Well, my engine builder got the Duster back from the chassis shop with the 4-link set-up a lot better. Shocks in a different position, different springs, correct pinion angle, and everything all set the way its supposed to be.

I called as I left work and TNT was still a go. So I get to the track but Paul ends up in the seat for the first pass, not the best driver, but he has been the hired wrench as of late, so he gets the go, and as the car leaves the line....Kaboom! Trans lets go in spectacular fashion! I hop the fence as he pulls it over right in front of me and he kinda stumbles out limping. A lot of parts entered the car, and the floor and gas pedal are now occuping the same space as the brake pedal.

He ended up with a trip to the ER with a broken foot I think. It was almost me, hope he is alright, but I think he is going to be off his feet for a while....

Glad it wasn't any worse than it was. Something like that will get your attention for sure.


Tim

Hope he is ok. 1st gear burnout?

He was not able to walk on the foot, and the hospital was 30 min away, I should know tomorrow.

No, not a 1st gear burn out, but I think when he launched, somthing odd happened. The car spun real bad off the line in 1st, and before short shifting into 2nd he lifted and it sploded.

Now 1, it should not have blown the tires off at the hit, so I am not sure what exactly happened and why it spun, but it hit the rev limiter hard. This was the first pass since the 4-link was set-up, and its a 17x33 slick...

if he spun then hooked it killed the sprag them boom. with out a billet drum or LBA valve body thats a no no.hope he's ok

Any reason your not there or take him yourself? Almost sounds like better him then me, ahh youll be ok, the hospital is only 30 minutes away, you drive an auto? you can make it on one foot.

Please say there was a blanket, shield or steel drum or somthing in the trans to protect any driver.

Overrunning clutch. The Achilles heal of torqueflite transmissions.

Sorry to hear about the tranny....I hope your freind is ok..

He is very lucky. A friend had a stock drum saw its way out through the floor, gauge set, dash, and windshield! He was lucky also, only suffered burns from hot fluid.

Hope he is OK. Is that the car I saw forsale on Cragslist its Lime Green? How old of a converter? Just a thought that he may have blew thur the converter.

Status report:

Paul has two broken bones in his foot and will be off it for a while. Being that he is self employed, I am not sure about insurence and such, so this cannot be good finacially, but he will be alright, and just needs some time to heal up. Luckily the trans wasn't real hot yet, or it could have been far worse.

Based on what I saw, and what my engine builder is seeing as he pulls what's left out of the car, the over running clutch is what failed when it spun in 1st and he lifted. The convertor and flex plate are all in the car and intact. The trans is what let go in the drum area. Not good, but a Griener LBA VB was just ordered.

And no I don't believe this car was green. It came to the shop in all brown primer, and a pile of boxes and missing a lot of parts.

Better get the converter checked out. Mine bent the snout when the trans blew up. As well as the driveshaft.

Man I'm really glad it wasn't worse, but it's still bad. I feel for him &hope for the best. I broke my right femur middle of May. I posted that story right after it happened. Still not allowed weight on it, after surgery & 3 x's every day doing therapy, and 3-9 months for it to heal. Tell him to stick with what his Dr. & therapists have him do, no skipping. I'm still stuck with a little time on crutches, a little more with a walker & when we go out a wheelchair. My bum leg is still about twice as big as the good one. I only do out outside steps on crutches and someone literally inches away in case I lose my balance, which is easy to do. Inside our house I go up & down the steps on my butt. After the hospital & nursing home & finally getting home it looks like I'm ahead of schedule, but just 1 slip & we start all over again. Wish him well for me.
Oh, I almost forgot. The $$$ cost. So far it's over $100,000, but the insurance is paying a huge part of that thankfully.

So, was there a blanket on the trans? Just curious.