SFI flexplate mandatory in all v8s Jan 2024

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by L.Fite

Since you asked...
Not currently racing, used to run Super Comp and Brackets.
Been around Pro Stock cars, (Pre Jellybean back when local guys could run) Comp cars, etc.

Have always had SFI flywheels on everything, since they became mandatory for what we were running, so I guess I'm used to it.
Never saw a flex plate explode but have seen one spit the weight off and go through the bell.
Saw balancers spit the ring off on the starting line back when stock balancers were still being used.

I've never argued about safety equipment.
All the rules we have, have mostly been a reaction to something bad happening (usually involving a death or serious injury, IE: window nets, 4' belts, blowproof bellhousings, SFI chassis)
Sadly, I've known personally some of the people involved in some of these incidents.

Been doing this since late 70s until life got in the way.
Now I have more time, so slowly trying to get a car put together.
I might not be up on all the latest stuff, but I intend to have fun.
I miss racing, but now we are down to one 1/8 mile track, so there's that...

L.Fite, racing what you've been familiar with racing I agree with you're not arguing about safety equipment. I'm not talking about Pro Stock or S/C but I HAVE been talking about Brackets. What I am talking about is High 11/low 12 second and slower Stockers!
My DTD tells me that NHRA is trying to "align" the rules but that is absolutely not the case and not true. They claim to be "aligning" the rules with the Stick classes where a V8 must have an SFI shield and flywheel. As it is written now, a V8 automatic combo needs an SFI flexplate even in a 14 second car! The caveat being that a V8 automatic car doesn't need a transmission shield/blanket until 10.99! And it doesn't need a flexplate shield until 9.99! Where is the "alignment"?
A Bracket car doesn't need an SFI flexplate or any kind of shield until 9.99!
If there is any history of vast numbers of 11/12/14 second Stockers breaking flexplates, I don't know anything about it and I'm a pretty nosy guy.

Hey, get your butt in gear and get something together and come out and play! Time's short!

[ausby]

just ordered a pioneer flexplate for my big block. if i get 2 years out of it before i eat the teeth off im lucky. 65 bucks out of summit. whats a non sfi flexplate cost? 40$?

[Billy Nees]

When you get it please give us a picture of the "official" SFI tag on your flexplate.

[Lenny5160_v2]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

A Bracket car doesn't need an SFI flexplate or any kind of shield until 9.99!

General Regulations state that SFI 4.1 transmission shields are required at 10.99.

This thread did enlighten me to the fact that my low 10-second car does not require a current SFI flexplate. I've always kept them in-date.

[Rory McNeil]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

L.Fite, racing what you've been familiar with racing I agree with you're not arguing about safety equipment. I'm not talking about Pro Stock or S/C but I HAVE been talking about Brackets. What I am talking about is High 11/low 12 second and slower Stockers!
My DTD tells me that NHRA is trying to "align" the rules but that is absolutely not the case and not true. They claim to be "aligning" the rules with the Stick classes where a V8 must have an SFI shield and flywheel. As it is written now, a V8 automatic combo needs an SFI flexplate even in a 14 second car! The caveat being that a V8 automatic car doesn't need a transmission shield/blanket until 10.99! And it doesn't need a flexplate shield until 9.99! Where is the "alignment"?
A Bracket car doesn't need an SFI flexplate or any kind of shield until 9.99!
If there is any history of vast numbers of 11/12/14 second Stockers breaking flexplates, I don't know anything about it and I'm a pretty nosy guy.

Hey, get your butt in gear and get something together and come out and play! Time's short!

Billy, similar to how any V8 stick car is required to have a SFI clutch, flywheel, and bellhousing, even on a 14 second 302 2 barrel car. Yet, a modern car can run 9s without any safety equipment, other than a helmet. Years ago, it seemed like Stockers were often excused from having some safety stuff, like low 10 second A/S-A/SA cars were driving in a T shirt in the 80s, but the bracket guys running 11.99 or quicker needed a SFI -1 jacket. Then NHRA went the other way, I can race my 10.0 bracket car in regular pants, but my low 12 second M/S Mustang required me to wear SFI pants. It also needed a roll bar, and 2 year SFI harness, but if I ran it in brackets, I wouldn`t need any of that stuff until 11.49.And if it was 2018 and newer, not until 9.00 ETs! Funny watching some of the old Pro Stock racing in the early 80s, open face helmet, no gloves, and string style window nets, running low 8s and high 7s.

[L.Fite]

Funny watching some of the old Pro Stock racing in the early 80s, open face helmet, no gloves, and string style window nets, running low 8s and high 7s

And The Grump with a cigar clenched in his teeth! LOL

[L.Fite]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

L.Fite, racing what you've been familiar with racing I agree with you're not arguing about safety equipment. I'm not talking about Pro Stock or S/C but I HAVE been talking about Brackets. What I am talking about is High 11/low 12 second and slower Stockers!
My DTD tells me that NHRA is trying to "align" the rules but that is absolutely not the case and not true. They claim to be "aligning" the rules with the Stick classes where a V8 must have an SFI shield and flywheel. As it is written now, a V8 automatic combo needs an SFI flexplate even in a 14 second car! The caveat being that a V8 automatic car doesn't need a transmission shield/blanket until 10.99! And it doesn't need a flexplate shield until 9.99! Where is the "alignment"?
A Bracket car doesn't need an SFI flexplate or any kind of shield until 9.99!
If there is any history of vast numbers of 11/12/14 second Stockers breaking flexplates, I don't know anything about it and I'm a pretty nosy guy.

Hey, get your butt in gear and get something together and come out and play! Time's short!

I get where you're coming from...
The rule revision probably should be written better to get all the classes in some kind of alignment, but I get the spirit of the rule, and you'd think it will probably get tweeked a bit in the future.

And you are correct time IS short...
And seems to be getting shorter the older I get!

[ausby]

Originally Posted by Billy Nees

When you get it please give us a picture of the "official" SFI tag on your flexplate.

Looks like any other lol. But here it is.

[Billy Nees]

Originally Posted by ausby

Looks like any other lol. But here it is.

Good deal on a real one! Carry on!

[Steve Stasko]

The gold piece pictured is what happens when you check eBay for an SFI flexplate for curiosity's sake. No sticker, weird engraving..."CAT" product...need I say more? The silver one is a PRW from Summit which is noticeably thicker than the CAT. The CAT is literally just a hair thicker than an OEM Chrysler. I would have did a comparison with a stock one, but I only have one stock one left, and it was on the back of a motor on the engine stand.