NHRA rules state:

1. Transmission shield meeting SFI Spec 4.1 (5 year expiration) mandatory on any car running 10.99 or quicker or any car exceeding 135 mph.

2. Automatic transmission flexplate meeting SFI 29.1 (3 year expiration) and flexplate shield meeting SFI Spec 30.1 (5 year expiration) mandatory on cars running 9.99 or quicker or any car exceeding 135 mph.

Two separate rules which must be met to be technically legal.

You need a trans shield at 10.99, you need a flexplate, a trans shield and a flexplate shield at 9.99.

Do I have this correct?

However in an F-body, can an SFI approved transmission shield even fit if using a 4L80E? Not much clearance. Can a blanket fit like an ALL69010 fit?

So assuming the trans shield doesn't fit and blanket won�t fit and you run 9.99 or faster, you need either:

An aftermarket transmission housing that is SFI approved and a flexplate shield that is SFI approved

or

An aftermarket transmission housing that is SFI approved along with a bellhousing that is SFI approved

Just having a 4L80E that is machined for use with an SFI bellhousing isn't going to cut it unless the entire transmission housing is SFI approved right? (again, this is assuming you can't use a transmission shield due to clearance and fitment issues)

There are plenty of 4L80E's in F-body's using stock housings running faster than 9.99, so I'm assuming their track isn't strict and they don't care much about safety or?

You guys that have 4L80E's and are running faster than 9.99 in an F-body, what safety items on your trans are you running (or not) ?

 

Are you concerned about these rules, because you intend to compete in an NHRA class/ sanctioned program?
If so... which one?

 

I intend to run the car at Norwalk at some point which I heard goes by NHRA rules to pass tech and that they are pretty strict. Do you know of anyone that�s had a blanket work with a 4L80E in an Fbody?

 

A. Most tracks are not this strict.
B. If they ARE strict...they don't really care what fits your stock floors. If you are going to have a race car...they expect you to be willing to make race car sacrifices. Bang the tunnel, cut the tunnel. etc. MAKE it fit.
C. You can get an SFI bellhousing for the 80e and unless the case is currently touching the tunnel, you can usually fit a blanket. They aren't excessively thick.

 

A. True, but I know people who have seen automatic tranny parts go through SFI safety equipment. A clutch hub went through the case, Kevlar blanket, and floor on the passenger side, off the door bar, through the door and sailed about 300 feet over the grandstand into a truck windshield. Granted this was in a 2500 HP Top Alcohol car but still. Nobody was hurt but if the clutch hub went out on the drivers side of the floor it would probably have cut the drivers legs off. I guess the point I'm trying to make is regardless of how strict a track is, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

B. Exactly. A Reid case probably isn't going to fit an Fbody without cutting and modifying the trans tunnel. A 4L80E fits fine no problem in a 68 Nova for example, but the Reid case isn't even close. The tunnel had to be cut and redone to make it fit.

C. Yes, from what I understand you can if the case is machined and an adapter used to fit the bellhousing. CK has one for about $1200 (no core) I'm just wondering if anyone is using a trans blanket that has a 4L80E in their F-body because a search on here came up with nothing.

 

Just so you know...

Any vehicle that runs 9.999 or faster will require the driver to obtain a competition license for their class.

 

So many 1/8th mile tracks around me that you'd be shocked what they let people race with.

 

Chassis cert at 9.99 as well

 

Yep I'm aware of the license and chassis certs. Wondering if anyone got a blanket to fit on a 4L80E without cutting in a 4th gen tunnel and just a BFH. Called around, no one knows lol.

 

As Maroon said, the blankets aren't all that thick

 

LOL!

I know, I have seen it myself.

The bigger concern is the maximum velocity a vehicle will reach (and not so much how quickly the vehicle accelerates)...
As track distance is shortened to an 1/8-mile... so is the potential for higher vehicle speeds.
And i know that safety rules are much more flexible at 1/8-mile and non-NHRA tracks.

135-150 Mph is supposed to be the approximate velocity where the more important safety factors are to be implemented (license, physical, SFI certs, parachute, etc.)
Faster classes will actually require regular FAA pilots physical exams to be passed for license renewals.

That is the thing that ended up costing me to lose my A/ Fuel Dragster and TA/ Funny-Car license.

 

IIRC didn't Don Prudome prove he could get a car to the same terminal speed in 1/8 as 1/4 ?
Turned out a lot of the really powerful blown cars are almost at full speed by the 100 foot line..

 

I have confirmation that a blanket will fit a 4l80e in a 4th gen Part is RCI 7808A. Secured using the bottom straps.

That being said, if you buy the machined pump, SFI bellhousing, and adapter which a few places sell, what all is involved in machining the trans to fit it? It�s just a cut and smoothing right?

 

I'm scratching 9's in my car so I'm in a similar position.
IME, at my track they don't especially look at your ET unless you have a really high 1/8th trap speed
They DO look at your trap speed and as soon as you're over 135 (which is pretty easy for a turbo car) They wanna see chassis certs and the other 9.99 stuff in process.

This year despite the covid and many lifted heads, I got multiple talking tos about my 135+ traps

So next year I'll have a reid bell on my 80e (cost in parts ~800)
trans blanket (100)
pants and gloves (100)
sportsman chassis cert (170)

I am unsure about the licensing. thats the frustrating part about putting your own car up. my car sometimes hooks in the gravel pit and runs hard. sometimes its just skating rink. so to make multiple <9.99 passes for a license is kinda tricky at my home track.

but thats part of the challenge i supposed. if it were easy, everyone would do it

 

oh and yeah I talked to EA it's doable to the home hobbyist type. basically peeling the case back to the pump face. the bell seats against the adapter which seats against the modifed pump. If I didn't have a mill, i'd just sawzall it and clean up with a flappy disc.