MHISSTC Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 There are so many options out there. There was an old thread from 2005 where it was specifically clarified that aftermarket differential covers were forbidden, but it was clearly stated it was absolutely O.K. to modify stock covers to include drain and fill plugs. I can't find anything in the current rules that specifically state this. Was it in a prior version of the rules? Is this still true today? I'm assuming the basis for the original clarification was that making it more convenient to drain and fill your differential is not a performance enhancing measure, whereas some of the other differential covers could have a performance enhancing value. Correct? So for example, even though this is an aftermarket chrome diff cover, it would be acceptable because it is a direct OEM replacement and has no performance enhancing value other than bolstering driver confidence because you've now pimped your ride: However, this popular Mustang unit would be forbidden because it provides support for the bearing caps which could be a performance enhancing feature: And this one would be forbidden too, even though it is a newer OEM piece on the SVT vehicles, because it could also enhance performance over the OEM piece from back in the day. Look at all those cooling fins! As an associated question, this diff cover has bosses that could be tapped to provide inlet and outlets for a differential cooler. Are differential coolers specifically not allowed because the rules do not state they can be used?: I'm sure it's not legal because it doesn't even come from a Mustang, but here is my personal favorite I'd like to use if I could, the modified newer Explorer cover. It has a fill plug and a magnetic drain plug already installed, is made of aluminum with fins and ribs for extra strength and cooling, increases lube capacity, has a tapped vent orifice, and can be found cheaper in the junk yards than the other "performance enhancing" aftermarket pieces.: I won't even bother posting any of the super rugged welded steel or aluminum ones the 4x4 guys use since I'm sure any of those would be considered illegal. What does everyone else think? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 I agree with your assement of the first one being legal and the others not. It does seem like the addition of the drain and fill plugs needs to be specifically added into the rules. Sounds like another 'radiator screen' item. For the cooler, it's not specifically mentioned, so my take is it's not allowed. Not sure if you're just using the chrome one as an example or are really planning on buying it, but I was told to stay away from chrome stuff (valve covers etc). It retains heat more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadracerwhite Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Not sure if you're just using the chrome one as an example or are really planning on buying it, but I was told to stay away from chrome stuff (valve covers etc). It retains heat more. What ever happened to "chrome will get you home"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted February 22, 2012 Share Posted February 22, 2012 Gary made the right call. You can always submitt a rules change request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHISSTC Posted February 22, 2012 Author Share Posted February 22, 2012 Not sure if you're just using the chrome one as an example or are really planning on buying it, but I was told to stay away from chrome stuff (valve covers etc). It retains heat more. The chrome one was for example only. We currently have two different OEM styled covers on the cars. One is stamped steel and one is stamped aluminum. I like the aluminum one better because it doesn't require paint like the steel one does to keep from rusting and stay looking good. I have no idea if that aluminum one was ever actually a factory piece or not, but it was on one of the axles we had, so we used it. Interesting story about the aluminum cover. At Hallet in 2011 the ring gear bolts worked themselves loose and one of them was slung out and punctured the aluminum diff cover. The bolt was found in the bottom of the pumpkin, all the bolts were retightended, the hole in the cover was welded closed, diff was refilled, and the racing continued. I'm not sure if the bolt would have penetrated a steel cover like that, but I'm not sure we would have gotten away with no internal damage if the bolt hadn't hung up on the diff cover istead of bouncing around inside the the diff. So far I haven't been able to find another aluminum cover like that anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 So was this ever decided? I would like to use an aftermarket aluminum one with a drain plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 17, 2012 Share Posted August 17, 2012 So was this ever decided? I would like to use an aftermarket aluminum one with a drain plug. At this time - OEM only. ....or OEM type (stamped steel). Mod it for a fill drain if you want. Anything more is just not needed. Not enough power to need added stiffness or cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I didn't care about the added stiffness or cooling, I wanted it for convenience! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Add a fill plug and drain plug to the OEM one for that convenience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den341548534727 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 This rule is one of my pet peeves of CMC as the dumbest rule ever. We can put a 9 inch ford in a camaro, put in detroit lockers eaton posi, T2r etc but dont go and put a simple aluminium cover on your stock differential. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 My thoughts exactly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Can we petition for this as I don't see any advantage to running a simple cover. I can't see that a diff cover would give anyone any measurable difference in performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrC Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Some of us are not that handy and most shops will not take on a small job like that. I support the change for the convenience Since we do not have coolers for the diff I change my oil twice a year and this would save me a lot of time checking the level and with replacement. If there is a vote and it will work I say we go with the Explorer cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Explorer cover is fine with me. I'm not looking to use anything fancy, I just want something that's convenient. And since there are a lot of wrecked explorers and there is NO performance gain from using it then I don't see the problem. I have been racing for a Lonnnng time and I can tell you the good guys are not going to go looking for a diff cover because it makes their differential stronger or cooler. There are a lot more efficient ways to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Ginsberg Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I'm going to preface my comments by saying "I'm looking at this post from a competitor perspective, NOT as a director". However, this popular Mustang unit would be forbidden because it provides support for the bearing caps which could be a performance enhancing feature: This type of cover has been prohibited because of the bearing cap supports. Nothing new there. And this one would be forbidden too, even though it is a newer OEM piece on the SVT vehicles, because it could also enhance performance over the OEM piece from back in the day. Look at all those cooling fins! As an associated question, this diff cover has bosses that could be tapped to provide inlet and outlets for a differential cooler. Are differential coolers specifically not allowed because the rules do not state they can be used?: One could argue it's a "performance enhancing" cover due to it's cooling fins. However, in it's defense, it does not have the bearing supports, so, as a competitor, I would argue the "performance enhancing" characteristics as BS, because we have no way to measure/validate/quantify that claim. I'm sure it's not legal because it doesn't even come from a Mustang, but here is my personal favorite I'd like to use if I could, the modified newer Explorer cover. It has a fill plug and a magnetic drain plug already installed, is made of aluminum with fins and ribs for extra strength and cooling, increases lube capacity, has a tapped vent orifice, and can be found cheaper in the junk yards than the other "performance enhancing" aftermarket pieces.: This one, again, from a competitor's perspective, is even less defensible as a "performance enhancing" item as there are fewer cooling fins than the previous model shown. It has drain and fill plugs (already permitted), and is AL. That's about it. I'd be interested to know it's weight vs. a stock cover, even with drain/fill plugs. Frankly, I don't get why some folks are so jiggy about putting an aftermarket cover on their diff. Installing the drain and fill plugs is cheap and very simple to accomplish. Given our power levels, even at CMC2 numbers, we aren't tearing up rear-ends. Those things would "look" great, but, as a competitor (not a director), I couldn't justify the costs to get one vs. using a stock cover with plugs. IMO, there are more important items that require my fund-age. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 The way I see it I can get a junkyard one for $50 or less which would save me the headache and possible mess up of trying to drill my original cover and for some people who are less mechanically inclined it would cost them $50 in labor to pay someone to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHISSTC Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 Before everyone gets excited about the Explorer cover you have to realize a couple of things. The picture of the one posted above is after it has had been modified by cutting off the "ears" used to mount the differential because it is an IRS design as used in the Explorer. Does that imply it will add some structural support? I don't know. Is a good portion of that structural support gone if it is modified? Again, I don't know. From the perspective of being a person who is not handy with a welder or any type of machine work, I'd rather buy a part I can install without having to modify in any way. However, after looking at a couple of different threads on different forums, it doesn't look like it would be too difficult to modify an Explorer cover. I can't get the picture to post here correctly, but click on THIS LINK to see the picture or copy and paste the one below to check out the picture. It shows the two different Explorer diff covers... early vs. late. The one on the left is the earlier 2002-2007 piece that has already had the ears cut off for use in a Mustang. The one on the right is the later ~2007+ cover that still has the ears on it. Also, here is a link to Corner Carverswhere they show how to modify the cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Ginsberg Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 The way I see it I can get a junkyard one for $50 or less which would save me the headache and possible mess up of trying to drill my original cover and for some people who are less mechanically inclined it would cost them $50 in labor to pay someone to do it. For even less than the $50 you quoted above, you could get a few stock covers, add the drain/fill plugs, and mess up one or two of them in the process. Hell, make a few and sell them to other CMC'ers! There is a reality in racing that people have to accept - you must have some mechanical inclination. Unless you are doing an "arrive and drive", there will be some work you'll have perform at the track, at some point, if you want to make it through a weekend. Modifying a rear cover to add drain/fill plugs is not brain surgery - you don't have to perform welding to get it job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 I am more than capable of doing it. Your missing my point.....what I'm saying is if people want to buy one, why not let them if they so choose to do so. Why prohibit something that makes no difference in performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 My thoughts exactly! You didn't aske what I would like to be able to do, you asked what is legal. Those are two totally different things. Want the rule to change, submit the rules change request. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHISSTC Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 This is a bit off topic, but that's OK. I started this thread. After the pros/cons are discussed openly here, if you still feel the need for a rules change, submit a rules change request through your regional CMC director when they are called for during the off-season. New ideas come up through the year. I'd suggest keeping a list of changes you'd like to see along with the supporting documentation that includes sound reasoning of why you think this change should be made. Then, when submissions are called for, review your ideas and and make sure you can make the request in the proper format. I've kept such a list each year for the past few years. Easily 50% of what I felt was important and had on my list, turns out to be not as important, for various reasons, 6-8 months later and they remained unsubmitted. About 30% of the remaining 50% I've submitted has been incorporated in some fashion into the new rules. It's not always complete rule changes, but it may only be a matter of changing a word or two for clarification. Even if what I submit isn't accepted as a change, the type of discussion as shown above helps me to accept the process and know I've at least put it out there for others to review and consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Changing diff fluid 2 times a year is crazy. I bet I don't do it more than once a year tops. And I've never been considered one to skimp on prep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suck fumes1548534743 Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 (edited) Fair enough.... The reason I made a stink about it online is because over the past 11 years in SCCA me and many others have submitted rules change requests and 90% of the time this is what we got back...."thank you for your input".... Then nothing ever happened. Maybe I'll give this class a chance and believe that the competitors will actually have a say or influence on making the class even more enjoyable. Edited August 18, 2012 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenn Posted August 18, 2012 Share Posted August 18, 2012 Fair enough.... The reason I made a stink about it online is because over the past 11 years in SCCA me and many others have submitted rules change requests and 90% of the time this is what we got back...."thank you for your input".... Then nothing ever happened. Maybe I'll give this class another chance and believe that the competitors will actually have a say or influence on making the class even more enjoyable. Be sure and provide why you are in favor of the change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MHISSTC Posted August 18, 2012 Author Share Posted August 18, 2012 The process here has become much more transparent, which I like very much. The CMC Regional and National Directors have also provided feeback on why or why not certain submissions were or were not approved. Go HERE and HERE and HERE to get a better idea of how the process works before this year's "silly season" kicks in. The first page or so of each of those will give you a good idea of how it works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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