Sequential gearbox for high torque application

[teamHOLDENracing]

Dear all

Any direct experience of the following sequential boxes? It is for fitment to a Chevy LS2 powered GT car (front engined, rear drive). I am looking for a fit and forget solution - i.e. stick it in at the start of the season and other than lubricant changes (and possibly ratio changes) and maybe a half season check over, I don't want to touch the thing again until winter.

It needs to cope with 500-550 lb-ft of torque and I will run it with a cooler, mated to a BTR cone diff also with a big cooler. Race durations initially up to an hour, but subsequently anything up to 24 hours.

Options I am considering are

Glebe GT6
Holinger
Hewland IGT-C
Drenth

The Holinger and Hewland are proven as far as I can ascertaion - so I'm looking for eaxmples of the Glebe and Drenth boxes in big torque/power applications

I'm also interested in experience of spares availability /servicing on all.

I'm even more interested in good condition secondhand examples, though I suspect I may have to buy new.

Many thanks

Andy

[teamHOLDENracing]

Guys I don't really need the lectures on maintenance thanks.

The Holinger and Hewland will, I know, be absolutely fine in this application, but I have no experience of the Drenth or Glebe. I don't know anyone who runs the Glebe (but am told that somewhere in Belgium someone is running one in a Viper) and whilst I know plenty of people who run Drenths in BMWs, none of them run V8s with the sort of torque we have.

So any tales of direct experience gratefully recd. Thanks

[teamHOLDENracing]

johnfelstead said:

Why dont you pick up the phone to Nick Cresswell at Glebe and ask him who is using his box in that aplication and what experiences they have had to date with it then? Ask for references from his customers etc.

I did excatly that, which is how I know someone somewhere is running a GT6 in a Viper. Nick couldn't be more specific that that in the case of the Viper which is closest in application to mine. He has been very helpful. There are one or two BMW V8 engined applications that I have some details on and will follow up i the New Year

I am looking for reliability first and foremost as I won't be able to carry a spare box to circuits. Races will be 2 x 45 or 2 x 60 minutes per weekend and the ability to change ratios to suit the circuit appeals. 5 v 6 speed doesn't matter too much as the engine has enough torque we don't need to keep it in a sweet spot in the rev range. Weight is not critical as we may end up needing to ballast or resrict the engine anyway.

Given the torque there is not a huge choice. As expected none are cheap, although the Glebe is the most affordable.

Holinger: no drop gears and I hear that parts can take more time to come through from Oz since they won the Porsche contract. No worries about reliability. Expensive particularly when the European distributor has taken his slice

Glebe GT6: drop gears and significantly cheaper than Holinger and Hewland, but far fewer in use and therefeore arguably (and perhaps unfairly) a less proven option

Drenth - an unknown to me but plenty of the guys in Dutch Supercar using them

Hewland: drop gears and proven reliability, 15 miles from us but the most expensive option.

[teamHOLDENracing]

Thanks guys - I am leaning towards Hewland who are just 9.4 miles down the road.

Rob - I'd expect the car to come in at a shade over 1,000kg. And with the torque band there is probably not as much to be gained from the sequential as there would be with the existing AJP, but there you go. There is far less chance of a missed gear with the sequential and flat shift will make a difference.