On Wed, 18 Mar 1998, Trevor Jordan wrote:
> I think James means a centripital/cetrafugal clutch as used in chainsaws,
> ride-on lawn mowers and motor scooters. It is similar to a drum brake with
> friction shoes inside a drum. The driven shaft has the shoes, which spin
> out as the rotational speed increases and grip the drum.
Our 87 Chevette (automatic) has a system like this. At speeds over 60k
and the revs down low the torque converter locks up, so essentially it is
a 4-speed transmission- 3 speed auto with 'magic' overdrive.
It does not work at low speeds. But it gets great highway mileage...
My own Shuv-It, also auto, doesn't have this tranny. But it can launch
itself at stoplights much better, I have surprised many V8s!
-Malcolm
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