Quick update on this.
Well, clearance turned out to be a HUGE issue. I had to clearance a little for the starter nose, no big deal there. But the torque converter was much tighter than I realized. Bolting things up really made the "flex plate" earn its name! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif The converter is literally too big to fit, getting pinched between the flex plate and the bolts at the back of the bell.
I thought it was only a little bit bound, so I tried to clearance a little bit. First I swapped out the thick washers with thin washers and gained about 0.040. Then I took around 0.060 off the top of the bolt heads (pump bolts that hold the new bell on). All total around 0.100 more clearance and still no cigar.
Next I got to thinking that there is nearly 0.625" of material under the bolt heads which are already sunk about half way down. Maybe I can sink them flush, which would liberate about another 0.125" of space for the converter and still leave 0.500" of meat. Should be plenty. At this point I decided to take some careful measurements, which I should have had enough sense to do MUCH earlier. <sigh> Now I find out that with the bolt heads flush, the converter will rub on the bell housing. Not by much, but more than enough to be a problem.
Next I got to thinking that maybe the bell was intended to use with a mid-plate, even though all indications were that it was not. So, I pondered making a 1/4 spacer to go in there. Shouldn’t be too hard I thought. Then I checked the converter to pump engagement and found out that I would wind up with less than 3/16", so that idea was out too.
Now I gave up and called the manufacturer for some help. Talking to the owner, it turns out that the 12" truck converters do not fit in their standard bell. Only "some" 12" converters fit, but generally it is used only with 11" and smaller high stall racing converters. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif However, he has several outsourced casting houses making the blanks for these, and one makes a substantially deeper bell that the owner things will fit. He got a truck converter and did some test fitting (said he might need to do some custom machining too) and is sending me one to try. They are also creating a new part number for this bell housing so truck guys can get what we need for the low stall, large converters.
The new bell should arrive here the middle of next week. I'll update as I know more.
Bottom line is, don't order anything yet until I can get this resolved.
Oh well, SOL again…
