Here's the Quarter Master...
Here's the Quarter Master clutchless setup for Dirt Late Model racers. It includes the bellhousing, high-torque starter, flywheel, drive hub, an oil pump belt, and all the necessary mounting hardware.
You've probably heard the old saw about cutting one pound of rotating weight out of the driveline is the equivalent of cutting several pounds of lead weight attached to the car. And it's true. That's why smart racers as well as chassis and engine builders work so hard to shave ounces of rotating weight even if they will have to add an equal amount back in the form of ballast on the car.
One group that has taken that to the extreme is Dirt Late Model racers. Utilizing a Bert/Brinn-style transmission eliminates the traditional clutch and allows the use of an extremely small flywheel. This cuts rotating weight, but the smaller diameter of the flywheel also reduces the leverage the starter has, which can cause issues. A high-torque starter can handle this, but it also puts tremendous force on the area of the bellhousing where the starter is mounted. Aluminum and magnesium bellhousings have been known to crack and fail because of this stress.
Since most Dirt Late Model...
Since most Dirt Late Model chassis work with a mid-plate for mounting the motor, the bellhousing kit requires only making sure you have the right bolt pattern to attach the bellhousing to the mid-plate and engine block. What brand of chassis you're running doesn't really matter.
In fact, Dirt Late Model racer Chris Hargett says he has had starters fall off the car on the racetrack as a result of cracked bellhousings. "I finished the race," he says, "but pity the driver behind me." And welding up bellhousings midseason is also a common occurrence.
Hargett, however, says his troubles ended when he began using a dirt bellhousing kit from Quarter Master designed to handle the abuses of Dirt Late Model racing. "Before, I was going through two starters a season and having to take the bellhousing off midway through and weld up the cracks just to get it to last," he says. "But I switched to the Quarter Master stuff when I was getting ready for the 2005 season, and I haven't had any trouble with any of it. I'm still running the same components I put on the car back then."
To find out more, we followed along as Hargett installed a new Quarter Master dirt bellhousing kit in a new car being prepared for the 2009 season. The bellhousing is magnesium for the greatest strength at the lightest weight and fully CNC machined to ensure the best-possible fit of all components. This bellhousing is designed to work with both top- and side-mount oil pumps and works with Bert/Brinn-style transmissions. It comes packaged with a lightweight 91-tooth flywheel and a reverse-rotation starter. In all, installation took approximately one hour and only standard shop tools were necessary.
One of the more aggravating...
One of the more aggravating things as a racer with a chassis that doesn't have a dedicated crossmember like this, is any time you pull the engine, the transmission and bellhousing is left hanging. Hargett makes an easy modification that ties the bellhousing to the engine mid-plate so that if the engine is removed, the bellhousing is still securely mounted. You can do this by first bolting the bellhousing to the mid-plate through the standard holes that bolt straight through to the engine block. Then, drill three holes through the bellhousing and mid-plate using a #7 drill bit.
Now tap the hole in the bellhousing...
Now tap the hole in the bellhousing with a 1/4-20 tap.
The bolts run from the engine-side...
The bolts run from the engine-side of the mid-plate through to the bellhousing. To keep the fasteners from interfering with the fit between the block and the mid-plate, Hargett uses 1/4-20 flat-headed socket cap bolts and countersinks the edges of the holes in the mid-plate using a large drill bit.
Remove the engine plate and...
Remove the engine plate and attach the starter adaptor. The adaptor uses both button-headed allen bolts and 3/8-inch bolts. Quarter Master recommends blue Loctite on both and to torque the bolts to 25-30 ft-lbs.
As you can see, the starter...
As you can see, the starter adaptor mounts to the bellhousing using fasteners that go through in both directions for maximum stability and strength.
This is the oil pump mount....
This is the oil pump mount. It's anodized aluminum but is buttressed by a piece of steel rod to minimize flex, which can cause the oil pump to throw its drive belt. There are provisions for mounting it either on top of the bellhousing or the side.
Quarter Master recommends...
Quarter Master recommends red Loctite on the bolts and torquing them to 25-30 ft-lbs. You'll probably need someone to assist you because the support rod will spin as you try to tighten the fastener that locks it in place if you don't put a wrench on it.
With all the accessories out...
With all the accessories out of the way, you can now mount the mid-plate to the bellhousing using the holes you've already drilled and tapped.
The Quarter Master starter...
The Quarter Master starter is designed to work with a 12-volt electrical system, but the manufacturer says it will also work on 16 volts as well. If you're using a remote solenoid, you probably will want to install the included jumper to simplify the wiring. Use a 1/8-inch drill bit to open up the hole in the spade terminal for the jumper screw.
The darker copper-colored...
The darker copper-colored piece you see here is the jumper.
Now the starter is ready to...
Now the starter is ready to be bolted in place to the adaptor plate.
The bellhousing/mid-plate...
The bellhousing/mid-plate assembly is now ready to be fitted up in the chassis. Obviously, the engine cannot be in the car at this point.
Next, you can install the...
Next, you can install the flywheel and the drive hub on the end of the crank. Sharp-eyed readers will notice there is no cam in this block. As this story was shot, the engine Hargett plans to race for the '09 season was not yet completed. This incomplete engine was used as a mock-up.
Bolt up the transmission before...
Bolt up the transmission before dropping in the engine. With the transmission in place, make sure there is between 0.100 and 0.040 clearance between the starter and ring gear when the starter is disengaged. If not, Quarter Master has shim kits available. Also, the backlash on the starter should be approximately 0.025 inch.
The last step before dropping...
The last step before dropping in the engine is to place the oil pump drive belt over the transmission input shaft. This is why the transmission needs to be hooked up before the engine.
Now you're finally ready for...
Now you're finally ready for your race engine.
As you can see here, the bolts...
As you can see here, the bolts securing the engine to the mid-plate go through the bellhousing, too.
Finally, bolt up your oil...
Finally, bolt up your oil pump. Make sure to check that the drive pulley and the oil pump pulley are in line with each other and hook up the oil pump belt. Now, you're ready to move on to the next task on your to-do list.