In a recent episode of Tech Inspection, we explained what goes into tuning the centrifugal clutch used in a nitro-powered drag racing vehicle. Clutch tuning is only one part of the equation, the other is rebuilding the clutch after every pass down the track. In this video, Chad Green Motorsports takes viewers behind the scenes to show what it takes to prepare one of these clutches for the next run.
The first thing to understand is just how much heat these clutches generate during a pass. By the time the team returns to the pits and begins its turnaround routine, the clutch assembly has barely had time to cool. That means the crew member responsible for servicing the clutch must work with components that are still extremely hot.
After the clutch hat and clutch discs are removed from the vehicle, the inspection process begins. The crew carefully looks over every component for damage and excessive wear before starting the rebuild. Special fixtures are used to help dissipate heat from the clutch components once they’ve been removed from the car.
Each clutch disc is then measured for thickness, with the measurements carefully recorded. In nitro racing, teams typically get only two runs out of a set of clutch discs before they need to be replaced.
Once every component has been inspected, it’s time to rebuild the clutch and install it back into the vehicle. The impressive part is that the entire process has to be completed in less than 30 minutes so the engine can be warmed up and the car can be ready for its next pass.
If you’ve ever wondered what goes into maintaining a Top Fuel or Funny Car centrifugal clutch, be sure to check out this video from Chad Green Motorsports, which documents the complete nitro clutch rebuilding process between rounds.
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