MOTOR PLATE , FLEX PLATE AND TORQUE CONVERTOR BOLT UP.

[grapro]

I just bolted my sfi flex plate on my sbc and noticed that it is fairly tight to the engine plate not giving enough room to bolt the convertor up. Looking online I notice some people sell a spacer for the crank but i'm not sure if this is what I should use. What do most people do or am I doing something wrong?

[fuel749]

How thick is your engine plate? With a common 1/4" plate there should be room enough for the bolt heads, but you will need access/vent holes in the motorplate to get the bolts in. 1/4" spacers between the converter and flex plate unless your converter manufacturer provided taller mounting pads.

[GlennLever]

I just bolted my sfi flex plate on my sbc and noticed that it is fairly tight to the engine plate not giving enough room to bolt the convertor up. Looking online I notice some people sell a spacer for the crank but i'm not sure if this is what I should use. What do most people do or am I doing something wrong?

Are you saying that once the flex plate is bolted up the heads of the bolts that hold the torque converter hit the engine plate,

or

You cannot get the bolts for the torque converter into the flex plate because there is no room between the flex plate and the engine plate?

[grapro]

You hit the nail on the head.
Yes I cannot get the bolts for the torque converter into the flex plate because there is no room between the flex plate and the engine plate?

[grapro]

Sorry one more question, are you allowed to drill ahole in the motor plate to put the bolts in? Because if you are I can do this and just add the spacers to push the convertor all the way in so it is engaged.

[George]

Drill a hole. Mine ended up behind the oil filter.

[GlennLever]

Sorry one more question, are you allowed to drill ahole in the motor plate to put the bolts in? Because if you are I can do this and just add the spacers to push the convertor all the way in so it is engaged.

Yes, make the hole large enough so you can get your fingers around the bolt head to insert the bolt through the flex plate hole.

Don't make the spacers so large that there is not play between the torque converter and the transmission pump. With the spacers in place you should still be able to move the torque converter back and forward 1/8 of an inch.

[dreracecar]

You can put 2 - 2" dia holes on either side of the crank hole for venting, which you should do because it gets hot in there, and thats your access to the converter bolts. You should also use ARP converter bolts as their head is thinner which gives more room between the head and motor plate. Some converters are built knowing that a 1/4" motor plate is being use and the spacers are already welded to the converter flange.I get to my bolts from the right hand (starter)side so as not to deal with the oil filter and that I am right handed.

[JrFuel Hayden]

We have nutserts in the flexplate and just run the converter bolts in from the converter side. No clearance issues with motor plate, plus we buy our converters to consider motor plate thickness.
We have set-up our converter swap process so we can swap converters in 25 minutes, you know between rounds, except for the semi/ final round because they tend to push the time for the finals.

Have Fun

[coupemerc]

Jon, I am doing the same thing as you. What torque are you using for the converter bolts into the nutserts? Are you also using Loctite? Thanks.

[BK]

I hate to ask this but I have to. Is the flex plate on in the right direction. Usually there is a front and back.

[grapro]

Yes its in right I am going to do a hole and then it is no problem. Thanks for everyone's good replies.