Here's the new Chevy "604"...
Here's the new Chevy "604" crate engine Dirt Late Model racer Chris Hargett purchased when his usual class, the Limited Late Models, began being phased out in favor of the crates. Successfully racing in the crate class involves
more than simply dropping in the motor and hitting the track, and we're going to monitor Hargett's progress as he makes the transition to see what tips we can pass along to you.
One of the common misconceptions for crate racing is all you have to do is go out and buy a crate motor, bolt it up, and you’re ready to go racing on the cheap. Unfortunately, unless you get lucky enough to have all the right parts and pieces that bolt right up, there’s a bit more to it than that.
These days, crate racing has become a very competitive business. Even if you’re racing a box-stock crate motor, there’s a lot you can do to separate yourself from the pack. Because of its limited horsepower, and the fact that everybody is racing the same engine, crate racing has become a game of momentum. The racers that are winning the most are doing a better job of maintaining speed as they roll through the corners so that the exit speed is also increased. That’s a traction and chassis setup issue. On the engine side of things, the winners are constantly finding ways to limit the unnecessary friction and horsepower losses on the power-limited crate engines.
Because of the unique qualities of the most popular crate racing engines—the Chevrolet 602 and 604 engines are easily the leaders of the pack in the crate racing world—smart racers and component manufacturers have developed hardware specifically to work with the crates. Lightweight, low-drag components help eliminate friction so more of the horsepower generated makes it to the rear wheels. For example, Jones Racing Products has produced a front-drive kit specifically for the 604 crate engine. And because they know where this engine redlines, Jones was able to size the water pump pulley perfectly so that the pump spins at the optimum speed to provide good coolant flow through the engine and radiator without spinning the pump too fast which just burns horsepower.
If you’re running an asphalt...
If you’re running an asphalt chassis with standard motor mounts, then mounting up the 604 crate is no issue. Most Dirt Late Model chassis utilize a midplate sandwiched between the motor and the bellhousing for mounting the engine to the chassis. The Quarter Master kit is designed to work with a 0.250-inch-thick midplate and is predrilled and mounts up no problem.
On the other end of the engine, Quarter Master has recently made available a bellhousing/starter/ flywheel kit that’s designed with the same high quality as the kits specified for the Super Late Models but this kit utilizes a small flywheel combined with a high-torque reverse mount starter to minimize rotating weight. This reduction in weight can help the engine spin up faster and accelerate out of the turns just a bit more quickly than the competition.
That’s the purpose of this two-part series. Giving yourself the best chance when going crate racing means taking a good, hard look at the entire drivetrain—not simply dropping in your new crate motor and going racing. Recently, we looked at installing a low drag rearend in a Dirt Late Model (in the Aug. and Sept. ’11 issues of Circle Track), this time around we’ll spend a couple of issues looking at components closer to the engine.
Up first is Quarter Master’s Clutchless Bellhousing Kit, which is a perfect first for Dirt Late Model crate racers. Next month, we’ll outfit the rest of our new Chevy 604 crate with a front-drive kit from Jones Racing Products, prime the pumps with a trick fuel pump and regulator setup from CV Products, and wire everything up with a complete ignition system from MSD.
Besides a straight-up bellhousing and clutch install, we’ve included a few tricks that should make your life in the pits a little easier if—heaven forbid—you have to pull your engine for some reason. We’re working with a Dirt Late Model, but much of what we’re discussing here will work with any crate class (especially if you’re racing a Bert/Brinn-style transmission). So check out the first of our two-part installment series on outfitting your crate motor and be sure to check back in next month.
This way, when the engine is removed the bellhousing and transmission are still securely mounted to the car and there is no need to try to balance on a jackstand
Here’s our Quarter Master...
Here’s our Quarter Master kit right out of the box. This kit is a direct bolt-on for Chevrolet crates and utilizes many of the same components trusted by top-flight Unlimited Late Model teams, including the magnesium machined bellhousing and the high-torque reverse mount starter. Even all the fasteners we needed are included! This kit uses a small flywheel for minimal rotating weight and omits the clutch so it must be used with Bert/Brinn-style transmissions.
Here’s the trick we mentioned...
Here’s the trick we mentioned that can make your life in the pits a whole lot easier. It isn’t required, but you may want to consider adding it to your own install. Almost all bellhousing kits fasten to the engine block with a set of bolts that extend from the bellhousing, through the midplate and into the block. But that means whenever you pull the engine the bellhousing and transmission are no longer supported. Here, crew chief Neil Wilson has already drilled an extra four holes in the midplate and is using a center-punch to mark the bellhousing. Short bolts through the standard mounting holes are used to hold the midplate securely to the bellhousing for proper alignment.
After the centers have been...
After the centers have been marked, driver Chris Hargett drills through the bellhousing with a #7 bit and then taps the holes with a 1/4-20 tap.
Here's a close-up of the finished...
Here's a close-up of the finished hole. A large drill bit is used to countersink the hole on the midplate side.
Now by using a 1/4-20 socket...
Now by using a 1/4-20 socket head screw you can securely attach the bellhousing (and transmission) to the midplate without creating any interference between the block and the midplate. This way, when the engine is removed the bellhousing and transmission are still securely mounted to the car and there is no need to try to balance them on a jackstand.
The magnesium bellhousing...
The magnesium bellhousing is incredibly light but also quite strong. Notice those beefy ribs at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. The rib near the starter mount (foreground) is especially important to resist cracking from the force of the high-torque starter (a weakness of many lesser bellhousings). Also note
how the bellhousing is completely machined along the faces where the transmission and starter mount. Quarter Master says its bellhousings
should have a total runout less than an incredible 0.006-inch. Here, the oil pump mount is being bolted up. The 604 crate uses an internal pump, so this mount isn't strictly necessary, but the mount also helps provide support for the bellhousing structure and weighs little since it is fabricated from aluminum, so we're installing it.
Next comes the installation...
Next comes the installation of Quarter Master's reverse roation starter which mounts with a heavy-duty plate between the bellhousing and starter. This starter will work with both 12- and 16-volt electrical systems.
If you're using a remote solenoid...
If you're using a remote solenoid to send power to the starter, you will need to install the included jumper. To get the jumper screw started, first open up the hole in the spade terminal with a 1/8-inch bit. Then it should thread through easily.
With the starter on the bellhousing,...
With the starter on the bellhousing, Hargett installs the midplate onto the bellhousing with the button-head screws we showed you earlier. See how everything is flush so that there won't be any interference problems with the block?
Here's a look from the other...
Here's a look from the other side. From this angle you can see how closely the starter is tucked in to the centerline of the crankshaft in order to work with the extremely lightweight 91-tooth aluminum flywheel.
The bellhousing/midplate assembly...
The bellhousing/midplate assembly is ready to be mounted to the chassis and can be used to secure both the engine and the transmission.
Here are the components from...
Here are the components from the kit that mount directly to the engine. They include (from left) the drive hub, a 91-tooth aluminum flywheel, a balance weight, and fasteners.
Here's one of the things Quarter...
Here's one of the things Quarter Master makes easy when racing crates. Like all old Chevy 350s, the 604 is externally balanced. General Motors uses a balance weight on the damper to take care of the front of the motor, but adding the proper balance to the back normally requires using a heavy stock flywheel. Quarter Master solves this problem by including this balance plate that will sandwich between the flywheel and drive hub. The holes in the plate are clocked along with the crank mounting holes so that they will only work one way. There's no worry of misaligning the balance plate and tearing up your new crate engine.
With the balance plate in...
With the balance plate in place, the hub and flywheel can be bolted up. Normally, the flywheel bolts are torque to 70 ft-lb. We simply held onto the damper on the front of the engine to keep the crank from turning while Wilson put the final torque to the bolts. Trying to torque flywheel bolts while the engine is turning over is a good way to ensure you don't have the correct torque value.
We made a mistake early on...
We made a mistake early on when we mounted the balance plate between the crankshaft and flywheel, as you can see here. This moved the flywheel too far back and wouldn't allow the reverse mount starter to disengage. Moving the balance plate so that it's between the flywheel and drive hub put things back where the engineers designed them to be and fixed the problem.
Even if you are racing a box-stock crate motor, there's a lot you can do to separate yourself from the pack.
Here's a shot of everything...
Here's a shot of everything all mounted up on the car. There is still some wiring left to do, and we still need to secure the power wire to the starter so it won't be flopping around, but the tough work is done.