Block-gearbox gasket

[voucht]

What is the purpose of the thin, kind of hard, metal gasket placed between the engine block and the gearbox bell housing?

Mine is damaged, do I need to fit a new one, or can I skip it?

I read that these gaskets for MT75 are no longer available. Can I make one myself? From aluminium? From steel? From another material?

Thank you

[flyerncle]

It seals the gap between the bellhousing and block and is a thin spacer,if you removed it the starter would go forward by the same amount.

I have left them of before with no problem,you could remove said g/box and make one from thin ally but make sure it fits and is perfectly flat or it will catch,ask me how I know !

[baz-r]

its there to stop road water and debris entering your bellhousing

clutch would last longer and rear crank and front input seals will also last longer

could you not just panel beat it back to life?

top tip if you have a zetec with a cvh plate and type9 cut into 2 bits (upper,lower) then you can get the sump off without splitting engine and box

[alga]

I cut mine out of 1 mm aluminium. for the outline you can just retrace the flange of the bell housing, and the inside has a cut out so it clears the rear crank seal housing and allows you to remove the sump without detaching the gearbox.

[voucht]

Thank you for the replies guys.

I actually could bring mine back into shape with a hammer, and it looks OK now. If when I fit it, I see it is not OK, I'll cut a new one out of a 1mm aluminium plate, but I understand now that it is better to have one.

I have a 2.0i DOHC + MT75, and I had to shorten the sump above the bolts which attach the sump to the bell-housing (which will also be cut flush with the sump), so my oil sump is not attached to the gearbox anyway, and I can remove it without having to unbolt the MT75.

Thank you