TR2/3/3A Hole in transmission bellhousing TR3!!!!

Well my started fell apart on my TR3, The nut on the end of the started ended up in the bellhouseing of the car. While driving the nut came loose, hit the flywheel and broke a hole about the size of a quarter in the bellhousing. Is there a fix for this.. I have though about building a rubber plug for this... I am guessing it could be welded??

Any other suggestions..

Jack /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thirsty.gif

Hello Jack,
it's up to you, it can be welded, but it really is not a problem just to leave it. There will be no trouble doing that.
Alec

Save the money and use a plug. I'm sure the money you save will be used to fix or buy something else for the TR3. I would at least plug it thou. You don't want to get road dirt or water inside there.

Your profile says you have a 57 TR3 yet the nut you describe sounds like the one on the later style starter. A 57 would have come with the 'bullet nose' starter which has no nut out there.

Some folks use the later starter on the earlier cars but have to poke a hole in the bell-housing to make room for it (the later bell-housing has a bulge to accomodate the longer pinion assembly of the later starter)... suggesting that a hole in the bell-housing isn't necessarily a problem. A plug or other simple patch should work.

JB weld it closed. problem solved /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Jack the hole is no problem, but if there are fractures in the metal surounding the hole they should be ground back to prevent spreading. My suggestion is to get a plastic body plug, dress the hole to size and glue it in. The reason to plug is that its too much of a temptation to mice if you leave it open.Not to say you have a ratty garage, but there is little chance that a mouse cant force his way into the best kept house. I recently got to remove the heater fan on a rover to exhume a mouse and her young who had all persished when the owner turned on her defrosters.
This was a 20 minute deal, pulling a tranny would not be.
MD(mad dog)