A steel spacer will be heavy for no good reason , aluminum is just fine.

If you need more length for the shifter, the Camaro tailshaft is 1.7" longer and bolts to the Ford case though you need other Camaro parts for the conversion.

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Raff:

It is interesting that the length of the autobox housing falls in a usable range; it yields a simple solution.

In Post #351(1/15/16) the interior of the housing is shown with a centering ring in place.
In Post #360(today,1/23/16) the exterior is shown, with the comment that clearancing had just been completed, and that the ring is an approximation.
Are these two posts out of sequence? Are you working on two different housings?
Perhaps an overview of the steps that you have taken could be put up as a series of thumbnails, so that we could see things in perspective, both temporal and physical.

As a separate question, what steps have been taken to create & maintain a center reference?

Frank. I can see where you get confused. I'll explain this again.

The 722.6 bell has a machined bore in the rear of it. It's approx 1/2 inch "deep" and ~6in diameter. Behind it is aluminum casting with the transmission oil passages in it.

What I did, is made a ring to fit very snugly in the machined bore (that is there on a stock bell), and using a dremel, removed the casting behind it so the ring can slide thru.

The bore is centered, from the factory, for the transmission oil pump. I feel I'm thread jacking. So when I'm done with this project (hopefully not very far out) I'll have a thread with more clarity in it. This thread is a big one!.

Not really, your build follows the same goal of putting a manual where an auto was. At minimum a link to any new thread needs to be posted here otherwise information is lost and difficult to search for.

What are you using for a release bearing? Some Fords from 88 or so ( Ranger and F 150 that use the Mazda M5OD ) have an annular release bearing / slave and others used a lever to an external slave cyl.

Not at all lol... This is my thread and it is about mating different transmissions to MB engines, not just "my project" lol...

Please continue if you wish. It is nice to have all the information in one place.

Ok thanks bud! Didn't want to impose.

Stopped by the steel supply place and got a 1/2in thick plate. It comes drilled with 4 holes, but I think it'll work fine. $33 bucks and weighs less than I thought it would.

Gunna be a bastard to cut though.

Yea, that too.

Got my hands on a flywheel that should work...



One bolt hole is right on, the others can be reamed to fit. Center bore will need to be opened up



And an idea how it'll go together

So I think it will work like this...

1-Have my machinist open up the center bore so it can slide on the crankshaft like it should.

2- drill/ream crank bolt holes to fit. Find longer grade 8+ bolts.

3- remove the ring gear off of flywheel, and turn down the exterior diameter of flywheel so the timing tabs of the flex plate will clear.

4- bolt in order of engine, flex plate, flywheel, clutch, pressure plate.

So the flex plate will be sandwiched between the flywheel and engine. That men's it'll run off of whatever fuel management system came on the car, and the factory starter will work. It's going to be very close between the timing tabs and the mounting spots of the pressure plate though. But they should clear.

What did the flywheel come from? Was it a OHC Ford V8?

For crank bolts, have a look at ARP , they have dimensions listed. When I was looking at M104 bolts, some Japanese cars used the same dia / pitch. ( I think 10 mm x 1.0 pitch )

8 bolt modular ford. Probably out of a mustang cobra.

Raff:

See posts #238-240. You are doing the same thing.

Did he hit the same pot hole the other builders did?

I just went to Disney world and got sick. But I'll take the flywheel to the machinist today. Just for you.