Belly Pan

[BurtonBrown]

To All,

My real job is making machinery to make oil sorbents. I would bet that 70% of the leak they had in the gulf a couple years ago was produced on our equipment. I know this industry well.
Sometimes we just cant get a engine completely sealed in our Stock cars and actually put a diaper on it made out of Meltblown Polypropylene. I could probably make a few rolls and see if there would be a way to put some sort of fire retardant on the fabric to minimize burning if an engine blew up and try to get the best of both worlds. Keeping the fire at bay and hopefully keeping the oil off the salt. At worst case I can donate Sorbent rolls to the safety crew to use in an oil spill. We have lots of times we are running a pilot line where we could make some extra rolls....

If anyone wants me to pursue this let me know who to contact ( safety truck, rules people, etc) and get the ball rolling. If we did come up with one that had fire retardant in it I would bring enough along to give it to any racer who wanted it.
Burton

[Rex Schimmer]

I would think that coating the inside of your engine compartment, especially cars with belly pans and lakesters and streamliners, with something like Rust-Oleum's "Never Wet" liquid repelling treatment. This pretty much eliminates any oil from remaining on the treated surface and should accelerate fluids draining to the drain holes and also make cleaning the engine compartment a lot easier.

Rex

[Huffy047]

One more question. Attaching the pan in my application looks easiest if I pop rivit it to the bottom of the car. This will make inspection by the officials very hard to do in the rear area. Am I going to have to remove it for them to see? The car is a roadster and the cockpit will be sealed from the top where the driver sits and the bottom seal also. The trunk has a water tank in it that seals the entire trunk?

[dw230]

For a new car with a belly pan attached with rivets you will have to drill them out then reattach. How will you perform maintenance with that attachment method?

DW

[Bob Drury]

  Huffy, what I did was install NutSerts in to the frame works, and bolt the pan on (do not over tighten or use locktight on the threads or you will spin the nutsert!).
  I then cover the bolt head with RTV sealant and have never had a problem.
  If you would rather use Dzus fasteners, I recommend covering the head with duct tape (as always, Nassua 357, not cheap shit).

[Huffy047]

I realize drilling rivits out is a pain, we have been three times and so far no maintence on anything was needed. The real question remains "Are the tech people going to need the pan removed"?

This is a new car with most parts from the car we have already run, I do plan to use at least three sections, front middle and rear with the rear the one that might have to be removed for a gear change?

Thanks for your input!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bob Drury]

  Huffy, with a new car or chassis they have to see it all for you to get the frame sticker and log book.  What I would recommend is rolling it into tech with  cleco's holding the pan on and if they don't want to see it at least you won't be sent to the back of the line........................

[Glen]

Huffy, where do you live, there might be a inspector near you or better yet ask SCTA tech committee on the web site.

[Seldom Seen Slim]

I know you're serious in asking where Huffy is -- but if he doesn't respond I'll put him somewhere, okay?  I'm thinking it's time to pick on the states in the south/east, so I'd place him in maybe someplace like Analictus, Alabama or maybe Grumpy Guy, Georgia. 

Huffy -- it's up to you to save yourself from getting a new home.  Here's the story, by the way, on why we're teasing you.  Many, many of newcomers to our Forum don't put anything in the blank (on the profile page of registration) labeled LOCATION.  Glen's question is a fine example of why we ask you to fill out that line -- so maybe we can give you some advice that'll work better because we know of something/someone that's at least sort of near you.  And when said new member doesn't fill it out -- well, I've been known to enter something for you, hoping that youll see it and figure out that unless you like telling everyone that you live in, for instance, Purple Pudenda, Pennsylvania -- you'll fix it with the correct information.  See?

[manta22]

" ...Purple Pudenda, Pennsylvania"   This is down the road from Blue Ball, isn't it Jon? 

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Ron Gibson]

Probably "UP" the road from Intercourse, Pa.

Ron

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Naw -- Blue Ball is in Belarus.  You're probably thinking of Oval Orifice, Ohio.

[bearingburner]

On our lakester we attached the belly pan with long Dzus fasteners.

[jww36]

For what it is worth, I'm a metal fabricator, and I don't believe a pop rivet should secure the belly pan. Aluminum rivets don't have the strenghth to hold a panel upside down with the vibration, bumps, etc. Steel rivets will rust. If you have to drill out rivets, the hole becomes oversized.

If by chance part of the belly pan became loose during a run and drops down on to the salt, the results will not be good.

[Huffy047]

The rivits would be in shear, not from the bottom, but thanks for the thought.

Sorry about the profile, I thought I had filled all the info in. I live in Virginia.

Thanks to all who responded, I thiink I will drill drain holes where as big as I think neccassary, carry a drill if the tech guys don't think I have enough holes. Put my rivits in shear and do a few removable inspection plates.

Our first year at tech took a long time, our repeat visits have been a breeze and many good comments on the construction, I see no reason we can't do this again.

Thanks again for the help!