Butch,
Would you recommend welding in a plate rather than

leaving the end

open.

My thinking is eliminating possible flexing and

optimising stress

transfer.

George

******Yes George, by all means, since the weight penalty

is minimal

after

adding a couple of Inspection holes....However caution

must be taken

upon

welding these plates on:

The preferred way is to cut the Casting, fit and weld

the plates PRIOR

to

machining. If this becomes an ordeal to do:

Fitting and welding on the Plates to a machined

Bellhousing can be

done,

providing the Bellhousing is properly bolted on a

scraped engine rear

housing

that has a good, clean mounting face on it......This is

a job for a

"PRO"

guys, somebody like Ed.......I personally wouldn't touch

it with a

10ft pole,

even though I'm an above average welder (ARC, MIG, TIG

and

Oxy-Acetylene).

BTW Pushers, you can cut an add'l 1" off on the R/H side

of the

Bellhousing

if you want to make it narrower and lighter......(See

attachment)

Butch

George, I think this is something like what Butch had in mind.
He is probably off in God know where doing what ever he does

there.

Paul Lamar

Would it be easier just to cast in all the metal for the various
designs and cut/machine out what is not needed, instead of having to
weld metal back in and incur the possibility of having to heat-treat
the casting?

Scott Gettings

Yes I am working on that idea as we speak.

Paul Lamar

Here is a quick and dirty cut and pasted 3D. This is looking heavier
and heavier sand cast in aluminum. I am beginning to think Don Dunbar
is on the right track. 
When you figure the weight and the machining cost of this thing you
are up to a RX8 bell house cost. Here is a picture of the RX8 starter
and manual TX light weight die cast bell housing. The RX8 auto TX bell
housing is not suitable.

If I were you George I would make yours to fit the RX8 bell housing.

Sorry I did not think of all this while Butch was still here but I
just
got around to making a 3D on his new design.

Paul Lamar
 
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