SFI flexplate mandatory in all v8s Jan 2024 - Page 2

Billy Nees · 07-22-2023, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmantle

Billy, I've never seen a ring gear come off a Mopar converter but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. I have seen the external balance weight come off one, pretty heavy chunk just held on be two spot welds. Made a mess of the case.

Hi Jim! Steve Stasko posted a picture of one "coming off" a couple of pages back.

Mark Yacavone · 06-20-2023, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike britt

In this case the flexplate did not break or come out. It was still bolted to the crankshaft. What happened was the ring gear welds came loose and the ring gear started coming apart in pieces. I found one piece about 2 inches long by the accelerator pedal in bills car. It looked like a stock flexplate to me, but the rules did not require the car to have an SFI flexplate.

Mike was this a stock case 200, by any chance? Did it sustain a lot of damage too?

This just occurred to me .This, being a Chevy II with fenderwell headers, the car didn't have much in the way under it to absorb and block some of the explosion.
With Jimmy Jr. on the right in the waterbox, it sounds like he was caught in a perfect storm, so to speak..Lucky, lucky ,lucky!

mike britt · 06-20-2023, 11:02 PM

It pretty much destroyed the bell housing. Most of the parts were about the size of your hand. It was a stock bell.

06-21-2023, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mike britt

In this case the flexplate did not break or come out. It was still bolted to the crankshaft. What happened was the ring gear welds came loose and the ring gear started coming apart in pieces. I found one piece about 2 inches long by the accelerator pedal in bills car. It looked like a stock flexplate to me, but the rules did not require the car to have an SFI flexplate.

So there you go, a 7k plus RPM engine with a stock flexplate. He didn’t do anything wrong, but if he had an ATI or equivalent SFI flexplate there wouldn’t have been an incident. Probably a cast ring gear that wasn’t rated to go that high or for that much power.

Billy Nees · 06-21-2023, 07:29 PM

But the bottom line still is the fact that a 10.0 bracket car doesn't need an SFI flex plate and there are probably a dozen or more 10.0 to 11.99 of them for every N/S and lower Stocker out there. The SFI deal should be 11.99 and quicker.

Pat, Lonnie, are you listening? Or would you rather that I give you both a call?

06-20-2023, 11:02 PM	#3
mike britt Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Italy, Texas Posts: 177 Likes: 377 Liked 66 Times in 31 Posts	Re: SFI flexplate mandatory in all v8s Jan 2024 It pretty much destroyed the bell housing. Most of the parts were about the size of your hand. It was a stock bell.

06-21-2023, 07:29 PM	#5
Billy Nees VIP Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: On a hilltop in Pa. Posts: 4,504 Likes: 3,606 Liked 7,814 Times in 1,748 Posts	Re: SFI flexplate mandatory in all v8s Jan 2024 But the bottom line still is the fact that a 10.0 bracket car doesn't need an SFI flex plate and there are probably a dozen or more 10.0 to 11.99 of them for every N/S and lower Stocker out there. The SFI deal should be 11.99 and quicker. Pat, Lonnie, are you listening? Or would you rather that I give you both a call? __________________ Billy Nees 1188 STK, SS I'm not spending 100K to win 2K