It's also interesting to note the hughes plate is at least a 1/4" thick aluminum. That cures the bolt problem, and the myth of dissimilar metals.

My guess is that it is in fact the bolt lengths, but I'll wager Hughes doesn't mind letting the "dissimilar metals" theory persist.

 

I dunno every mechanic I've talked to inluding my own says the bolts aren't the issue.

 

Anyone got a link to the Hughes kit?

 

the kit http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/p...p?partid=26190

the airgapper http://www.hughesengines.com/Index/p...p?partid=24773

 

So then I guess that's why we have such a terrible problem with the steel pans on our aluminum-cased automatic transmissions leaking all over the place, huh?

 

haha valid point

 

Its a way over priced thing.

Looks cool but I can justify it. 600 bucks could be spent toward better up grades.

 

Lol while it sounds good theoretically by comparison... The gasket used is considerably different. The stock gasket is metal core rubber on both sides for the trans. The gasket is quite thick and would imagine if there were different thermal expansion rates that the gasket would take up the slack for the most part with how much squish the gasket has. I want to say it is close to 1/4" thick from memory.



The stock plenum gasket isn't thick rubber coated like the trans gasket, nor was it metal core, and is also very thin compared to the trans gasket. imho, your comparison is comparing apples to oranges. Find something closer to compare with

 

How confident are you guys that the problem is in the bolts and NOT the metals? Lets say I were to change my gasket and use the steel plate with shorter bolts instead of an aluminum plate which I planned to do, sorta like a long term test of this theory.... If you are right and it solves the problem then we will have learned a great lesson for this place, if you are wrong and it blows out again....hmmm, maybe you guys buy ME an airgap or at least a hughes plate?

 

I read somewhere that some guys were o-ringing the plenum. You could also port kegger some then tig it. Or buy used m-1 on ebay or boards. Lots of options really. And yes, different metals expand and contrast at different rates. This varies with material and varies with thickness. Thicker aluminum would expand/contract slower than the thinner. A combination of the thicker aluminum and that making bolts shorter in the case probably both contribute. That's probably why a thin metal pan works on aluminum tranny.