B&M Clutch-Flite transmission

[R. Thorne]

An interesting article I unearthed a few years ago when I started my build on the Marrs Boys 1963 Corvette.  It appeared in Cars magazine.  This is courtesy of the autohistorypreservationsociety.org.

[johnyrotten]

Cool old school tech. There's a guy on YouTube going over a clutched th400. Poor man's lenco.

[Mark]

The Revell (ex-Monogram) '66 Malibu has a clutch/automatic setup (as well as a four-speed).  The automatic transmission in that kit isn't too good, but it's the only kit I know of that ever had that setup.

[presnell]

Years ago I built a 302 for a friend to put in a 55 to drag race with a clutchflite he kept having trouble with the pump drive spider never found a solution.

[1972coronet]

Then there was the Liberty 4-speed as well. IIRC, it was the opposite of the Clutch-Flite ; it was typically a Chrysler A-833 , but with a torque converter instead of a clutch. 

Thanks for the article !

[Mark]

I'm surprised this setup didn't get used more often on the street.  My thinking would be that a clutch would be preferable over a high-stall torque converter, and if you've got a "built" engine, it probably isn't producing sufficient vacuum to shift an automatic transmission anyway.  The clutch would get rid of the negative aspects of the high-stall converter, and the manually shifted automatic would lessen driveline shock and eliminate declutching for shifts.

[johnyrotten]

15 minutes ago, Mark said:

I'm surprised this setup didn't get used more often on the street.  My thinking would be that a clutch would be preferable over a high-stall torque converter, and if you've got a "built" engine, it probably isn't producing sufficient vacuum to shift an automatic transmission anyway.  The clutch would get rid of the negative aspects of the high-stall converter, and the manually shifted automatic would lessen driveline shock and eliminate declutching for shifts.

It's my understanding these came into play before we had good converter technology. Not really sure how something like this would work on the street, everything I've seen with them were in full blown race cars. Interesting ideas 

[bytownshaker]

Excellent article

 

[1972coronet]

21 hours ago, johnyrotten said:

It's my understanding these came into play before we had good converter technology. Not really sure how something like this would work on the street, everything I've seen with them were in full blown race cars. Interesting ideas 

I seem to remember the B&M 'J' converter from c.1967, 1968 being one of those early , high-stall , "loose" converters. Those were in the '68 Hemi Dart and Barracuda models. 

[johnyrotten]

12 minutes ago, 1972coronet said:

I seem to remember the B&M 'J' converter from c.1967, 1968 being one of those early , high-stall , "loose" converters. Those were in the '68 Hemi Dart and Barracuda models. 

Those cars definitely needed something beyond stock. This car was the first one I heard of a clutched auto. He explains why he chose that option https://www.hotrod.com/how-to/hrdp-0703-supercharged-pontiac-400-engine-build