[Pete Munroe]

D.Doug,

I had to throw away a new Lakewood bell-housing as it was impossible to align. As I had cut off the lower-flange for clearance...that may, may not, have warped/ruined it.

The VERY EXPERIENCED race fabricator that did my side pipes recommended AGAINST cutting off the lower flange as the housing would warp and be impossible to align.

OK, I HAD to cut the lower flange cutoff and apparently the thing warped enough that the hole for the transmission was "out of round"...I spent hours with the "offset ground" alignment dowels. The bell-housing got tweaked, measured, tweaked, measured in every direction...warped...or...maybe was never right to begin with.

Anyway, I now have a McLeod, very similar in dimensions to the Lakewood and this time I DID NOT CUT OFF THE LOWER LIP.

After 13,000 miles the only thing that has scraped are side pipes and not very much at that.

In the ERA 289 FIA car with sidepipes that go under the lower body lip, the side pipes will scrape before the bell housing...even if the housing has NOT BEEN TRIMMED.

A 427" car with side pipes coming out through the side of the body the bell housing may actually be the lowest point under the car passing over a "speed bump".

I would NOT trim the bell-housing flange for the 289 car, on the 289 it is NOT an issue if you run the normal under and out exhaust.

427" with pipes that run through-the-side ? maybe be required.

Just slow down at speed bumps, I think you will be OK.

Pete