Cold Blue Posted February 9, 2019 Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 I've had my 48 Plymouth (with the original 218 flathead) for about 6 months now, and I keep finding things that puzzle me, done by previous owners...the pan was missing that covers the clutch and flywheel. I found a used one (hooray!) and I was going to put in on this morning. But I ran into something puzzling. The bell housing is bolted to the motor by two heavy duty steel brackets. Two bolts to the side of the bell housing, and two bolts to the motor. I have to remove the two bolts that secure the bracket to the motor, insert the pan, and reinstall the bolts. I started to remove the bolts, but noticed that the passenger side bracket has about an 1/8" thick shim between the bracket and the motor, while the other side doesn't have the shim. Is the alignment of the bell housing and the motor super critical? Was something out of line that caused a shim to be on one side and not the other? The pan I am going to install is sheet metal. about 1/16" thick, and goes between the bracket and the motor. I think I am going to get rid of the 1/8" thick shim. Surely 1/16" of an inch will not make a difference, and will square everything up. Is my thinking correct? I have attached a picture showing the bracket with the shim. (The other bracket doesn't have this shim!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted February 9, 2019 Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 any shim of concern here would be between the block and the bell housing itself, this is just a brace bracket...when you fit the lower cover....hopefully you will be able to mount the brace and align all the holes in the process... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Blue Posted February 9, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2019 Plymouthy - so the thinking is that maybe the shim was installed to help align the holes in the brace. If that is indeed the case, I am not going to worry about that shim, as I don't see alignment of the holes being a problem. I'll leave the bolts tight in the side of the bell housing, and just remove the ones that bolt into the motor so I can slip the pan between the brace and the motor. I think I will install a washer that is the same thickness of the sheet metal pan at the top bolt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dodgeb4ya Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 I have seen those stamped steel bell housing brackets with shims at times... a factory alignment issue solution. If there is a gap of say 1/32" to 1/16" to the bell housing... use those shims... don't try to tighten them up and bend them to fit tight to the bell housing . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Blue Posted February 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 Thanks Dodgeb4 - I will do that. Shims as required to fill in the gap so I don't bend the bracket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajgkirkwood Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 I think when I pulled my motor from the transmission it had a shim in both sides.... but also had 2 washers at each bolt between the motor and bell housing... of course they were not the same thickness. When I put it together with new flywheel I did not put them back in and it runs perfect. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Blue Posted February 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 Well shoot...I FINALLY got the pan installed that covers the flywheel/clutch and it turns out that you don't have to remove the bracket braces! The pan is notched at those braces so it clears. And the felt gasket on the pan goes BEHIND and snugs up against the half circle projection of the oil pan. I found two things that might help others install a pan on a 218 3 speed in the future. 1) bend the circular part of the pan at the corners in slightly to help it get by the oil pan projection; 2) grind the front corners of the pan off slightly so they don't hang on the rear rubber motor mounts. I fooled around with that aggravating pan for a solid hour trying to get it fitted until I did the above. If fell right into place when I did those simple mods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eneto-55 Posted February 10, 2019 Report Share Posted February 10, 2019 That little piece is listed as "Clutch Housing Reinforcement" in the parts book, and the note says "2 required". I would personally not feel comfortable with leaving it out. If you have one, it should be pretty simple to make another for the other side. (Just my opinion.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpollo Posted February 11, 2019 Report Share Posted February 11, 2019 most pressed steel braces that I have dis assembled have the shim on both sides. Cast iron braces such as those on the fluid drive did not. Rule of thumb here is nothing needs to be overtightened of forced. Ever. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Coatney Posted February 15, 2019 Report Share Posted February 15, 2019 This might or might not help. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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