Hello
I need a sort of a thick washer with a precise 5.125" inside diameter, and around 5 7/16" od, around 3/16"ish tall.

I've been plugging away at a 4spd dodge demon project and I thought I was doing well breaking in my new engine build until my pilot bushing came out of the crank and started making funny noises when I hit the clutch. I pulled the tranny, planning to install a new pilot and measure the bell to see if I need offset dowels to center the input bearing retainer. I shouldn't have trusted the previous owner's work...

It turns out that not only is my trans bad (2nd gear has a badly chipped tooth) but the lakewood bellhousing (ok, so it's a smallblock ) had been chopped open to accomadate an overdrive I.B.R. When I say chopped, I mean chopped! I happen to have a spare a-body overdrive transmission in ok shape, so I would like to put it in but I dont want to trust luck that it will be on center with the stock bh locating dowels. I don't want to shell out for another bell and there is no way to measure this ragged lemon shaped hole for concentricity down to thousandths.

I'm thinking that I could weld a sort of collar inside the bell- the IBR sticks out into the bell a little, so i could weld in a plate 5.125" inside diameter about 3/8" or so wide for a little stability when I weld it in a few spots around the outside and tall enough to get my dial indicator on it's height to measure for center off the flywheel-3/16" or so. I could locate the collar with the trans bolted to the bell, weld it up, then use the collar on the bell determine what size offset dowels to buy, if any. I don't mind clearancing it myself for the fork pivot.

so, can anybody make me a mild steel fat washer with precision inside diameter? I'm not looking for a handout- a new blowproof bell is over $400

Thanks
Kevin

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madam im adam

You are on the right track....but

I would get the bell machined oversize and put in a machine fit ring to fit between the bell and IBR.

The machinist can centre everything for you when he does the bell.

Look for an old shop with an old guy.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

I think I can get away with it being inset because the lakewood is thick but the ibr is thicker. I have looked for the mythical old head machine shop in Philly before and not found one.

I'm thinking more like water jet or lazer cut plate steel.

Anybody?

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madam im adam

thanks

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madam im adam

I agrreee sandy, that would be simple enough to do.

scribe a circle on the housing in relation to the crank. bolt the bell u fairly on
center for later adjustment.

borrow a carbide bit from your roommate and make the hole an 1/8" bigger than the tranny side and shim when you bolt up the bellhousing. file like you never have before.
or you could dynafile. .
or you could use a barrel sander on a dremel
or borrow your roomates pencil grinder and a carbide bit
,either way... godspeed

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there are too many motorcycles in this house.

LMAO....I hand files the Bell on my 5 speed swap.

File and try....file and try....

Only took 3 beer.

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Yeah....Im the one who destroyed this rare, vintage automobile.....

That's a lot of filing in a little time!

If you couldn't tell, I pulled up this page to show my room mate the pic and left it open- he's a pro welder/ fabricator (still no mill at home ) Thanks for the help Mac!



I got the piece from another buddy that works in a shop with a lazer cutter. It looks like 5" in the pic, but it's 5.125" I am thinking about doing an adjustable cold connection first, then when I get the ring centered to the crank I will tack weld and re- measure the mock up. If it is still on center I will move weld in a few more spots so it will stay on there.

I love the idea of cutting a hole to match the o.d. of my custom spacer but is seems like too much hand work to cut a perfect circle with only a torch and files. I want to drive this thing! I'm thinking that as long as the ring is in spec on center it will only need to locate the trans for assembly- the four bolts will take all the torque. If I thought it needed it for strength I would get the hole machined out and weld the spacer in flush. If I had a mill that would work too! Then I could just scribe it on the car and cut and weld...

Anyway, thanks for the interest and wish me luck.

radar

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madam im adam

Radars,

I scanned over this thread and now ya got me curious.

Is what you are trying to do put an 833OD on a slant?

And you want to use a chopped up Lakewood bell?

I don't know what is special about a Lakewood bell as to make you go to this trouble, ya see. I know you said you don't want to hunt up another bell, but I several for the 833OD and you could get one from me for a surprisingly cheap price, if interested. Certainly less than machining and centering an adapter. I know, because I got one of the group buy 833OD bells adapted to a T5, and that was essentially machining and centering.

Helllp me see the problem you have.

rock
'64d100

Howdy

Sorry rock, I'm trying to sneak past the slant police with this one, but it is in an a-body
I drive my slant every day, but this is my smallblock demon I'm working on. I figured that this site, more than moparts, would have people with more creativity than money, and had a better chance of yielding a willing machinist. Sorry if there was any confusion- I did admit it's for a smallblock in the first post...

Anyway, I decided to try and do this the right way, and sink the ring flush with the back of the bellhousing. Mac came over to the garage and helped design a simple fixture:

So now the plan is to mount the bell and get the ring on center with the dial indicator, then scribe around it. Then with a lot of filing and flexi-shafting I can hand fit the ring into the bell and weld it in flush to both positively locate the trans on center and also keep the ring from distorting too much when I weld it in.

Wish me luck
Kevin

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madam im adam