An UltraBell mounted to the 727 Torqueflite
A lot of thought goes into putting together fast street/strip or flat-out race cars. After all, if you build something that clocks 150-plus mph or runs a quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds, simple bolt-ons probably won't do the trick any longer. While such cars are by nature fast, they also need to work efficiently, they should be fairly easy to maintain, and, most importantly, they need to be safe.
For instance, let's look at automatic transmissions. Those of you who have been around a while may recall the good old days, when the Torqueflite was standard equipment for fuel Funny Cars-and transmission explosions, even in Super Stock entries, were uncomfortably common occurrences. As a result, the various sanctioning bodies in racing agreed that shields and blankets should be used on all faster automatic applications to keep that hot shrapnel out of the driver's compartment. While wrapping a ballistic blanket around the case is a fairly easy change, putting that bulky, angled flywheel shield over the bellhousing can create some difficulties, particularly in a stock-bodied machine.
John Winters and the crew at J.W. Performance Transmissions in Rockledge, Florida, have come up with a solution that will not only allow you to maintain the as-built condition of your transmission tunnel, but also adapt a wide variety of engine-to-transmission combinations specific to your application. This product is called an UltraBell. Created entirely on J.W.'s premises from a raw casting, the UltraBell is a one-piece aluminum bellhousing, CNC-machined to mate particular engine-transmission combinations together. Since the UltraBell itself works as the adapter, in most cases it negates the need for adapter plates and their inherent fitting and alignment problems.
Models are available to mount Torqueflites to every popular Chrysler V8, including early Hemis. (Note: Early Hemis are the only applications requiring a special adapter plate, which is supplied with the UltraBell.) Additionally, J.W. is making these aftermarket units in configurations that mate all brands of two-speed and three-speed automatics to virtually any domestic V8 engine design. Indeed, more than two dozen different models are available as of this writing, including units for bolting the two-speed GM Powerglide behind Mopar powerplants or mounting various transmissions to AMC engines. For those of you not looking to change your existing combination, several of these versions are simply SFI-spec replacements for the factory bellhousings.
Since the UltraBell completely replaces the stock bellhousing, which is incorporated into the Torqueflite's transmission casing, the original bellhousing needs to be cut or milled off. This can be done using a handheld machine saw or vertical mill; even a hacksaw can be used. Detailed directions are provided by J.W. for cutting away the original pieces on the Torqueflite, but this is a fairly straightforward modification. Once the stock housing is cut away and the remaining flashing or cutting marks are cleaned up, the self-aligning UltraBell doesn't require any additional machine work to install. Simply remove the bolts that hold in place the front pump on the transmission, line up the proper UltraBell for your engine-transmission application with the corresponding bolt holes, and then attach it using the extended front-pump bolts that come with the new housing. It's that easy and can be done in an afternoon.
Since the UltraBell is made from one piece of thick, cast alloy, it is considered "bulletproof" and is completely SFI-certified, which means you can leave off the aftermarket scattershield and/or flexplate shield required by most tracks and sanctioning bodies. This is particularly helpful in door cars, because external shields and accessories can cause clearance problems. Since the UltraBell is formed to approximately the same dimensions as the factory piece, in most cases, it slides in with virtually no modification to the floor, firewall, transmission tunnel, or transmission rear mount. It also uses the OEM-starter-mounting points for your application, so you won't need special adapters for that, either.
Finally, since the one-piece casting was created as a replacement part, the problems once associated with shattered bellhousings on your race transmission fall by the wayside. Indeed, at one time, severe damage of this sort (normally from converter explosions) meant the entire transmission case was turned into junk; with the UltraBell, that wounded Torqueflite can be saved as long as the damage doesn't extended into the transmission case itself. Simply cut the remains of the shattered bell off and attach the proper UltraBell to the front pump using the supplied hardware.
Now let's say you're going a little faster. Your low-eight-second Barracuda could use one less forward gear, but the thought of putting a GM Powerglide in the car makes you sick to your stomach. J.W. has a solution for that, as well. This is the UltraCase, which accepts all of the performance aftermarket internals used in Powerglide rebuilds, but features numerous upgrades from the original. Among these are better oiling passages, much stronger mounting points for lines and accessories, and thicker, stronger construction. If fact, just like the UltraBell, the UltraCase is made from 713 tinzoid cast alloy and is completely SFI-certified, meaning it doesn't need any aftermarket blanketing or shields, either. Since reciprocating mass is removed when the third gear is left off, and UltraCase buildups use fully-rollerized internals, the two-speed transmission also offers additional horsepower gains.
To go one step further, with just a phone call and deposit, J.W. Performance Transmissions will even build you a dyno-tested, completely new UltraSystem, which consists of a two-speed transmission equipped with the Ultracase and the proper UltraBell for your engine as the base. The package also includes a high-quality J.W.-built racing torque converter, a chrome-moly flywheel, J.W.'s patented Fluid-Exhaust trans-brake, a deep-finned pan, the dipstick and tube, and a microswitch for the reverse lockout. There are also two different tailshaft shaft lengths and housings available, a long or "standard" version for doorslammers, and a "shorty" version for dragsters. So now you can go racing, safely and soundly, with either your old Torqueflite and a new UltraBell, or possibly go even faster with a complete UltraSystem. Of course, for devoted Chrysler racers, the other big advantage to all of this is that you can proudly tell inquiring minds that you are running a J.W. UltraSystem two-speed (which it is, since there is not a single GM part in the mix), instead of a Powerglide!
