A True Low Dollar Backyard Build

Sumbitch. As luck would have it (and I apparently have none today), I've got to pull the motor back out. Had previously bolted the bellhousing up a couple of months ago. Today, spent my lunch hour away from the desk and was buttoning up the bottom side - flex plate to torque convertor bolts specifically - and while turning the thing over by hand, "bonk!" I hit a hard stop. Went back the other direction about 2/3 of the way around and "bonk!" i hit a hard stop. You can actually hear the "bonk". Coming from inside the oil pan. Sounds kind of hollow.

What the hell, Horace? Counter weight throws hitting the baffle in the late model Chinesium Dakota oil pan because they are not in the right place? I hope it is that simple.

OK - jack the engine up until the bell hits the tunnel. Unbolt the pan. Dammit Gumby, I need another half an inch to get clearance to get the dang pan out - won't clear the bottom of the bell. GRRRRRRRRRR.......................

Got enough room to get my fingers in there and feel around the oil pump. No way the crank is hitting it, right? Guess what? That's exactly what it is. Managed to get the pump unbolted and let it fall in the pan. The dang thing will now turn all the way around by hand again.

The last time I turned it over by hand was on the engine stand before the oil pump and pan went on. Had no reason to turn it afterwards until it was time to bolt up the torque convertor.

Hope to make tomorrow's lunch hour a quick unbolting of the bottom side, and putting the hoist back together.

Once I get it out, I hope I can just grind some oil pump casting away to get clearance. Other than just enough to clear the counterweight, how much clearance should there be? .010? .020? The community's thoughts?