PAR Bulletproof Gearset Installed and Running

[mike kojima]

Ok, I finally got around to putting together the PAR
super heavy duty, constant mesh dog gear set and
installing it in my transmission.

For those of you worried that it may not be
streetable, avert your fears, it is very streetable,
it is just different in the way it shifts.  If you are
used to how a motorcycle shifts, you will feel right
at home, you need to shift with a firm snap of the
wrist or the transmission could grind.  Its not hard
or anything, just the transmission does not tolerate
being limp wristed.  You can master this in about 5
minutes.  On partial throttle easy shifts, it goes
"clank" into gear, just like a motorcycle. The
transmission due to straight cut gears also whines
like a motorcycle as well.  Its really not that bad,
the drilled rear rotors on my car whine louder for
instance.  The gear drive on a built V8 whines way
louder.  Are all these things unbearable?  Not for
most of you who have 300+ hp turbo cars with loud
exhausts, hard motor mounts, snorting bypass valves
and wastegates.  Perhaps some persnickety person might
find this stuff bad but any high power turbo person
will probably actual like the whine and positive
shifts.

The cool thing is that you can do snick-snick
clutchless shifts that are lightning fast without
hurting the gearset, it was designed to do it.  You
slightly preload the shifter then fan the throttle and
boom, it goes into the next gear faster than you can
blink.

Downshifts are great, way better and more positive
than a stock transmission the transmission
effortlessly downshifts weather heel and toeing or
just plain downshifting.

Where the transmission really shines is rowing through
the gears at WOT, it shifts very fast and smooth,
amazingly so.

Third gear on this sucker is way thicker with way
beefier teeth than stock, in fact all of the gears are
way strong.  The version I had built, has an extended
input shaft so it can use a Silvia pilot bearing and
has the input shaft fully supported, I belive this
will help it hold more power.

PAR says this gearbox should hold 500 hp.  It is going
to cost around $3000 us retail. I think you powerful
turbo car owners will no longer have to walk in fear
of 3rd gear exploding at any minute anymore.

I also installed JWT's new double disc clutch with the
new hat contour and new organic linings.  Surprisingly
this clutch is very streetable.  It has a slightly
harder pedal than JWT's regular clutch, about that of
a ACT street clutch.  It is not as smooth as JWT's
stage 1 clutch but way smoother than for instance a
clutch net stage 3 or an ACT 6 puck.  Its probably the
second smoothest clutch you can get. It had a very
slight chatter in the first few minutes of operation
but it went away. The clutch also makes a light
chinging noise when the pedal is pushed in due to the
floater plate moving, but it is no big deal.

This clutch has held 500 hp on tests on some drag
cars.  It has a real fast action due to a short
release clearance for fast shifts and weighs only 15.6
lbs with the flywheel!  The motor is so responsive and
revs so fast, its amazing.

I also installed a Nismo 1.5 way clutch type LSD.  I
have used this with great success in my NASA SE-R Cup
race car and feel that in all but one way, feel on
initial turn in, it is better than a quaife.  It locks
up hard and also helps prevent inside wheel lockup
under braking for a turn.  It has 4 pinion gears so
that failure will not happen and it locks more
positively than a quaife.

Anyway, I knew that many of you would be eagerly
awaiting the results of the fit up.  This transmission
will see battle in the Honda vs Nissan shootout for
TNN's 2NER TV show on Tuesday.  I plan to use 20 psi
on the road course to make sure third gear will hold.

Mike