TorqueFlite 727 904 Cut Bellhousing for Converter Bolt Access

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If you've ever had a front seal leak because grit had become embedded in the seal and cut a groove in the converter...you just might be against this newfangled idea...
 
RustyRatRod said:
I don't think it's a BAD idea. Nothing wrong with a little more access. My concern is what to plug it with. Come up with that solution and It's a decent idea. Like @Oldmanmopar said, you'd damn sure be able to see where a leak was comin from.
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I don't see myself doing the modification since I don't have an issue reaching the bolts with an offset wrench, but I could see bending up a 90° piece of sheet metal that covers the hole and covers the front hole of the dust shield, utilizing the cover bolts.
 
Did you ever drain your torque converter and say to yourself " Why the hell didn't the Chrysler make an opening so the fluid wouldn't flow into the bell" ???

Or slip off and skin your knuckles with that box wrench that wasn't bent correctly or have the surface filed flush to the teeth. So can it use a little trimming? Sure it could.

How much? That would be the question that everyone may have a different opinion on. But I see many critics ready to pounce and try to make fools out of those different opinions. That is the nature of some of the Assholes on this site.

If the world would revolve around a set standard what would the future behold for the entrepreneurs. I like to see experiments whether they work or fail at least they are thinking out of the box. And no one has the right to criticise unless they tried it and it failed . Why assume things are wrong unless you have done it.
 
I have gotten into arguments with my son over things that It was my way or none. After walking away and seeing he did have a better idea I realized My way isn't always the highway. He earned my respect. But let someone else be in his spot I would have hit them for not thinking with their Dip stick.
 
I ended up notching mine slightly in my BB 66 Dart then just made a little plate to cover it.

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Oldmanmopar said:
Did you ever drain your torque converter and say to yourself " Why the hell didn't the Chrysler make an opening so the fluid wouldn't flow into the bell" ???

Or slip off and skin your knuckles with that box wrench that wasn't bent correctly or have the surface filed flush to the teeth. So can it use a little trimming? Sure it could.

How much? That would be the question that everyone may have a different opinion on. But I see many critics ready to pounce and try to make fools out of those different opinions. That is the nature of some of the Assholes on this site.

If the world would revolve around a set standard what would the future behold for the entrepreneurs. I like to see experiments whether they work or fail at least they are thinking out of the box. And no one has the right to criticise unless they tried it and it failed . Why assume things are wrong unless you have done it.
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He did ask for thoughts and opinions.
Torqueflite said:
I don't have an issue reaching the bolts to begin with, so I'm not sure why the modification exists. Thoughts?
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Sometimes guys bring in transmissions to rebuild and I turn them away. Sometimes the bolt holes are stripped, maybe filled with rust, chunks broke off the case... I want to know that I'm not turning my work over to some clown who's gonna screw it all up. If the case is "creatively modified"...that's a red flag. I can't tolerate cutting up parts just cuz the right tool can't be found...if you don't have the patience to find the right tool then I highly doubt you're going to have the patience to install my rebuild and adjust the kickdown; much less remember any instructions about adding fluid etc...If your knuckles are all cut up from lack of patience...maybe you need a new hobby...Oh, but I'm the most tolerant fella I know...
 
Torqueflite said:
Nice photo. That's exactly the plate I was envisioning/trying to describe in my response to RustyRatRod above. Very clean. Did the notch in the bellhousing help at all?
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Maybe slightly. I figured it didn't hurt anything - especially in my application. With the small cover I made, it's not going to let any dirt or any other road debris in. It may make draining the convertor slightly cleaner too I guess.
 
I normally don’t do it, but the AMX I race has it, and the trans I just built for my Daytona I added it. There is not very much clearance with a rear sump oil pan, and the Daytona has a engine diaper which has even less room between the engine and trans. These are race only cars.
 
I did it 40 years ago on the race car because could not get to bolts with rear deep pan clearance , no dust shield used or supports used for quick trans changes
 
My 904 is so close on th bottom you could not get a BB down there. Maybe to much jacking the bell with the floor jack to get the thing to line up with the motor coming down? Dunno, hasnt hit yet.
 
The California State Legislature has just enacted laws to prohibit the cutting or modification in any way of the lower portion of any torqueflite; sorry..
 
I do too; torque them to the trans case on top of the dust shield, then to the block...BEFORE the crossmember is installed..while it's supported by the pan.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
Sorry, still doing a search gathering pics of cracked Chevy bell housings...
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In all my years as a professional mechanic, I have never seen a GM auto trans bell housing cracked that wasn't caused by installer error. Little damn cut that is being talked about here is not going to affect overall integrity of bell.
 
65wgn440 said:
In all my years as a professional mechanic, I have never seen a GM auto trans bell housing cracked that wasn't caused by installer error. Little damn cut that is being talked about here is not going to affect overall integrity of bell.
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Yeah, I didn't get that comment either. I've never seen a Chevy aluminum bellhousing with cracks through the housing other than race applications where the converter or flexplate came apart and busted the housing. I've had to TIG some with broken ears from morons torquing them down when the converter isn't properly seated, but I've come across plenty of 727/904s with broken ears from the same issue.
 
You both didn't get it. Chevy bellhousings don't crack under normal use because they have a cast in flange.
 
CudaFactHackJob said:
You both didn't get it. Chevy bellhousings don't crack under normal use because they have a cast in flange.
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And according to multiple people in this thread who have utilized the notch modification for their specific 727/904 applications, the bellhousings don't crack and converter seals don't get destroyed from grit, especially if they built a cover for the notch.
 
Torqueflite said:
And according to multiple people in this thread who have utilized the notch modification for their specific 727/904 applications, the bellhousings don't crack and converter seals don't get destroyed from grit, especially if they built a cover for the notch.
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....and they won't crack as long as the cut is a nice job like you did that removes all of the sharp edges.
 
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