This will stir things up....

I was talking to a trans builder in Australia yesterday (looking for thin Kolene steels). He asked me how much power I was intending to put through my C4, somewhere between 1000 to 1150hp (with NOS) I replied. He said don't waste your money, put in a glide. Said anything over 800hp, they had serious troubles in their car. What did you break I asked......just about everything he replied. Said they had tried all sorts of different VB's, input shafts, 6 pinion planeteries, 8 and 9 clutch packs etc etc and they best run they had was 25 passes before "something" broke. Changed to a glide and the car went FASTER dispite only two gears and haven't touched it after 18 months of use. Don't believe what the US guys tell ya, he said, they can't reliably handle high hp!!
I think I've read virtually every post here and note the most of the comments run like, .....a local guy at my track runs a C4 behind a blown BB and hasn't touched it in 2 years, or something similar. Are any of you guys that use this forum actually running a C4 with high hp??
It appears that perhaps ONLY the PA C4's have reliability, I remember reading a recent post regarding numerous broken C4's built by other reputable builders.
Are they REALLY what they're pumped up to be ??????

Greg Cook and 545 mike,mario428 TimR all have c4's behind bigblocks.Drag79stang builds his own also using some PA components.Theres others also i have forgotten right now.
I'm making the decision right now what to do whether to use a c6 which i have a few of or get a C4BB bell from the U.S which actually works out the same cost anyway as getting a good servo + lever for a C6.
If you recall some time ago Kent(89coupe) dismantled a P.A C4 and didn't find too much that couldn't be duplicated anyway to build a tough C4.He has some pics which he will post when he has finished moving house.
There is so many C4's living behind Bigblocks in the U.S to be wrong.I think by using a glide they are just taking the easy way out or afraid to try something different.
.Any time i have doubts about a C4 just look at Greg Cooks galaxie with the frontwheels in the air.I don't know how they don't break when you compare the size of the internals with a C6 but they seem ok.
As for thin kolene steels,i think the only ones i have seen are in the alto powerpack kits..The normal kolene steels are a little thinner than stock but are still .075".I use thin steels from a guy in melbourne which are real nice.I have used then in plenty of C4's one running 10's and no problems..I can give you the contact number if you like.He is a private guy who supplies shops and he took some tracking down but he was happy to send the steels to me COD post...
How is your BB coming along Chris..Did you only end up with one bellhousing? I'm still chasing one or else i will ship one from one of the U.S guys who has just quoted me on shipping yesterday..Keep posted on your progress.

Hi Greg, its actually an SVO SB setup we are doing so I can't help you with the bell sorry.
The car is coming along good, chassis all completed (EL Falcon based) and virtually all parts are here now, just have to assemble the engine and trans and we're in business.
I tried everywhere for the thin kolene's....no Alto distributor I tried stocked them, then out of the blue an email arrives from this guy in Sydney who's got them in stock. I tried getting stock steels ground but they warped too much and the cost to get them done was actually more expensive than this guy is supplying them for.
His comments pretty much threw me though as I've sunk afew $$ into this little project and if the C4 turns out to be unreliable I'll be pretty peeved.
Im real interested to hear comments from people who are using them with high hp, what they've broken etc. I'm sure they will live behind a BB but at what sort of power?? I note that most guys in the "outlaw" class/es in the US are using glides or lenco's with converter etc. Mind you they making 1500hp+ hp now...........

Well, I don't know about all the other guys, but I had mine on & off the dyno this short winter & on the engine was 717 & on the spray over 1000. My C-4 is a PA & it takes a LOT of abuse.
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theres one in here

Chris
The steels i use are PTC and are about the only one's i know of other than the altos that are available here.ATP have just listed the thin steels but i believe they could be the PTC ones too.
What sort of price did they quote you for them?
I have got my parts guy chasing up an alto powerpack 6 clutchpack if he can get it and can let you know how that goes if it's any help.

He quoted A$12 a plate, said they were genuine Alto/kolene plates. I won't have to pay the GST so the price should be around $11. Whats your guy quoting Greg?

Oh, and by the way...I think its less than half the price to procure the steels and frictions and make your own power pack kit. The high/rev frictions are a different diameter and have afew slits in them to allow the oil to escape when applied....comparing to the red forward frictions. They are available, got my original lot from a trans supply in Auckland for around NZ$8 a plate and am getting some extra's from the same guy in Sydney.
And Greg (Cook).....yep that pic looks impressive [img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_bow.gif[/img]
Any reliability issues or breakages and appox how much hp?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: cmf60 on 11/21/03 7:37am ]</font>

Further to my concerns regarding the C4, here's afew comments from another forum that concern this subject -

Streetracer
Rookie

Registered: Dec 2002
Location:
Posts: 13
help!
Will a SuperComp C4 from PA hold up to 1000hp? Maybe 1100-1200hp? Is the SuperComp C4 (rated at 1000hp) really stronger than their SuperComp Powerglide (rated at 800hp)?


__________________
-Nate



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11-21-2003 05:40 PM



Bbarsh
Junior Member

Registered: Oct 2002
Location:
Posts: 20
I have a PA supercomp in my car now and I can tell you it won't hold up at that power level. They require freshening up way too often for me. Thats why I'm going to a PG.



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Might backup what the guy from Australia said..........

[img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img][img]/phpBB/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img] One or two people & now people are doubting C-4's again...
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