I just rebuilt one of the Borg Warner Velvet 1017 drives and i'm working on the second. It's pretty easy if you ask me. Just take pictures and pull the components out and set them aside then rebuild one at a time.

questions I have - can you take the part that holds the clutch plates out of a 1018 model and put it into the 1017 so you can have 9 plates instead of 5.
would it make any sense to shim the spring to get more pressure?
what are the tricks to make the 1017 handle more HP.
I keep seeing 1018 and 1017 models that say Counter Rotation? I need standard rotation ones. things get reversed in my case inside the TRS drives. so both engines and trans are standard rotation.

i'll bet for $100 more the designers of this transmission could have made it handle 1000 hp easily! Put 5 clutch plates in it but make it so if someone needs more ability they can easily add 9 or more plates !! How difficult can that be!

Cliff in Maine

I cant tell you much but I thought the 17 and 18 were different sizes. Also you can use the trans for either direction motor buy just flipping the pump upside down but the trans will not change the direction (ie, like making a RR motor run standard).

yes, the c-72 or 18, is longer then the c-71. i would guess about 3/4 to 1 inch longer.

i had c-71's in my 33 scarab, blew one up, had to changed and updated to a c-72. so i also had to move my engine mounts.

i was told you can take a clutch plate from the reverse side and add to forward side.

Exactly correct. There are 2 arrows on the pump showing the engine rotation. You install it with the arrow on top that marches the rotation.

Yes 72 is longer. The most forward plates you can put in a 71 is 7 and that does use the center hub from a 72 but requires some machine work. 6 is possible using thinner steels with existing hub.

I don't recommend shimming the regulator but a little bit won't hurt.

Don't mix up the 2 snap rings in the forward drum. The thick (.090) one goes under the bellville washer, the other (.075) holds the piston housing in,

The steels are the same as late 1980s aod ford forward or reverse I think it was, even same part# in a transtar catalog. The bronze clutches are same spline and od BUT were never used in a car BUT they DO make a alto red eagle paper faced racing clutch with same od, same id splines and thinner, they make a heat treated kolene steel too. By using these along with selective snap rings I was able to get 7 clutches/steels in the 5 clutch drum AND they have a increased friction coeffiecent/torque capacity, Smitty