What is your take on the sprag - no sprag deal?  I will probably find out in '09 because I just had one of my 9" converters converted to no sprag to see if it is more consistent. I know there are many factors in making a car (dragster) consistent. I recently switched to dragster after 25 years of door car, and the dragster is less consistent than my door car! (It was a great door car- 2500 lbs- running about 8.20), and I am using the same converters in the dragster. In learning how to drive the dragster I think I messed up the sprag with the violent hookups coming out of the water on a backed off throttle. Now I keep the throttle wide open on the chip until the engine starts pulling down.

Another thing I always wondered about was the trans pressure. My builder has the pressure running no more than 195 lbs. Is this enough for consistent shift and no slippage at 950 HP? I know that the more pressure the more drag.

Thanks for any advice you may have.

Dennis DiValerio
Algonquin, IL

Sprag or no sprag Dennis? I have run sprag, mechanical diode (new one way clutch), and spragless in the Mike’s Transmissions blown alcohol dragster for many runs in the 5.90-6.0s at 239+ mph, and noticed no difference in performance in any way. The one way clutch in the converter is made to freewheel cruising on off the throttle, so when you load and unload it, it really slaps hard. The spragless converter is locked all the time, so with cruising or deceleration, the stator fins block fluid flow, making more heat in a street vehicle. If we could get by without a sprag on the street, the big auto manufacturers would have left it out years ago. The only reason we can get by without it in drag racing is that we are only going a short distance. As for the line pressure in the transmission, time will tell what it takes to hold the torque that your power plant puts out.

Thanks, Mike

Mike’s Transmission
Lancaster CA
(661) 723-0081
www.mikestransmission.com