Belly Pan

[Huffy047]

I searched but could not find a definiation of "Drain Holes" in the engine area when useing a Belly Pan. Can anyone comment on this? How many and how big?

Tks!

[Stainless1]

As many as it takes to not confine liquid anywhere in the belly pan.  So if it is contoured, or has several low spots, a small hole in those areas that will drain liquids... 1/2 inch...  I would have several. 
Consider if you threw a rod through the oil pan, how much oil do you want pooling up to catch fire on the headers?  When reading the rules it is often hard to understand what happened to someone to inspire the rule... unfortunately a lot of our rules are written in blood.

[Crackerman]

At that point an engine diaper to contain the blast, and soak up the oil to keep it off headers would be a necessity. I would think the two in conjunction would work together better han just a belly pan with drain holes...

[manta22]

Stainless;

Didn't that rule come about due to Bob Herda's streamliner fire?

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[Buickguy3]

   Or possibly Lynn Goodfellow's Mormon Missile fire.
  Doug

[Seldom Seen Slim]

The Mormon Missile fire was superheated/flaming coolant being blown back through the (vertical) bulkhead behind the engine/in front of Lynn.

[George Fields]

I have an overlapping gap in the belly pans right at the rear motor plate/firewall which will allow all fluids to evacuate.  Aluminum shields from header flange down to belly pan helps keep oil from headers

[jww36]

Not the cheapest way to go, but what is your race car worth, or your safety. With an engine fire at 200+ MPH, you're going to be on your own for at least a minute.

[Stainless1]

The rule has been there a long time, don't know who had a problem that resulted in the rule, you want fluids to exit, not pool.
Make it so... 

[Bob Drury]

  On my C/FALT Studebaker, I am allowed to run a step pan from the rear motor plate back to the rear frame rail kick up.
  I thought I had is pretty well sealed up but when I split my 7 gallon oil tank (which sits in the right rear passenger seat) while on Dick Elverud's elevated (above ground) chassis dyno, it quickly became apparent where every pinhole was.
  The entire bottom of the car looked like Niagara Falls only with 50W race oil pouring six feet to the ground and on the rollers.
  Unfortunately, Dick didn't have a four foot by six foot drain pan handy, because that's what we needed.  What a f**king mess........................
  After a multi hour cleanup I towed the race car home, parked the trailer on a gravel spot in my back yard and let it drip for a week. Next I got the car in the shop and had another mess to clean up.  But no, it wasn't over yet, I still had the trailer to deal with.
  That's when I went from a moderate drinker to a top flight professional souse...........................
                                                                                     Ol' One Run (67 now and still dumber than a sack full of hammers).

[Stan Back]

7 gallons?

[Bob Drury]

  yep.........

[4-barrel Mike]

What's Jiffy Lube charge ya for an oil change? 

Mike

[Bob Drury]

  It's about $175. every two passes if I do it myself (dang methanol and Nitro). 
                                               

[4-barrel Mike]

  It's about $175. every two passes if I do it myself (dang methanol and Nitro). 
                                               

Ol' One Run:

Every other year?   

Mike