To use or not to use

How many of you use a inpection cover or dont use it

  • I use the inspection cover

    Votes: 87 70.7%

  • I dont use the inpection cover

    Votes: 36 29.3%
  • Total voters
    123
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straightlinespeed

straightlinespeed

Sometimes I pretend to be normal
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I just changed my torque converter and it had larger bolts with a slightly thicker head. Well now when I put the inspection cover back on those bolts rub the cover.

So my question to you all is how many of you run the inspection cover and how many of you dont run them? Any harm in not running that cover?
 
Ramie, I would run that cover for sure JMO
Fastenal or Brafasco may have exact bolts you need. Or post the sizes you need, someone here will have them.
 
Thanks Steve for your opinion.. So what do I do to the cover so that it stops rubbing? Can I cut the inner portion of it out where those bolts rotate past the cover?
 
Oklacarcollecto said:
Get thinner head bolts that will clear the dust shield.
Click to expand...

Keyword = "Dust shield"

The pump seal of the trans will last a lot longer, and you should have seen some of the things I have found stuck between the converter hub and the seal when they came in because of a fluid leak.
The trans would have to come out because a sticker on the converter got warm and came off then found it's way under the seal lip.
We always removed any stickers before one went in to keep that from happening.
Without the dust cover I have seen leaves, and candy wrappers but mostly dirt collecting around the converter hub and the seal.
The seal might last a good amount of time, but when it goes the converter hub was always grooved from dirt and needed to be replaced.
 
I have ran into this before.Mine were just barley rubbing so I took mine and put the head of the bolts on the bench grinder for a few seconds.I had to grind the head of the bolts only a little.Or you can just buy a bolt with a thinner head.I would not run it without the dust cover.
 
Greg, that is very good info and being that I will be driving this on the street and not just the track I will for sure put it on.

68383GTS, I thought about doing that exact thing with the bolts that came with the converter.
 
I would also recommend running the dust cover.it's there for a specific purpose as stated above,and on the bolt heads,I have ground many down and also have gotten thinner[headed] ones...always use locktite on the bolt threads...does make quite a racket with thick bolts and sounds like the whole bottom end is fixing to come out,will scare the **** out of ya...but simple fix and common prob...
 
I've ran into this many many times, don't grind the bolts down, don't get thinner headed bolts, there thick for a reason: to carry engine torque to drivetrain

most common issue of this is the dust shield is bent, may not appear to be but I guarantee that it is, sometimes I've seen people shim it, but that defeats the purpose

you can buy them brand new from "Rehrenberg" on ebay (yes the Richard Ehrenberg)
 
a lot of the replacement bolts are thicker than the stock originals.On my big blocks I buy Chevy TQ bolts since my local speed shop do not have mopar TQ bolts and they fit perfect.
 
68383GTS said:
a lot of the replacement bolts are thicker than the stock originals.On my big blocks I buy Chevy TQ bolts since my local speed shop do not have mopar TQ bolts and they fit perfect.
Click to expand...

if using replacement bolts thickness maybe an issue; stock bolts shouldn't be ground though
 
I don,t run the inspection cover on my race car,I like to check for loose converter bolts.I actually go over the whole car checking for bolts that vibrate loose.:burnout:
 
66plyValiant said:
most common issue of this is the dust shield is bent, may not appear to be but I guarantee that it is, QUOTE]

This is a good point also.
I cant tell ya how many times I have pulled one back off to "readjust" it.
It only takes a bit of warp to hit.


pettybludart said:
I don,t run the inspection cover on my race car,I like to check for loose converter bolts.I actually go over the whole car checking for bolts that vibrate loose.:burnout:
Click to expand...

Under those circumstances I would probably leave it off too.
Race cars usually need to come apart more often anyway.
Click to expand...
 
Instead of hooking it under the main dust shield, why not turn it around and mount it to the outside of the larger shield! Just took apart a trans from an engine and the cover was on backwards, that's what gave me the idea!

You are talking about the little inspection plate, aren't you? If you're talking about the large dust shield you should surely run with that, and the inspection cover also!! It's down there, under the car picking up road debris that you surely don't want going into your rotating assembly!! Geof
 
I don't use one. I installed my brand new 727 in 1987 and lived on gravel roads. Never sprouted a leak.
 
cosgig said:
Instead of hooking it under the main dust shield, why not turn it around and mount it to the outside of the larger shield! Just took apart a trans from an engine and the cover was on backwards, that's what gave me the idea!

You are talking about the little inspection plate, aren't you? If you're talking about the large dust shield you should surely run with that, and the inspection cover also!! It's down there, under the car picking up road debris that you surely don't want going into your rotating assembly!! Geof
Click to expand...

small block dust shields have clearances in them for the flexplate and torque bolts, turning it around would create less space
 
cosgig said:
Instead of hooking it under the main dust shield, why not turn it around and mount it to the outside of the larger shield! Just took apart a trans from an engine and the cover was on backwards, that's what gave me the idea!

You are talking about the little inspection plate, aren't you? If you're talking about the large dust shield you should surely run with that, and the inspection cover also!! It's down there, under the car picking up road debris that you surely don't want going into your rotating assembly!! Geof
Click to expand...

Actually no Im talking the larger of the two covers. As I rotate the engine I have maybe a 1/8" between the block and the head of the bolt. The larger shield has those tabs that tuck in between the block and trans to hold the top of it in place. That is where its hitting. The bolts rub almost a 1/2" or more on the cover. I tried to tweak the cover but there is just not any room with these larger bolts.

Today I went to 3 trans shops and asked if they had any bolts laying around.. No one!!! They dont save extras anymore.. At least in my neck of the woods. I then checked a couple auto parts stores, hell they couldnt even find the size I need. They are 7/16-20 x 1/2". I just need the low profile head is all. At this point Im thinking of grinding them down.
 
straightlinespeed said:
Actually no Im talking the larger of the two covers. As I rotate the engine I have maybe a 1/8" between the block and the head of the bolt. The larger shield has those tabs that tuck in between the block and trans to hold the top of it in place. That is where its hitting. The bolts rub almost a 1/2" or more on the cover. I tried to tweak the cover but there is just not any room with these larger bolts.

Today I went to 3 trans shops and asked if they had any bolts laying around.. No one!!! They dont save extras anymore.. At least in my neck of the woods. I then checked a couple auto parts stores, hell they couldnt even find the size I need. They are 7/16-20 x 1/2". I just need the low profile head is all. At this point Im thinking of grinding them down.
Click to expand...

just put a wanted ad up for torque bolts
 
I forsee a dust cover-frisbee flying across your yard..

Once those things are bent, they can be VERY annoying to try and straighten out... been there.. good luck..

hope I'm wrong..
 
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