The pieces are starting to come together for the Reality Racer Project Modified. The base engine was on hand, but there are still other engine components being ordered. It doesn't mean we have to stop and wait, because there's plenty of work to be done. Luckily, we're not on a deadline since we're not chasing points.
Some shop work on a Tuesday evening brought most of the crew together. The work list included replacing the brake rotors, mounting the battery box, mating the Richmond transmission with the Midwest Motorsports engine, and getting the engine cradled into the car.
The Richmond transmission will slide into the Quarter Master bellhousing. We'll just pick it up and bolt it into place. |
A tab was mounted to the battery-box base with a single spot-weld, which was ground down after welding. The tab had been bent to match the contour of the rollbars. |
After the box was constructed, it was placed directly in front of the left rear wheel. Once the fit was determined, final preparation could be made. |
The A & A battery box was painted with a Rustoleum red paint. Once in place, the Holley Race Cell battery slid right in--a perfect fit. The battery terminals pointed to the inside of the car. With the terminals in this location, there is plenty of protection from crash damage. |
The stock rotors had to be removed to make way for the new US Brake units. |
When attempting to remove the rotors, we found a number of stripped bolts. Before the rotors were replaced, we ordered new seals for the rear end from Speedway Engineering. |
The new US Brake rotors were mounted onto the rear end. Then, we were ready to head to the front of the car for more work. |
The clutch pack from Quarter Master was mounted. The bolts were tightened and we brought out the torque wrench. The torque spec called for 24 ft-lb. |
The Quarter Master bellhousing slipped right into place. It fit nicely on the Speedway Motors mid-plate. We opted for the lightweight engine plate with the 5/8-inch offset. It will be a direct fit for many popular Modified chassis. |
The Richmond transmission fit right into place, and now it's a matter of bolting it all together. |
We were unable to get enough height to bring the engine directly from the front. Bob Bolles took measurements and suggested swinging in the engine from the left side of the car. With some careful maneuvering, it went right into place. |
The engine was bolted in and ready to receive more parts. Our crew will get together in the near future and move the project another step closer to the first test session. |