Holy crap---deja vu

AJ77

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 10, 2008
Messages
278
Location
Azle, Tx.
Well boys, I did it again. I was in a group of C-6's going for a "spirited" drive yesterday. The car was running and handling great. We were running about 85-90 mph and I kicked it into passing gear to quickly get around a non vette, and everything went to shit. Pulled off the road to assess the damage and discovered that I had broken the trans case in half again!!!! WTF:surrender: This one was even out of a 4x4 so the bellhousing area was thicker. It broke right through the back bolt hole on the driver's side where it tapers down to the pan area. Poly engine and trans mounts. No bind on anything. When I put the engine and tranny in, I lined everything up before tightening the mount bolts. I don't get it. Surely my little 383 doesn't have enough torque to cause that!! Any ideas? Art
 
This happened to you before I think I remember. Wow. Do you have any vibrations at speed? It breaks in the bellhousing area?
 
Ditch the poly trans mount, should have gone with rubber. Still w/ poly the case shouldn't have cracked, something't not right.
 
No vibrations till it gave it up! I'm going to go rubber this time on the trans mount and as soon as I get the next one back in the car, I'm taking it over to the trans shop (Phoenix Transmissions) and we're going to put it up on the rack to see if we can spot a problem.
 
Holy crap, that looks like a 700 auto....I just built one for the motor home/Clamper project....those bell housings THAT fragile, that's cat ass trophic out in the middle of nowhereville USA....

I going to have to pay attention to THIS thread....

Wonder if laying some extra aluminum into that structure would help?? probably need pull it out of there and take the pump out... at a minimum....

:twitch::bomb:
 
It is a 700R-4. There's gotta be something else going on. The trans shop said they have these in cars with 1000HP and no trouble. I've just gotta gat the car into their shop after the install to see if we can find anything obvious.
 
Please PM me in case I miss it on the thread....that is super vital information to me, being paranoid ....:hissyfit::cussing::censored:
 
Are you swapping the guts into new case each time? Maybe some weird freak thing is locking up?
 
Have the case cut for a bolt on bell bellhousing. Much Stronger. :) I have done so with a Turbo 350 and 400 so you should be able to do it with your trans I would think.
 
6474a0034be63aa7.jpg
Here's a shot of the damage. Just like the last time. ???????

You sure that is a truck/4x4 case?
I just looked at mine. It has a cast aluminum dust cover, that boxes that whole area in at 1/4" minimum thickness.
 
Last edited:
Have the case cut for a bolt on bell bellhousing. Much Stronger. :) I have done so with a Turbo 350 and 400 so you should be able to do it with your trans I would think.

You are the man!! I looked in different catalogs and saw them for the 350 and 400 but no one listed them for 700R-4. J&W Transmissions has one that comes with bolts for under $300.00. :clap: I spoke with my trans shop and they have used their products before. All I have to do is go from my 13" converter to a 10" one. They will machine the existing case and get it all set up for me. More money, but I feel a lot better. I still have to look into why it happened in the first place though. Art
 
No kidding!! As soon as I get all back in the car, I'm headed to the trans shop to get it up on the rack for some serious inspection. Art
Can't hurt to make it stronger also. It's only costing me an extra $600 for the bellhousing and 10" converter. Adds to my peace of mind, you know. Art
 
I would like to check for frame flexing....

For my opinion only this kind of forces can crack a bellhousing in such manner.
It looks like your transmission was the only thing keeping your Vette toghether.

Very very strange....
 
Bird's post reminded me-- all the 4x4 trucks had that cast dust cover, a pair of struts from the bottom of it to the front crossmember, and then a long strut from the left lower bellhousing/engine bolt to the transfer case.

>>>>The struts from the bottom of the dust cover run from there forward to the motor mount bolt. Real PITA around the starter. And using a long oil filter is tough too.<<<<
 
Last edited:
At this point, I'm leaning toward the trans crossmember I got from Bowtie Overdrives. With the engine running I can see a little up and down flex in it caused by the nasty cam I have. As soon as I get the trans back in the car we're going to put it on the lift at the trans shop and inspect everything for flex or damage.
 
I agree with Pier Paolo, something is flexing and cracking your trans. It's either the frame or the trans crossmember. I take it your frame isn't full of rust holes and weak like a wet noodle? That trans xmember shouldn't move any visible amount at all.
 
I agree with Pier Paolo, something is flexing and cracking your trans. It's either the frame or the trans crossmember. I take it your frame isn't full of rust holes and weak like a wet noodle? That trans xmember shouldn't move any visible amount at all.

I'd agree, but the tailpiece should snap first, not the bell. The tail piece mount is weaker.
 
Top