Cracked Housing

Discussion in 'The "Juice Box"' started by xtreme6mwm, Dec 4, 2020.

  1. xtreme6mwm

    xtreme6mwm Well-Known Member

    Doing some upgrades to my 72 GS, and when i pulled the 350TH, which worked fine except for a small leak, i see this. I'm curious of the cause if anyone has any ideas? 20201203_192456.jpg
     
  2. Bens99gtp

    Bens99gtp Well-Known Member

    That doesn't look good
     
  3. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    I have seen that when someone blows a u joint at the track. It frequently cracks the case in the bell housing area. My switch pitch was cracked like that and repaired. Never knew it until I pulled the transmission to go to a fixed pitch 400. Car was running consistent mid 11's at the time as it is now. I'm sure that can be repaired.
     
  4. Bens99gtp

    Bens99gtp Well-Known Member

    I'm sure that can be welded and saved seeing its still together
    . I would want to try to get as much of both sides as u can.

    They make a lower temp solder type stick you can do at home if you have a touch set
     
  5. xtreme6mwm

    xtreme6mwm Well-Known Member

     
  6. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    I don't know enough about welding to answer that. I think it may be possible.
     
  7. Matt69olds

    Matt69olds Well-Known Member

    I have seen cracks like that on cars with solid transmission and engine mounts. No matter how stiff the chassis is, things move around under hard acceleration. If the engine and trans are held solid with frame flex, the trans case is usually the next weakest link.

    Years ago I knew a guy with a rowdy sbc powered S-10. He kept breaking bellhousing just like yours is cracked. Turns out the trans tunnel was very tight on the drivers side, when the engine torqued over the bellhousing would hit the seam where the floorboard and trans tunnel was welded together. After some hammering, no more cracked cases.


    As long as the crack doesn’t go into the pump bore, that could probably be welded. However BOP 350 cases are pretty easy to find, I’d swap cases. That’s a pretty big crack.
     
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  8. B-rock

    B-rock Well-Known Member

    in order to weld aluminum it needs to be VERY clean. The grease and oil in the crack needs to be removed and Ground out. And there is oil in all the pores of the case. Not sure what type of aluminum that is and how well it will even accept a weld like that. If it was me I would go with a new case.
     
  9. Bens99gtp

    Bens99gtp Well-Known Member

    A new case is for sure the best way to go, no shortage of the out there......you could also cut the old bell off and use and ultra bell
     
  10. xtreme6mwm

    xtreme6mwm Well-Known Member

    The sucky part is that i was going to use that in another project car that is next in line for a re-do. I'm putting my good 400 turbo back in it, so it isn't urgent. To get another case and put the used internals in it, i'd probably be better off just getting a new one. I've been beating on this thing for 20 years or better, so it doesn't owe me anything. I had stock motor mounts, and a polyurethane tranny mount....maybe the tranny mount made it sit too high, putting it in a little bind?
     
  11. Bens99gtp

    Bens99gtp Well-Known Member

    Not high.....but if you use a stiffer tranny mount than motor mount can cause this.......picture what's happening.....the rear of the tranny being held tight in place...the front being allowed to move with the motor.....the case itself is twisting and flexing.

    Wheel hop also causes this
     
  12. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    I would say at a minimum the pump would have to come out. The crack is pretty close to it, and the heat may ruin the O ring and pump gasket. I'm with Ben, either a different case or an ultra bell!
     
  13. gsgns4me

    gsgns4me Well-Known Member

    I've seen that happen when someone took out the accumulator spring (round cover in case) for a harder, quicker 1-2 shift.
     
  14. Doug's Stage X

    Doug's Stage X Well-Known Member

    Get rid of that tranny mount. It doesn't allow the trans to move like the engine rubber mounts.
     

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