Scatter shield vs bellhousing

The factory bell housing is made of aluminum and is open on the bottom so the clutch can be removed without pulling the bell housing.

A scatter shield is one piece, and it’s steel. You can’t remove the clutch with it on. You have to take it off, which can be a PITA.

It is also physically bigger than the OE bell housing. And, last but not least the scatter shield has what is called a block plate.

That is a piece of steel that goes on BEFORE the flywheel and clutch. Since the scatter shield is a full round (well it’s close to round) design to enclose the entire flywheel/clutch assembly, there is a HUGE opening facing the front of the car.

And that is one of the things the block plate does. It closes off the front of the scatter shield to contain any explosion that may occur.

It also seals the block from the flywheel/clutch assembly. The scatter shield and block plate make a steel container around that stuff so if it explodes, it can contain it.

If you’ve never seen a clutch explode, it’s a bad, BAD thing. There are times where the scatter shield can’t save the block or contain all the pieces.

But it’s much better than a stock bell housing.