Plug bell housing/clutch housing hole?

[RestoreThemAll]

Quick question. I've circled the hole in the attached pic. I've seen a few pictures of the hole on-line and all are open. Should it be open or plugged? I don't see any rubber plugs offered by any of the obvious vendors, and haven't had great luck finding a rubber plug locally that would fit and stay in that hole. The metal is 1/4" thick and the hole is 9/16" across.

Thoughts?
Dale

 

[Keoke]

Leave it open so the car can mark its territory..-:highly_amused:

Keoke, don't be silly, my car won't leak.

OH!!---SURE-

 

[John Turney]

Sorry, I don't see a circled hole.

 

[RestoreThemAll]

The hole is right next to the clutch lever John.

Keoke, don't be silly, my car won't leak.:congratulatory:

 

[RestoreThemAll]

close up pic

 

[vette]

I did put a plug in mine, just for the heck of it. It certainly isn't needed to ventilate anything since the fork housing is open to the atmosphere anyway. Of course when you install the rubber "boot" over the clutch throw-out fork you might restrict some air movement. But the plug hasn't seemed to hurt mine for 2 years now. Where did I get the plug? Well here's the story. When I buy things like fuel or brake lings or flex hoses etc, many times they come with plastic caps that cap off the end of the lines. I usually keep these. One such cap was just the right diameter to fit into that hole and it also had a collar on it so that it did not slip all the way into the hole. Sorry I don't have a pic.

 

[RestoreThemAll]

Thanks Vette. I did run across some plastic or vinyl that might work but I was thinking it would get too hot in that location. Yours worked for 2 years. Should be fine.
Dale

 

[drambuie]

Why would you want to plug up the factory designed undercarriage rustproofing feature? I believe it's a standard option because I can't find it on my Heritage certificate anywhere. Anyway, my undercarriage oiling system still works just fine after all these years! Who needs ziebart.I believe James Bond had this same feature on his DB5 except his was manually operated You may want to extend two small lines from that oiling hole feature and insert the other ends into the sills to preserve them as well! :hammer:

 

[Bob_Spidell]

Leave it open. The bean counters at BMC would not have allowed the installation of a hole unless it was absolutely necessary for something. My guess is it's for the casting; sort of like the 'freeze plug' holes (which aren't there for freezing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Core_plug).

 

[RestoreThemAll]

I think that the hole is there to allow access to the throw out bearing fork bearing pin. I should never again need access to that pin. I can dream, right?

I would hope that the oil wouldn't get deep enough to exit that hole. It should go out the hole in the bottom of the housing. Oil isn't a concern for me. As I said before gear box and engine aren't going to leak. :rolleye:

It's nice to be working on the small stuff now. I have a fully installed drive train!

Dale

 

[bob hughes]

Leave it open, the pressure build up caused by the design of the clutch and the flywheel has to dissipate somewhere :wink-new: and it also lets the air in to cool the clutch.

Seriously it is supposed to be open.



Bob