Sonix

iTrader: (1)

I'm hoping to go the the dragstrip sometime in the near future, just gotta tune the car up a bit more, then get it up to code.

As far as up to code goes, here's my question to you guys:

I guess I need a battery hold down to be allowed to race. When I bought the car, it had no battery, or hold down mechanism of any kind. I went ahead and bought a nice battery, which is far too large to fit in the 1/4" drop down area. I have a battery tray, but it's too wide, ie, one post fits, but the post closest to the front of the car would interfere with the rad support piece.

Any ideas? How well do I need to hold down the battery to be legal? thanks.

AlkyIROC

If you can't use the factory style hold down mounted at the bottom of the battery, fabricate a metal strap that does across the top of the battery. The strap should be at least 1" x 1/8" metal. Use 3/8" redi rod on both ends of the strap to hold the battery down. Go to your local auto parts store and find an aftermarket hold down that fits across the battery and use that.

Things like bungy cords, plastic ties, rope etc will never pass tech as a battery hold down.

Last option is to pick up a proper battery to fit the car.

BT283

iTrader: (3)

trunk mount the battery?

EvilCartman

iTrader: (1)

Then you have to get an NHRA certified battery box or if the tech guys don't care, just a regular battery box.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

Yea, i've got an aftermarket hold down kit, which is a plastic plate, with 2 plastic ready rods, which have wingnuts to drive them... problem is, I can't access the front spot where the plastic rod goes in....

I might be able to rig it up with ready rod. Is there any rules/regulations on that? 1/8"x1" is ok? 3/8" redi rod is ok? I was thinking about doing this, only reason I asked was if that's kosher, otherwise i'd have just wasted 1/2 hour and $10 of materials....

AlkyIROC

As per IHRA rulebook. NHRA rules are about the same

Plastic battery hold down straps are not permitted. Minimum bolt size 3/8".

That's it. I just suggested the 1" x 1/8" flat steel as the top mount across the battery because it's strong enough that tech won't bother you about it as long as you have some 3/8" bolts (redi rod) holding it down.

Trouble with those aftermarket battery hold downs is that the mounting bolts are usually 1/4" or 5/16" J-hooks which are not allowed. You can go to Home Depot and by some metal to make a hold down better and cheaper than an aftermarket kit. Just make sure the mounting bolts/rods are firmly attached to the body not just hooked in like a J-hook. Drill a hole and install washers on both sides of the sheetmetal. Just means you need a few more nuts and washers to do it right the first time.

The "marine" type battery boxes mounted in a hatch back car will not pass tech inspection since the battery is still in the driver's compartment. If you had a sedan that has a real trunk then the marine battery box is accepted. My battery is mounted in the rear and I use a Tayler aluminum battery box. It's cheaper than the Moroso ones and still complies with the rules.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

ok, thanks stephen! I'll do the redi rod solution.

Air_Adam

Thats a 3/8" thread btw... not a 3/8" bolt head. I got tripped up by that at first. 3/8" thread will usually have a 9/16" head.

Just a heads up

AlkyIROC

Head size of a bolt means nothing. You can have a 3/8" bolt that needs a 3/8" wrench (my intake bolts). You can have a 3/8" bolt with an allen key head.

Bolt size is always the size of the shank.

Most off the shelf 12mm bolts need a 17mm wrench but many 12mm bolts on diesel engines require a 15mm head or a 15mm flanged head because there's no room to put a wrench or socket on a 17mm head.

Never ask for a bolt by giving the wrench size. You won't get what you asked for.

KWIK84

iTrader: (5)

If you are installing in the trunk you could use a marine style box, however, you do then need to create a rear firewall forthe car. That is how i done mine. I basically made a plate system that covers up the rear "well" area. It kind of looks like the original locking door system that my 84 had on it, I just made mounting brakets on the back and front of the well, and used a 2 piece setup to seal it all off. I wondered if it would pass, and my first day at the track I went through the extended tech. They said that it would work fine.

camarojustin

Has anyone ever tried to mount the battery where the spare tire goes?
I was thinking that would be a great place for it and easy to seal off and hide

EvilCartman

iTrader: (1)

Yes.

BT283

iTrader: (3)

BMR Fab. makes a battery tray for that. But off the subject a little, does everyone have to go through tech at the track just to TnT?

brutalform

Does not matter if its eliminations or TNT. You gotta be safe! Cant have the cars that run serious numbers slide by just because its TNT.

BT283

iTrader: (3)

oo, i was just wondering because i the three main tracks i go to around here dont tech anything for TnT. I was wondering why everyone was always talking about tech

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

I just asked because stepheniroc goes to the same track I will be going to, so I was hoping for an inside bit of info, to know if I need to or not. Don't want to make a trip down there, pay $20 entry, and be told to go home and fix something....

AlkyIROC

I haven't worked in tech for a few years now.

Once you pay your gate fee, if you don't pass a tech inspection for whatever reason, you can either fix the problem at the track to pass tech or get a refund to go home and do the repairs. If you can't get the problem fixed that night, you'll just have to wait for the next week.

When I worked in tech, we saw a lot of stuff that was just dangerous. Some girl had just bought a Mustang and wanted to see how it would run. There was only one bolt holding the driver's seat down. Some people have shown up drunk and failed tech. Others have muscle shirts or nylon pants and have failed. We even had a car show up that the driver just got back together and all the front suspension mount bolts were still loose.

Tech is never there to keep you from racing. It's the driver's responsibility to make sure the car is safe as per the rules. Tech just wants to make sure everything is safe. They don't have the time to go over your car with a fine tooth comb. Just because they missed something that you knew about one week, doesn't mean they'll miss it the next time.

Common things tech looks for:
Battery hold down. Don't forget, if the battery is not in the factory location, it also needs the master switch at the rear and must kill the engine when shut off.
Throttle return springs. EFI has no problems passing but carbs need 2 return springs.
No more than 12" of rubber fuel line. Some people run a rubber hose from the pump on the side of the block all the way up to the carb. Won't pass tech.
External tranny coolers need rubber line that says "transmission" on it. Generic rubber line won't pass.
All wheel nuts are in place and tight. Aftermarket rims with a deep center section need longer wheel studs. ie: Weld Draglites.
Tires are not worn out (bald, cords showing etc)
No loose items in the car
All drivers no matter what speed they run, must have an approved helmet.
Driver's license
No fluids dripping
No shorts or sleeveless shirts

It's all basic safety stuff. When you work in tech a few times, you realize just how much "junk" is driving around on the roads. I feel safer having a race car beside me at 130 mph than I do with some street car beside me on the highway at 60 mph.

Sonix

iTrader: (1)

hmm, I checked their website, and noticed most of those. Gotta go buy me a snell 90 helmet....

as far as fuel lines go, I have the stock carbed setup, hardline to passenger side frame rail, ~half way forward in engine bay, then dual rubber lines to pump, then hard line to carb. Those dual rubber lines are completely factory, AFAIK, and i'm guessing close to, or longer than 12" each. Is that ok, before the fuel pump, or...?

loose stuff; i'll bring my timing light and vacuum gauge, screwdrivers, etc. I'm guessing I just have to take those out of the car, and set them on the ground while I do the run, then go back and pick them up, for any tweaking needed?

brutalform

Snell 90, are no longer allowed at NHRA tracks. You need to get a 2000, or just wait till this years end, and a 2005 is supposed to be released by snell. The way I understand this, is, as soon as the 2005 comes out later this year, will make the 95 no longer allowed. I might be wrong on this, but I thing I am right, or partially right. Maybe Stephen can chime in.

KWIK84

iTrader: (5)

Alot of tracks around here are still letting you run with a snell 90, something about there being a shortage??? of helmets. They will not be any good next year though.

The factory lines will be ok, what they are looking for is the generic rubber fuel line that people pick up at the local parts store. However, I did see a car go through tech in front of me that had all rubber fuel lines on it, and there was never anyting said. I guess that will be his problem then when he has a underhood fire thankfully he wasn't running in my class!

AlkyIROC

Snell2005 helmets are already out. I think Snell90 is still the minimum but why would you buy one with that rating since it's going to expire soon. I don't have the current rulebook to look up the minimum requirement. According to the Race City website on the Secret Street page, minumim is Snell90. Go to Universal Cycle and talk to Don. Tell him you need a Snell2005 helmet for racing. You can probably get a new open face one for less than $100 and it should last for many years. Mine is a Snell95 and I have a few years left on it before I need to buy a new one.

Loose stuff. Just stuff it away into the rear compartments. Just as long as there's nothing loose in the car that can fly around and hit you.

Those small sections of rubber hose that join hard lines are fine. They're never usually more than 3" long.