Lakewood bellhousing- adjustment door

[John67427]

Has anyone had the ability to have an adjustment door put on from Lakewood or someone else?
 I’m to the point that I will need to check air gap and will need to have access at the 6 o’clock position

[BattlestarGalactic]

I posted over at the UMTR, but I'll reply here so others can see.

I cut mine up last winter after collecting pieces of material to do it.  I made the reinforcement plate that welds to the bell.  I tacked it to the bell and warmed it up and bent it and welded it solid.  I then made the outer cover plate.  A friend rolled a piece of material for the filler.  I took the bell to work and used our big horizontal mill to mill the opening.  I then ground the filler to fit perfectly.  I hand drilled the holes and tapped them since they would follow the radius of the bell and not exactly perpendicular to the opening.







It is all painted red and looks respectable from under the car.   I showed pictures to Chris Hyatt and he was impressed.  I have not had it re-certified since I'm not concerned with NHRA inspectors poking their head under the car.

Not quite as fancy as Browell, but ....

[John67427]

Larry,
 Saw it on the UMTR site and thanks again for the reply !!! As always others can benefit from your real world knowledge and experience

[fekbmax]

Made my window at the top for easy base and counter adjustment.

[John67427]

Fekbmax
 Very nice if I could do that from the top. Not feasible with my car.Was that modification recertified?

I heard from Chris Hyatt of Hyatt Racing Clutches that I could have what Larry did by Lakewood and recertified if the bell was newer than 1996.

[gdaddy01]

nice work on both .

[XR7]

They call it a "window" and Lakewood can do it for you if you are worried about the SFI cert. It is kind of a rip as the normal bell cert is good for 5 years, and the same bell with the window is now only good for 2 years before needing a re-cert. I think they charge $150 or 200 to do it. I have a friend who sent his in and got it done. Or you can do it yourself and take your chances at the track as far as the inspector (I have never had anyone look at mine in the last 15 years at multiple tracks, maybe because mine WAS legal?) This is what they look like...

[fekbmax]

Mines not cert. Track tech at several different tracks, (both IHRA and NHRA)  have seen it and not said a word. A IHRA official at MIR told me that most likely the only time I'd have an issue was at a official points or national event in either sanctioning body. 
Just my experience..

[John67427]

Looking at previous posts the question of disc air gap has been talked about. The only reason I was thinking of putting a “window” in was to do that adjustment being this is a dual disc setup I’m going to try. Looking at all the pictures the windows are good for counter weight change but getting a feeler gauge in between the disc would not be feasible.  To get to the disc you would only be 1 1/2” back from the edge , am I not seeing something right? Maybe I’m over thinking what I will need to do with this clutch.
  The only thing I ever adjust is pressure and not even that often.

[BattlestarGalactic]

You would need a long feeler gauge if you wanted to check air gap.  You could bend it around to fit.  I watched a guy use these special? feeler gauges for his altered clutch.  There were pretty stout pieces, not just regular flimsy gauges.

Other then the scalloped and machine welded window from Lakewood, mine isn't much different.  In 22 yrs of racing, even going to the NHRA Hot Rod Reunion where they had the big wigs doing tech they never even leaned under the car or asked about the bellhousing.    National Trails is NHRA and they pick my car apart EVERY time I go there(yearly).  Never asked about it.

I know that on a typical 6.1 passenger bellhousing the hole is only permitted on the bottom.   If it is a Browell or such you can order it anywhere and usually they are on the top so you can reach it when in the car when you pull the floor(don't have to crawl under).