New Adapter plates being made in S.A. TX. Very poorly

[craigztoyz]

Bad VH/VG ADAPTER PLATE FROM SA TX

I build custom cars and hot rods, have done a total of 19 VH45 swaps. Most in 300zx'x. I used Mark's plate, liked it, made a dozen that were a longer 'C' then his, but those are gone, and taking off the right amount of bell, evenly, and in a good plane, is a P.I.T.A. I rarely go online to 'chat' or forum search, work too much and single parent.

My 350Z customer’s friend Chris has some friends in SA that have a house, and use its garage and yard to work on their cars, and have numerous 240’s, and rx7’s there. They were supposed to modify the bellhousing, and make the plate. I got a great condition 5spd trans, for 400 at the yard, and took it to matt, he took it to them to do the work. When we got it back I noticed the second I looked at it, that it was not correct, the plate was not thick enough, and was not correctly made, or accurately to be more accurate. The reason for this is I have purchased this Item from Mark, at Mazworx, and this one was a poorly made identical copy of Mark’s item. Now I do not mean any disrespect to the maker, as a lot of time went into making it, but all that was accomplished was destroying the transmission. I paid the yard 400 for it, and know it was in perfect shape, but it has a 3 month warranty to be safe. Used this yard for over 10 years. Happened to get another yesterday another one coming up, but can say that I plan to send it to mark to get it done right.
Reasons it doesn’t work/fit.

1. Guide pin hole in plate for engine, way too small in diameter to fit the engines guide pin in it.
2. Holes in adapter plate for engine mounting bolts, Way too small, holes are undersize by ¼”.
3. Countersunk holes for engine mounting bolts, not wide enough for a socket to fit on them.
4. Countersunk holes not deep enough to hide/recess eng mounting bolts.(plate too thin…..).
5. Aluminum plate made from incorrect aluminum. Prone to snap. ALSO PLATE IS TOO THIN BY .3”
6. Engine mounting holes don’t appear to line up.
7. 4 of the 6 mounting bolt holes for the trans in plate, don’t line up, 2 by ¼ bolt thickness, 2 by ½.
8. There are no guide pins in the plate for the trans, or holes in trans for them.
9. The hole near the starter was not drilled out, and then bell clean up for bolt/socket clearance.
10. The part of the bellhousing removed for plate, not done correctly.
• Less removed from the top then anywhere else, making it very high on the top.
• More removed from driver’s side lower then needed, and very unplane’d, unlevel.
• Way more removed from pass lower side, making bellhousing unusable, went too far.
• Did not take enough off to clear the adapter by the starter.
• You can see .25” between plate and bell on drivers lower, and .3 on pass lower when bolted down.
• When you hold the plate flush on the lower, there is a noticeable amount of shaved bell showing from the plate, from it being shaved too far.
11. Bellhousing work was obviously done with input facing straight up, but the spray pattern of aluminum all over it, and in the front input housing, meaning the front has to be taken apart, and cleaned, inspected to pieces.
12. Did not come with any bolts. Probably explains holes being too small to fit the bolts in.

So point is, don't copy others hard work, and if you do, do it right. 1/2 a** wont work.

Now I know of my 23VH customers, I have 2 that have had issues, 1 wiring, 1 mount, dont know why, but they had an issue. I did what I felt was right, and took care of my business, and I know that Mark takes car of his customers and builds a good product.
These 'copiers' built a poor piece, and since it is going in a 350Z and will be running high RPM's alot for drifting, ..........WTF they could have hurt me during testing, or him using it, assuming it had been able to bolt up? N they were naturally, pissed when told there was an issue. So since the bolts dont even line up, customer will take it to them, and hopefully either get the Mazworx one(trans and adapter, assuming trans is in great shape) they have that they copied from, or the trans money.
Since I am out of plates as of last week, I will be getting one a month from Mark.

I did not like the idea from the beginning, and told them they should use Mazworx, but was told they had built a few before that they used for drifting so decided to give a chance to a fellow Texan.


All this went down in last 48 hrs, trans was dropped off this evening around 11pm, when I discovered these issues.

Pics are coming, trying to upload.
Craig

[craigztoyz]

Oh yea forgot.
The inner circle of the adapter, the part that clears the flywheel, overhangs over 1/2 an inch out into the center, meaning it is not possible to bolt it up with a flywheel mounted, as the adapter would be in the same space, it starts from the top, and gets worse the whole way down.


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[craigztoyz]

[Carl H]

soooooo wait, this is a copy part of the mazworx original and there is something wrong?
its a copy...they're copies for reasons.

thanks for the heads up that its a s*** part, however normally the original is always better.

[newbissan-tech]

yep carl i agree totally

[craigztoyz]

soooooo wait, this is a copy part of the mazworx original and there is something wrong?
its a copy...they're copies for reasons.

thanks for the heads up that its a s*** part, however normally the original is always better.

And that is why I went to the trouble after a 22hr day, to get on here, and give an FYI. not so much to the tool that made it, but to those who think that its easy to copy what we do. Its not. A 1/1000th of an inch is a lot when it comes down to it, and get a few off as he did, and you get a $hitty part, as the man said. Since Mark wasnt available when I called all day today, going to give Wes a chance, and see what his does. I average at least one a month, and since I am out of plates, and hate getting hem made, n machining, so lets see what Wes has today, over the years, (about 6) been happy with Wes's inovations, and ideas.
Craig

[craigztoyz]

Oh, the Vh fits in the 350Z, like a glove, a lot better then the Z32.
Doubt you may, build a few, and...............

[robb1971]

Hi there . There is an alternative from half way around the world . An out fit in NZ makes a new bell housing and flywheel to suit the toyota W series and R series box's . I put one behind my VH , it bolts up nicely and there is a large range of clutches floating about too. In NZ the TT box's are insanely expensive and hard to come by, the supra box's are reasonabley common and inexpensive. There are also workshops around that can supply hardened gears and selector forks etc . There is no maching, adaptors or spacers required







The pics you have of the machining and general fit is criminal, a death waiting to happen if you ask me.

[craigztoyz]

Hi there . There is an alternative from half way around the world . An out fit in NZ makes a new bell housing and flywheel to suit the toyota W series and R series box's . I put one behind my VH , it bolts up nicely and there is a large range of clutches floating about too. In NZ the TT box's are insanely expensive and hard to come by, the supra box's are reasonabley common and inexpensive. There are also workshops around that can supply hardened gears and selector forks etc . There is no maching, adaptors or spacers required







The pics you have of the machining and general fit is criminal, a death waiting to happen if you ask me.

Interesting idea, I am actually trying to get this done for a t5/t56 bellhousing with a VH boltbattern.
The shipping across the pond, is as it should be for getting something 1/2 way around the world, as I have numerous customers on other continents, I've learned how expensive it can be.
I am though getting cams shipped over here in the next year, as our cam makers are to ?????? to get it done.
Personally the toughest trannies we can use are gonna be the t5, tremec, worldclass styles, as they are built for torquey V8s. Clutch's are a lot simpler then you might think, been using these with the SHO's with bell plates I make since late 90's. Had to figure out the clutch back then, and it happens to fit this, too.
Also, detatchable bellhousings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111

[craigztoyz]

Is that the Auto bell, just redrilled? looks like it. Was done across the pond years ago, with some success, I recall.

[Mettler]

No it's a custom bellhousing casting made for the purpose of adapting toyota gearboxes to the back of the VH.

Mine was the factory bellhousing milled, welded and drilled.

[robb1971]

what mettler said the bell housing is factory cast and all surfaces and bolt holes are machined, the flywheel is cnc machined with the ring gear pressed in . It seems to be a nice bit of kit .