Of course there are ways, number one rule is how a burnout is done. I’ve always started in first gear, thousands of times. All the mopar guys I know do it too. Here’s the answer, AFTER the car comes out of the water STOP and put it in first gear, left foot on brake right foot on gas, give some gas to SET the spragg, if it’s broke or weak you’ll feel it. No chirps or dry hops, get in the beams. After the burnout Do not ever go straight to the line, then you’re in a crap shoot. It’s all about understanding why a part breaks. Buying the best parts still won’t keep some from rolling over that spragg, they’re the ones who need it. Every trans expert on here knows when that spragg freewheels (axel-gear break, driveshaft-u-joint) it has a big chance of breaking.

If you use that as justification to not do the simple things to prevent that stock front drum from disintegrating and tearing up the car, yes.

904 roller clutches fail just the same. The stock 904 drum won't disintegrate - the critical speed necessary is just not achievable.

The heavy stock 727 drum will come apart at ~12.5 or 13K or so. With a 2.45 low. that's about 5000 engine RPM and a failed roller clutch.

Have low band apply valvebody, never do burnouts in 1st, etc.

Where did the piece of trim come from? The drivers side (pass. U.S.) gutter?

I think the important lesson here is to use a manual transmission.

At least I wasn't the first one to say in this thread : D

.👍👍👍 Amen

I'll bet there are as many catastrophic engine failures as drum explosions. How many here run a belly pan or a diaper? A rod thru the pan or block at speed can be pretty spooky. Yet it seems many focus on the trans as a bigger safety issue. A good front drum and shield solves the problem. The stock front drum is powdered metal construction. It will spin beyond its design limit if the rear drum is not being held stationary. What holds the rear drum? The roller clutch, and in LBA applications the rear band. When the transmission output shaft is unloaded by excessive tire spin or drivetrain failure it unloads the roller clutch. The roller clutch can fail due to the unloaded condition. Now the front drum can spin to engine rpm x rear gear ratio (2.28). Say the unloaded engine revs to 6000 rpm (or higher). That puts the drum to a minimum of 13,680 rpm. At this speed it can disintegrate. A stock loaded front drum weighs close to 7 lbs. That's a lot of weight slinging around. Personally never had a failure. Seen a few live though. But I've seen even more hit the wall with engine oil or coolant under the tires. In fact I've witnessed more crashes due to chassis failure than the number of trans explosions.
Doug

Great thread....

I always call them "peg leg" tranny's. Always joked lots of old timers who raced 727s walking around with peg legs....

If you break the rear or driveshaft you better pull the trans apart.

Everyone always says "yea but I drove it around and it shifted fine...."

I have related the story before, but the last one I saw, the guy was going to take it to the track. He had fixed a broken rear and was driving around on the street. Called and asked me what I thought. I made him take it out. Half the springs were crushed and the rollers just rattling around loose in there. The other half were holding well enough to drive the car. Would not have survived the first hit. 904. Don't know if it was a LBA VB.

Moving off the spot is not confirmation that the roller clutch is okay.

Even if you do scatter a manual transmission most of the parts just clunk around inside the case and make a hell of a noise

Gus

Unless the clutch disc decides to play chop saw.......

That's why they make scattershields

I saw Bob Lambeck scatter shield after he exploded the clutch pressure plate and flywheel, the can was flatten like M60 tank drove over it, pieces from one of those exploding parts pierce the front passenger side roll bar brace to the front of the right subframe, another piece broke a piece off of the back of the block off. Other parts damaged and pierce the firewall and floor boards. It hurt his driver foot and basically total that 1968 Baracuda that he was racing in B/MP (Modified production) back then in the mid 1970s
He had told me to leave off the block plate off on my 1970 Cuda A/S stocker, he said you didn't really need it I put it back in after that

What was it turning, 9500 rpm?

I agree, Lakewood and others make that block plate for a reason. You bet I installed it in my car too. And a rev limiter!

I doubt that he was shifting any where near 8000, probably nearer to 7600 RPM. Maybe a little higher as he had 396 C.I. destroke pro stock type 426 hemi moor in it back then

This might be the all time greatest, or worst depending on how you look at it, 727 explosion video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFc-z5q3inw&list=UUgSq1UVDO4j6YHH5eXBeKNw

I have a 727 in my cuda that has been run for decades and been apart numerous times and freshened, but I want to get a 904 in it here soon.

That looks toasty. Hope he wasn't too scorched.

Is there any video of this one?

Wrong class and wrong track. Never saw a video.

I lived thru one of those out on a country road. I had just got the car all back together and drove it to town and put gas in it. On the way home I turned onto a road and ran it kinda hard and was running along about 45 to 50 mph when the tail housing exploded. It bent the out put shaft which in turn beat the living crap out of the floorboards and bent both seats up. The driveshaft exited out into the ditch never to be found. I count myself very fortunate to escape with no scratches or cuts. Birdtracker