Why no dust cover?

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DustyEd

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I have seen several Duster 340s WITHOUT the bottom bell housing dust cover or starter dust shield. In fact, when my wife and I bought our '70 Duster 340 it was the same way. The 2nd owner of our car weekend drag raced it at the local, small town dragway in 1973.
Q#1) Was this just for removing weight or what?
Q#2) Does anyone here on FABO run their cars that way?
 
I assume you mean 4 speed......I think it would be crazy to run without the cover because water could splash up there and mess with your clutch.
 
Nope! Only mechanics removed and did not put back that I know of. It’s the lower support on the manuals.
The small cover for autos were removed by wrenches draining the converter and were just lazy not reinstalling it.
 
Nope! Only mechanics removed and did not put back that I know of. It’s the lower support on the manuals.
The small cover for autos were removed by wrenches draining the converter and were just lazy not reinstalling it.

No dirt roads or rain driving , I haven`
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t ran a 727 dust cover since 1968 . Two 426 hemis ,two 406 sbc , and now a a 440/505 . I think it helps the convertor to run a little cooler
 
No dirt roads or rain driving , I haven't ran a 727 dust cover since 1968 . Two 426 hemis ,two 406 sbc , and now a a 440/505 . I think it helps the convertor to run a little cooler

Upside of not running a cover with an automatic is that the converter spinning creates quite the wind in the bellhousing.
No cover means that wind is constantly being refreshed with cooler air removing heat from the converter, bell housing, and back of the motor.

Downside is a little more dust gets in there.
When dust gets in there the first place it collects is right where the pump seal rubber contacts the converter snout and can wear the seal lip sooner.

It's a trade off.

A clutch will also will run hotter with a cover, but a clutch is more susceptible to contamination of dust, water, rocks and such.
I have seen manuals and autos both with damaged bell housings from rocks getting thrown up in there, so that part is the same between the two.
 
Upside of not running a cover with an automatic is that the converter spinning creates quite the wind in the bellhousing.
No cover means that wind is constantly being refreshed with cooler air removing heat from the converter, bell housing, and back of the motor.

Downside is a little more dust gets in there.
When dust gets in there the first place it collects is right where the pump seal rubber contacts the converter snout and can wear the seal lip sooner.

It's a trade off.

A clutch will also will run hotter with a cover, but a clutch is more susceptible to contamination of dust, water, rocks and such.
I have seen manuals and autos both with damaged bell housings from rocks getting thrown up in there, so that part is the same between the two.

Ran one of the hemi`s for 14 yrs w/o , never a problem.
Same w/ my 440/505 -----------------
 
What if there is oil leakage from the rear main or elsewhere (????).... What's the vote on "put the cover on" vs. "leave the cover off", especially when considering the air turbulence with a cover in place? Perhaps, NOT having the cover on would save the clutch from oil. What's your opinions?
 
It's a part of the car that it was made with. Leave it on. It's there for a reason.
 
that was the last piece I needed to finish collecting parts for a 4 speed conversion

hard to find and when I did people wanted a fortune
(like more than I paid for the clutch or pressure plate)

I finally found one at a swap meet for a decent price

Maybe that's why
 
Lots of "reasons". You nip a curb, damage it, it rubs the flywheel, damaged, won't stay on, lazy mechanic. Of course in this day, we are all finding parts that have been junked, often/ most of the time missing hardware and "accessories." Easy to see, after 40-50 years, "they are missing." Some of US are missing a few things along the way................
 
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