On trucks that originally came with a SM420 trans, is there a plate between the block and the bellhousing? Didn't see one on my donor, it was missing the engine. When I assembled everything today, there was a large gap (2½-3") between the bottom of the block and the top of the lower bellhousing cover. Doesn't seem right.

I'm a little confused by your description but I think that you are needing the lower cover plate. The lower cover is made of one or two pieces of sheet steel. It can still be bought new. It fairly cheap. This reminds me, I need to go buy mine.

I have one piece, it bolts up under the cast iron bellhousing and forms the bottom of the bellhousing. Between that and the block (alongside the starter) is a gap that I figure has to be covered somehow. There is a bolt hole opposite the starter but nothing on the same side as the starter which leads me to think that there is a full stiffener plate that is sandwiched between the engine and bellhousing. Am I right?

i think you are lookin for a Block Spacer

Originally posted by toy283
I have one piece, it bolts up under the cast iron bellhousing and forms the bottom of the bellhousing. Between that and the block (alongside the starter) is a gap that I figure has to be covered somehow. There is a bolt hole opposite the starter but nothing on the same side as the starter which leads me to think that there is a full stiffener plate that is sandwiched between the engine and bellhousing. Am I right?


I never saw the lower pieces assembled, I just saw them on someones workbench and I wrote down the part numbers off of them. Like you are thinking, it sounds like you are missing a piece.