Engine diapers

[KevinB]

What is everyone running as far as engine diapers? I was talking to the tech guy at the local track today and they are strictly enforcing them this year on 9.99 and faster cars. They have one for $150. Is there a custom Buick V6 one out there, or one that works good?

TIA!

 

[SRGN]

I was talking to the tech guy at the local track today and they are strictly enforcing them this year on 9.99 and faster cars.

You only need one if you are running 7.49 or quicker or super gas or comp. Nhra's advanced E.T. specification. If you look in the 2008 rule book you will see it. See general rules section 1.8 on page 65, it explains the device requirements and say it is class specific. Super Pro, pro, sportsman say it is permitted, it does not say it's required. This may have been track specific rule but is not an NHRA general Rule. If you look at the NHRA web site there is no revisions to this rule.

 

[Ken H]

The rule book doesn't apply here. This is what local tracks are starting to do to "help them" minimize down time and the cost of clean up. If you go to some of the racing BB's you'll see this is happening all across the country. It would'nt surprise me if they don't start making us pay for our own clean up some time in the future.

Kevin,
Some of the companies that make these will make custom diapers for you. DRE at index.gif and Stroud at stroudsaftey.com both say they can make whatever you want. All you have to do is give them certain measurements from the engine and they will make one for you. Now here is where the problems seem to start, what do you do about the big holes needed on both sides of the engine for the mounts? What do you do about any oil lines going to the oil pan ? What do you do about the factory cross member and oil pan clearence ( especially on a stgII )? It just seems that to put a $400.00 custom diaper on our cars, it'll cost us even more big dollars.

If you find a way to do this on our engines let me know. Both Dave Fiscus and I have been wondering about this same thing, since both of us have stgII's on factory style engine mounts and factory cross members. I think when we were there at Edgewater last year when Dave ran that 8.32 they told him then they were going to mandate the 9 second and faster cars have diapers whether NHRA required them to or not.

Keep us posted.

 

[KevinB]

Thanks Ken!
I was talking to the guy at Edgewater yesterday. He kind of hinted to me that he wouldn't exactly not let you run, but there would be hell to pay if you did oil the track down. I will probably try to go without the diaper at first and see what they say. The worst they can do is kick me out...won't be the first time
Do you or Dave have any plans of going down there soon? Let me know if you go if you don't mind. My car will not be back in service until next month.

 

[quickt]

What is everyone running as far as engine diapers? I was talking to the tech guy at the local track today and they are strictly enforcing them this year on 9.99 and faster cars. They have one for $150. Is there a custom Buick V6 one out there, or one that works good?

TIA!

Hi Kevin,
I talked to Ram Jet about a diaper. I will have one for a Buick to sell in about 3-4 weeks. I think the object is to catch as much of the mess as a diaper can. I think its more of a PIA than anything. I have seen more transmission fluid messes than engines.

 

[SGRIM]

Hi Kevin,
I talked to Ram Jet about a diaper. I will have one for a Buick to sell in about 3-4 weeks. I think the object is to catch as much of the mess as a diaper can. I think its more of a PIA than anything. I have seen more transmission fluid messes than engines.

Cool, I was hoping a vendor picked up these for our cars!

 

[Spooled231]

What is everyone running as far as engine diapers? I was talking to the tech guy at the local track today and they are strictly enforcing them this year on 9.99 and faster cars. They have one for $150. Is there a custom Buick V6 one out there, or one that works good?

TIA!

Kevin,

I have an engine diaper for ya, DUCT TAPE! Itll keep ya quiet from for a while


John Martin
1986 Buick T-type
9.71 @ 140
6.21 @ 112

 

[KevinB]

Kevin,

I have an engine diaper for ya, DUCT TAPE! Itll keep ya quiet from for a while


John Martin
1986 Buick T-type
9.71 @ 140
6.21 @ 112

It's going to take more than that

 

[Ken H]

Kevin

I'm still putting mine together, so it'll be a little while longer for me. As far as Dave, he hasn't touched the car yet, but once it gets warm I'm sure it won't take long.

Maybe Edgewater will "overlook" this for now. I'm in agreement with Lonnie, you tend to see trans fluid or water/coolant than engine oil.

Lonnie

Let me or Dave know what you end up with. I'm very interested and would like to see one. Glad someone stepped up to tackle this, thanks.

 

[JoyOf6]

Belly Up

Maybe they'll accept a belly pan. I recently saw where this acceptable as an alternative (NHRA or IHRA, can't recall, but maybe your track will accept). Custom fab one to do the job.

I haven't looked under a GN in a while to evaluate, but the belly pan must extend behind flexplate a bit, run frame rail to frame rail, and include a lip to hold fluids.

Art

 

[Ken H]

It's my understanding that the belly pan is more suited for the tube chassis cars like your Camaro Art. The factory frame curves upward towards the front too much and gets fairly wide as it gets closer to the trans. This would possibly interfere with our downpipe and cross over pipe, not to mention how low the oil pan sits in the chassis. My Billet Fab oil pan sits as low as the front chassis crossover. This in its self would probably rule the belly pan out in a factory chassis. Len Freeman has some pics over on the yellowbullit.com of their blue car with a belly pan.

 

[steve hughes]

Lonnie let me know when the diaper comes in. Thanks

 

[LV GN]

check out my photos about 1/2 way down the page.
diaper? - Yellow Bullet Forums

 

[SGRIM]

Can you post them here Len? You got to sign up to see them...

 

[JoyOf6]

Thanks for setting me straight Ken... and nice belly pan setup Len. We installed a diaper on the Camaro last Fall. Took a little while to get the contraption fitted nice and tight. A pan would probably be preferable (oil and plug changes), and maybe we'll go that way (thinking about attaching to car with Dzus fasteners). Chassis just went to repowdercoat yesterday.

As SRGN described and for those who haven't read the NHRA rule update (note the word "permitted" in ET section:

ET Classes:
Oil Retention Device
All vehicles permitted to utilize an NHRA-accepted lower engine oil retention device; may use a belly pan in lieu of device attached to the engine. If belly pan is used, must extend from framerail to framerail, and extend forward of the harmonic balancer to the rear of the engine block, and must incorporate a minimum 2-inch high lip on all sides. See General Regulations 1:8.


OIL RETENTION DEVICE
All vehicles running 7.49 or quicker must utilize an NHRA-accepted lower engine oil retention device; may use a belly pan in lieu of a device attached to the engine. The belly pan must extend from framerail to framerail, and extend forward of the harmonic balancer and rearward of the flywheel, and must incorporate a minimum 2- inch high lip on all sides. See General Regulations 1:8.

 

[Ken H]

Hey Art,

I definately was not trying to insult or come across in a negative way. I realized my response after your post might have come across in a negative way towards you, this was definately not my intention. I know you have been in this game for a very long time, so my apologies to you if there was any offense. I definately remember your TSE car in the pre TSO days. I know you also know very well the Regal frame.

I have been doing A LOT of research on this for a while now, strictly for myself. I keep coming to the same conclusion, the powers to be keep making it harder for the small time racers to compete at any level in todays racing. My TSO style car will be very capable of low 8's , but to run that fast I'll probably have to spend an additional $5000.00 to $10,000.00 to be "legal". Oh well, I guess the old saying still applies, If you want to go fast be prepared to pay for it. Thats probably why there are more bracket racers than there are heads up and class cars.

BTW, hows the Camaro coming along? I was keeping up with the progress on the other thread. Really nice car. Glad you wren't hurt too. Again, my apologies for sounding harsh.

 

[JoyOf6]

Hi Ken,

I didn't take your comments as harsh at all. I must have had amnesia about Regals. I still have two GNs so I should have easily pictured the difficulty of making a custom belly pan.

Thanks, I was lucky there was not more extensive damage to the Camaro and none to me. Hope I'm not being stupid jumping back in. Powdercoat will change to black. We'll start putting everything back on the chassis when we get it back next week. In meantime, the new body will get spill plates fabbed and riveted on this weekend, then body will go to a small shop a block from the chassis shop. 3.89 gears will replace the 4.30s on Monday. Lexan ordered. I'll post updates in my "Slug" thread as they occur.

It sucks to be chasing rules and wondering why some are in place and others not. The TSE quibbling I remember from 2000 still seems to exist in some classes but I guess that goes on everywhere. I do prefer a set of rules implemented and enforced by a sanctioning body but that requires a larger number of cars. Running low-8s in a heavy non-tube V6 car is serious stuff, not that I've ever done it. It's a huge commitment to run the limits of any setup. Cubic dollars. Making that investment and restricting oneself to Buick races is an impossible proposition for most unless you're in the middle of the action (as you are in OH). So few super fast Buicks compared to the bulk of the club memberships so it's a numbers game. Fast cars require more event resources and attention.

Take care...

Art

 

[oldtimer]

Hi Kevin,
I talked to Ram Jet about a diaper. I will have one for a Buick to sell in about 3-4 weeks. I think the object is to catch as much of the mess as a diaper can. I think its more of a PIA than anything. I have seen more transmission fluid messes than engines.

Lonnie,

any luck with the Stage2 Buick diapers ?

George