Mr Fufu

Ok fellas - a possibly dumb question and hopefully no reflection on me for asking...

I have a 300hp '67 small block coupe, with Powerglide. If I wanted to smoke the tires a bit to impress some jackass in a Smart Car one day, what is the 'safest' way to do it?

I've heard that you hold down the brake pedal firmly while giving it gas, then slowly...(?) release the brake pedal to squeal away. Is this the preferred technique?

Of course, doing burnouts isn't good for tire wear, and also it can't be good for the transmission.

But, in fact, what are the consequences? What happens to the transmission when one does a brake stand burn-out? I suspect the fluid would heat up, and we know excess heat is not a good thing...

I hear the PG is much favored by drag racers for its durability, but my car is bone-stock. Does this make a difference?

Would occasional abuse such as this cause any significant problems for the transmission, or the engine, or?

Are my fears overblown? For you guys with 4-speeds it must be easier - just rev her up and dump the clutch, no?

No, I'm not looking to drag race, nor wish to install a line-lock to isolate the back brakes, nor pour bleach on the tires to create a 'smoke show'. I would have wanted to do all that and more back when I was 16, but now 40 years later I just want to know what the 'safest' way to peel a little extra rubber now and then, without harming my nice C2.:*****

wmf62

be careful what Smart you're trying to impress...

Bill

btw... I own a Smart...

warrenmj

Not sure why anyone driving a C2 would feel the need to impress anyone driving a smart car or any other car for that matter. I've had plenty of guys young and old in lots of different cars try to get me to street race, which I never feel the need to do. I mayrev the engine letting them think I'm going to, but when the light turns and they race away, I just go about my business. The fact you own and drive a C2 should be more than enough to impress them.

fredski

Firmly hold foot brake , rev engine 1800 rpms in low gear then release brake, at same time lay the gas pedal to the floor.
You can do worst right things to your car, go for it.

Fredski

Powershift

Ever heard of a "neutral start"

Larry

Westlotorn

Neutral drops tend to break tranny's!

daz_au

Install LS3, step on gas.

Railroadman

12.53 at 107MPH in an Obamamobile?

dplotkin

Yes they do, but of them all the 'glide can take it for a finite number of times anyway. The best burnout tranny ever? Mopar 727. The worst? Ford MX & FMX. The THM350 was no Hercules either.

To be fair, a tranny's ability to withstand neutral drops and so forth is a function of the engine torque.

Glides were tortured and took it as long as you didn't too badly scald the fluid.

Dan (who was kicked out of public high because my in depth burnout studies were not viewed as extra-circular).

BADBIRDCAGE

I find a neutral drop at about 4800 rpm lights tires quite well. A little tough on the trans.

R66

Buy a line lock if you have a dual master cylinder. Just like the old time drag racers (me). A little tougher with the single master cylinder but can be done.
If you lock up the brakes to all four wheels, you are not only loading the torque converter, trans clutches, u-joints, ring and pinion and u-joints. I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it much (although I did as a kid).
If you install a line lock to lock the front brakes, but not the rear, you relieve a lot of the pressure off of the trans and drive train as the only friction is the tires at the tread.
Then, you can start off with the engine at normal RPM and jump it to 1500 to 2000 and it should smoke the tires until the cords show without putting sever load on the drive train with the rear brakes locked up. You can smoke the tires with a 2.2 liter 4 cylinder rear wheel drive if you just lock the front brakes and not the rear. Pump the rear tires up to 32 psi and it is even easier on the drive train.
The line lock is cheap and easy to install compared to rebuilding the trans, replacing u-joints and broken gears.

Now you are ready for a John Force burnout.

SI67

Small hands?

wmf62

your point....????



Bill

Frankie the Fink

Its a well known fact (especially among the ladies) small hands mean a small pingus.
Surely you've heard that...

Why use and abuse your classic Corvette to impress somebody in a Smart Car?

You could do the same thing with a Renault Dauphine, a Schwinn bicycle or a grocery cart you stole from Piggly-Wiggly.

Not worth burning out a Powerglide transmission or busting a U-joint to me...

ack fia

I believe the rule-of-thumb is that your transmission fluid temperature rises 100 degrees per second when holding in gear against the brake.

dplotkin

Yes, but its the clutch plates and band levers that object to 2,800 RPM engagement against a stationary driveline.


It really is a stupid thing for anyone over 21 to be doing, especially in a vintage car. 18 years old in a rented Lincoln? Different story. Then again todays cars won't allow such buffoonery.


Dan

rfn026

Joe Biden has started a new trend. Now everyone wants to do burnouts.

Richard Newton
A Real Race Car

Frankie the Fink

Install a Muncie 4 speed if you want something to flog

GTOguy

The safest way to do a burnout in a doggy car is to power brake it, as described by fredski. I foot on brake, one on gas, load the converter, and then floor it as the tires start to break loose. Easy to make even slug cars burn rubber. Being a powerglide car, you probably have an open rear end...which will tend to destroy spider gears as you burn one tire into oblivion while the other just sits there. Neutral drops are only allowed if you are under 18 years of age and in need of much Clearasil. Good luck with your second childhood.

Powershift

Agree with your assessment.

I remember a neutral start in my 1965 BB MOPAR. Put down some great "tracks" but blew out both rear axle seals. The 727 held in there.

Also have had poor results with the FORD trans you mentioned. They had trouble with the torque.

Larry