After several hurdles, we were finally able to get some numbers out of our 400 Horsepower 302 project engine. As we mentioned in the January issue, the engine was placed into our 1967 Mustang coupe, which we enthusiastically titled "Project 11.99". Our first hurdle came when we fired up the engine and, although it ran great, it had lower than desired oil pressure. We attributed the problem to the standard volume pump combined with our race-oriented bearing clearances. We talked to Melling and on their advice swapped over to a high volume (M68HV) pump. This did the trick, and our pressures were now 40 psi at hot idle and 75 psi at 6000+ rpm, using Royal Purple 5W30 race oil. With that figured out, we put a couple hundred miles on the engine to ensure the rings were seated and to break in the Centerforce clutch. Finally on January 8th we headed out to Sacramento Raceway to make some passes.

The plan was to make a couple easy shakedown runs before really hammering the clutch and engine. We rolled into the waterbox did a small burnout to clean off the Mickey Thompson ET Streets, and then launched the car at 2000 rpms. The tires spun quite a bit off the line, resulting in having to short shift into second at about 6000 rpm. Second gear was taken to about 6300 rpm before hitting third. That is when the problems started. Third gear seemed to feel odd, as if the rpms were climbing faster than the car was actually accelerating. The shift into fourth told the rest of the story; the shifter would not go into fourth, indicating a clutch or transmission problem. After coasting the car back to the pits, we got underneath, hoping for just a linkage problem. Instead we could visibly see shreds of clutch friction material wedged in between the engine plate and bellhousing.

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