Clutchflite question

I recently picked up a 727 Clutchflite transmission, and was wondering if anyone out there has any info regarding the modifications, operation, or technical info on the B&M kit to convert Torqueflites to Clutchflites. As near as I can tell, I have a push button 727 with the kit installed, and the front cover area has been machined off and a GM housing is installed over the splines for the clutch disc. It has coarse splines and someone said it looks like an early 60's GM spline shaft. It looks like the 3 fingered lever that hooks to the clutch and turns the front pump has been eliminated and it may be set up for a direct drive. I've heard that B&M made kits to fit other applications as well. It was the same basic kit, with splines to fit certain engines. I know a guy that has a new, never installed Clutchflite kit that would be installed behind a 351 Cleveland engine with the Cleveland splines, but the asking price is a little high in my opinion. I think it could be modified to go behind a mopar, but don't know if it would be cost effective. Anybody have any info on this type of setup or know where I can find help regarding the Clutchflite? Thanks in advance.

Hello, John Kunkel should be able to help you. I have a clutch flite as well, which also had a GM bell housing on it. I removed it and am using a blowproof BB mopar bell housing. Check your holes that hold the bell on, it most likely will be the correct bolt pattern for the mopars, though it is possible it might be chevy. As far as the input shaft, you will need to get another one. They usually use the 23 spline shaft. As far as the new shaft going into the gear inside(?) is where my expertise stops. I was lucky and still had the mopar input shaft, so I didnt have to worry about it. Worse case scenario, you can have one made by a quality shop. If you have a 4 speed trans, that will give you the specs of the shaft; how much needs to stick out and so on. But send a message to John, he is very knowledgeable.

Mark

I have a few each of B&M and Fairbanks versions.

B&M's generally were not as well designed as the Fairbanks but a slightly more compact. It's a lot easier to find bearings and seals for the Fairbanks. It sounds like you might have one that is a bit of a red-headed stepchild with the coarse splines. It also sounds like you have one that did not use a spider drive but rather was set up to run off a belt driven (engine) pump.

Thanks for the help! I will try to send John Kunkel a message regarding this. Also, I am new to this modification and haven't heard of it before until I saw this one. I'll have to research it and the Fairbanks style as well. I'll add a few pics now that I am at home and have access to them. This one is the front where the bellhousing bolts to.

And this is the stubby tailshaft housing...

And this is the bellhousing that came with it. I do have a 4-speed trans so I do have the specs to have a shaft made, but then I would have to figure out how to keep the front pump turning since I am missing those pieces. Thanks again guys!

My ....

A clutchflite ? ....very VERY old-school (and OUTdated) stuff ...IMO.

And many other people that shop on eBay agree ... that I see. Some time ago I saw a complete CF kit sell for 40 something $$$ a while back. Other stuff with a reserve never reached a selling price.

I would have to agree with you about it being outdated, and there are better, modern choices. My thoughts are that it's an important piece to the early days of racing and it did help get us to where we are today. There's tons of "outdated" pieces on our cars that have been around 30-40 years that we still use today because they worked and worked well. It's a trans that I may never use, but I would like the knowledge and all the pieces laying around so it could be usable in the future.

I am NOT saying it is not usable ... and I have LOTS of stuff that I am going to use that is way more ancient than 40 years-old.

GO for it !

If you've heard of Frank Lupo of (I think) Dynamic Converters, he used to own Fairbanks and claims to have been the father of the Clutchflite. I believe him. The used to convert TH400's also.

I know the Clutchflite is old but it's one of those old ideas that won't die because it is so cool. Sorta like Hilborn injectors. I spoke to a guy at Winters some time ago and they were looking at re-introducing them.

I think a guy I knew when I lived in Chicago summed it up best when describing his Clutchflite.
In the way only someone from Chicago could say it, he said "when ya shift gears it's like someone reached down and smacked ya in the ass!'

The unit pictured isn't your typical Clutchflite, there are no provisions to drive the front pump. The popular Clutchflite kits include a 3-fingered "spider" that contacts the levers on the pressure plate and drives the front pump.

The example shown here is most likely a variation that uses only the rear pump to supply pressure for upshifting. This variation keeps the rear clutch mechanically engaged at all times, once the car is moving in 1st gear the rear pump supplies line pressure for the 1-2 and 2-3 upshift.

Because the rear clutch is always engaged there is no Neutral and no Reverse so the transmission's usage is limited.

The photo album in the link below shows the more typical configuration:

http://s22.photobucket.com/albums/b311/root66/727CF/

The original Clutchflite was a Mopar engineered product from the A/FX days that used an external power steering pump to supply line pressure, the pump drive spider was an improvement that was available from several aftermarket makers who all undoubtedly claim to have marketed the first example.

The fitting at the bottom of the adapter in the pic above might be for an external pressure source, only a complete disassembly of the unit will show for sure how it's configured.

Seem that you may still be able to buy them.

http://www.wintersperformance.com/catalogs/SideWinder/03.htm

http://www.wintersperformance.com/catalogs/SideWinder/32.htm

Very cool...

Someday I plan to street drive one in my 68 cuda. But, in order to do so I need to cutup the floor, which I won't do, or cut the tailhousing up to clear the floor. This I will do. The only downside is you lose Park as the bulge where the pawl is has to go.

Thanks John for the info! That's what I was looking for. I had the photo of the exploded diagram, but seeing the pictures of the actual setup really helps. The modified one that I have has a few people scratching their heads trying to figure out what they were trying to achieve. You touched on what we were thinking, that it has no park or reverse so that rules out a street car. With only using the rear pump, does that mean that this car would have to have been pushed started for the pump to be working? I'll post a few pics in the near future when I disassemble this one to see whats inside. The way it sounds, I think maybe I should put this on the shelf for inspiration and check out the kits that wmwalden posted above.

You know that looks like the trannys we modified to work on dirt track cars. We had a handle/valve inside the car and you turned it on to go and off to disengage the tranny. Very similar. Of course all the ones we did were powerglides.

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With only using the rear pump, does that mean that this car would have to have been pushed started for the pump to be working?

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No, with the rear clutch mechanically locked the car will always be in 1st gear so the car will move in 1st and, once moving, the rear pump pressure will supply pressure for the upshifts.