727 Inspection Cover Question

I still have my 470 sitting out of the car on the dolly. I have the 727 I'm using attached to it. I've run the engine four or five times now. so I'm trying to button everything up to get it in the car. I still had to put the inspection cover on the trans. so I did that this morning. Fired up the engine again and had to shut it off right away as I heard noise which I suspected right away was from the cover. Sure enough, I took it off and there are marks on it where the flex plate bolts were hitting it. I'm using factory flex plate bolts. The only thing different from stock is I am using a PRW flex plate (using the 10" bolt pattern) which I believe is slightly thicker than a factory flex plate.The trans. (early 73 model) probably had an 11" originally. I didn't think the difference in thickness was enough to be an issue though. My question is, did the factory use a different inspection cover depending on if the flex plate was 10" or 11"? I have another cover that is for a big block but it is a little different in design. The cover on top in the pics is the one I tried using that got scraped. The bottom one is another cover I had in my parts stash. I haven't tried it yet but the cutouts where the bolts were rubbing are wider on the 2nd one which I think might clear the flex plate bolt heads.

Also wanted to ask, is it typical to have a little trans. fluid dribble in the bellhousing after installing the torque converter and filling the trans. with fluid? I found a little sitting in the bottom of the bellhousing when I installed the cover.

The semi circular indent in the top cover is to clear the convertor bolt heads , is that the only spots it's hitting ? If it is I would just modify it there and put it back on . The bottom one doesn't have the semi circular clearance ?

The bolts caught it on the right side in the same spot as well but not as much. I was thinking I'd just use some tin snips and cut that part out like you mentioned. To me though. it looks like the semi circular indent is right where it should be for an 11" bolt pattern. That's why I was wondering if a different cover was used when a 10" bolt pattern was used. The bottom one doesn't have that semi circular indent. I don't know where I got that cover from but do you know when that style of cover would have been used? I cleaned up the second cover so you can see it better. Also wanted to mention, this cover is 1/4" shorter on the top edge if you line up the bolt holes on the bottom.

Mopar had several different front stock dust covers, 12 converter inch with small 5/16 bolts, 12 inch converter with 7/16 bolts and the same on the 11 inch converter transmissions dust shields
IHTHs

No factory installation with a 12 inch converter ever used 7/16" bolts. The main difference between the 912 and 248 covers is the bolt pattern, BB 727's used four small bolts while the SB used two. The shape and width of the raised arc area is irrelevant because the converter bolt heads are behind the rear surface of the block as is the rear of the cover. Bolts contacting the cover are because of a crank thrust problem or distortion of the cover.

The early 1962 Max wedges did

I have the same issue. I have to run without a dust cover on my trans. So what's the fix? Thanks.

I have run many without the covers due to the same problem. It seems as though the slightest invisible tweak will cause them to hit the bolts

The cover is a dust cover to prevent grit from getting to the front seal, lots of folks run without one with the idea that it helps keep the converter cool but.....

[quote=TJP]I have run many without the covers due to the same problem. It seems as though the slightest invisible tweak will cause them to hit the bolts Does anyone here have a solution?

Transfer the pattern to a piece of thin flat metal and use it

Based on just my experience - most of the issue is either a tweaked plate (not flat) or the engine oil pan flange is sticking out too far.
Sometimes just loosening up the oil pan bolts and moving the pan forward is enough, sometimes you have to hammer the flange forward.

Like mentioned earlier, the converter bolts are behind the block.

I finally corrected the problem today. It was the oil pan flange causing the contact between the bolt and the cover. I bent the flange forward a tad and no more grinding. Thanks for the tip!