the starting line with the lencodrive . Is this true and if so why?
Has anyone tried the B&J with the quick drive ?