Scatter-shield question
 

I’m slowly assembling the parts to put a 428 in my 1970 TA as a temporary replacement while the original RA III gets a 4” stroker build. I stumbled across some threads about scatter-shields and was wondering if this is something I should add to the list?

This car will is not a street/strip car by any stretch, but that’s not to say I would never want to take a trip down the old 1320 every once in a while. Probably much more likely while the 428 sits in there.


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I should point out that I would be running an SFI steel flywheel on the 428. And would go the same route when the 400 stroker is assembled. Not sure if that makes a difference in the flywheel decision.


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Yes definitely. I run QuickTime

Thanks 64!
I’m assuming (hopeful) that running a scatter-shield won’t require any modifications to the tans tunnel?


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Any reasonable safety improvement is never a bad idea.


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If you don't mind the look, a safety bellhousing is a nice upgrade. If you have any plans to put slicks on the car and try to hook it hard at the drag strip, I would highly recommend it. I decided to install one on my 62 Catalina street car just for the extra safety it offers. Not planning to race it, but it has 6500+ rpm potential. Having a steel housing vs a light aluminum casting to contain a clutch explosion just seemed like a good idea to me. They are expensive new. Around $700.00. Members are often selling them for around $300.00 in the Performance parts for sale area. That's where my really nice one came from. A steel flywheel is also a nice upgrade.

X2 on QuickTime!

OP posted in the street section and most Pontiac street engines rarely hit 6500 and do not see a whole lot of miles.

IMO, if you are using and SFI approved flywheel and SFI clutch with the appropriate hardware properly installed, there is virtually no risk of a clutch explosion. Certainly no more than a fuel leak and fire and I know everyone isn't running around will a full fire suppression system in their car. It's about risk management. If you are tracking the car or taking it to the strip with 7,000 RPM potential, the equation changes.

That said, my C6 Z06 can do all of that and it's rare to see a Z06 owner with a scatter shield of any kind.

The Quick Time is a lot nicer looking and a little less bulky then the Lakewood.

Using SFI flywheel and clutch to "prevent" an explosion is a good first start . Better than non SFI and just using a scattershield to contain it. After seeing a couple over the years any stick of mine other than a new car will have one.

Our Mule Vehicle: 4.6L 4 Valve 6 speed manual trans routinely was shifted at 8000 on the street, and a lot of the high rpm shifts were caused by the people not being prepared for the rapid rpm increase of the engine.

Others did not have a clue how to shift, and missed gears, rode the clutch, etc.

We were replacing the steel flywheel and clutch system around every 6 months do to heat stress cracks in the STEEL flywheel.
If you are changing the flywheel you might as well change the clutch parts at the same time.

The car did not have a scatter-shield on the car.

Common sense said rather than pay for very high medical bills (someone hurt) due to a issue, we changed the parts.
So I provided an example that differed from your opinion. Nothing wrong with your opinion.

A Steel Flywheel and good clutch system installed in a PONTIAC vehicle could still have issues over time, depending on the driver and the abuse the parts saw. Blanket Statements rarely fit all conditions.

Tom V.

Everyone aware that Lakewood was purchased by Quicktime? The new Lakewood is something like seven pounds lighter than the old one and uses a new manufacturing technique. I purchased my old Lakewood unit in 1985 and it falls into the blacksmith manufacturing standards and it took quite a bit of finagling to get the runout in speck for the Tremec trans. There isn't much price difference between a new Lakewood and a new Quicktime so my friend went with the somewhat more expensive Quicktime and it was really a bolt-in install and was close enough to run.

I pulled and rebuilt an engine and the stock aluminum bellhousing had multiple cracks in it that pushed up material around the crack but didn't break loose. I asked him about it and he said he had the lining come off the disk but the steal disk remained intact. Now if just lining can puncture the stock housing, I really don't want to see what would remain of the housing if even just the clutch disk came apart.

Appreciate all the feedback. On a quasi related note, I just picked up my flywheel from a local transmission shop. Even though it was low-mileage, I wanted to make sure there was a nice surface for the new clutch. Cost was $75. I don’t know why, but that just seems like a lot to me, unless skimming the flywheel is more labor intensive than the old days of turning rotors on a lathe. I must be getting old.
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I’ve paid $60 to have a billet flywheel blanchard ground locally (a couple years ago) so $75 isn’t out of line. They are so hard that the cutting stone wear is probably factored in.

$75 on the East Coast, sounds like a sign of the times. Everything seems to be going up. Count yourself blessed, prob could burn up another $20 in fuel finding & driving to the one hole in the wall that would surface it for $50-60.

Thanks, did not know of the sale. The new price of a QuickTime is quite eye opening, I remember the price of when they were first introduced.

My Lakewood is older and heavy and bulky as heck!

So are Fighting TANKS vs bicycles.

Tom V.

I bought my Lakewood bellhousing from a member on the forum. It is heavy and red in color. I painted it black. Mine took .014" offset dowel pins to get the TIR within .004. That is the middle of the typical range for pins. .007, .014. .021 are typical. I used the Rob Mc offset pins for the first time. Very nice and easy to use. They have a set screw to lock them into place when your all set. The ancient hydroforming equipment used by Mr. Gasket/Lakewood was from the early 1950's. Crude, but effective.

I purchased my Lakewood from another board member 2010-ish.
Also used the RobMc dowel pins, the .014's I believe.
It took less than a half hour to dial it in within .0005!
The face was parallel to the block within .0010!

I had to cut a notch in the lower left corner to be able to remove the Canton road race oil pan's drain plug though. I'm glad I caught that before having to do it while installed in the LeMans!

The 462 is around 550-600 hp. Installing a TKX and using an aluminum flywheel, so in my situation, it's well worth the time to keep the legs attached to the torso!
Even if I didn't have the old Lakewood, I'd still shell out the $ for a new Quicktime or Lakewood.......although I'm really glad I had this Lakewood and didn't have to shell out the $800+ for a new one!

the rest............

I remember back in 60s buying used Lakewood Pontiac bellhousing for $50.00! No bs.

That sounds about right. The Lakewood I bought from this forum last year I think I paid $300.00 for plus shipping. It was in great shape and had the block plate as well. I have had great luck buying things from this board and try to offer killer deals on the stuff I sell as well here. I try to feed the hobby.

A heavy as the things are, as long as they are not butchered and have the Block-Saver
plate they are basically as good as new, they never wear out.

I have a much older Lakewood scatter-shield, (before the shields even had the front plate) that I use on a "Engine Run Stand".

Purely to do actual engine run time making sure the carb is spot-on at the idle and part throttle/ transitions areas on the carbs.

It has paid for its self many times over the years.
The Lakewood bolts right on to the rear mount in Picture#2. The side arms swing over and pick up the Side Engine Mounts.

So the older Lakewood products can do a lot of other Pontiac engine work without being installed in a vehicle.

The $800 savings vs the Quicktime shield paid for 1/2 of my run stand basically.


Tom V.

My old machinist n his old dial dyno required a scattershield.

pretty sure mine is a mcleod. big heavy bugger.

I have a 40+ year-old Lakewood can on my '61 Corvette. When I rebuilt the trans and engine 3 years ago, I learned something from Paul at 5speeds.com: when using a block saver plate with a scattershield, it is a good idea to change out to an extended pilot bushing. The block saver plate moves the trans away from the engine about 3/16". pulling the pilot shaft of the trans out of the bushing or bearing that amount. The extended bushing supports the entire input/pilot shaft, not just the tip of it. I installed a brass extended bushing in my car during its assembly.
The reason the transmission needed overhaul was that the Lakewood shield had been installed with about .120" runout, resulting in a destroyed input shaft.

Good Advice, I also have extended the bushing the thickness of the Block Saver Plate a couple of times for different Pontiac engines.
I used a Chevy Application bushing, measured the crankshaft hole carefully, and had the bushing trimmed in outside diameter for a
snug but not tight fit into the crankshaft. The Chevy app has a larger OD for the bushing.

I had a bearing fail one time and it basically wounded the input shaft bad enough that it needed to be replaced on my Original 4 speed muncie trans. No more input shaft bearings at that location for me.

Tom V.