[kitcarbp]

I need some info from the experts here. I am using a Ford OEM cast iron 351/400M bellhousing behind my 460 mated to my TKO 600. This 351/400M bellhousing uses a 4.850" diameter input bearing retainer register bore.

Using my McLeod HYTOB for the TKO 600, the input bearing retainer Mcleod sent me was 4.687" diameter. So when I set it all up, I placed a call to McLeod and I learned I needed a reducer ring they make to slide over the 4.687" bearing retainer to correctly center it in the 4.850 bore, its a nicely machined reducer ring to make this HTOB retainer center correctly in the bell housing register hole.

During the assembly, I zeroed the bell housing to within 0.010" indicator reading, ( .005" actual) (without the reducer ring).

I have about 20 hours of run time on my all new set-up in the shop and I noticed I still have a little drag on the input shaft when hot, indicating an alignment issue for the input shaft perhaps to the crank pilot bearing. I am thinking the tolerance stack here is putting the input shaft out of alignment (beyond 0.010" indicator reading ) when hot because of this reducer ring. I dont know yet if Mcleod has a correct diameter bearing retainers for 4.850" register bores for my 351/400M bellhousing and the tko 600.

Has anyone been down this path and successfully used this reducer ring with McLeod HTOB's on thier bellhousings ? I'm skeptical! Does McLeod have a input bearing retainer for the TKO 600 with the correct 4.850" diameter to eliminate using the reducer ring?

My questions are the following:

1) Do I just re-zero the bell housing to achieve below .005" run-out and continue to use the reducer ring and hope that solves it ?
2) Do I pitch the reducer ring and find a McLeod input bearing retainer with 4.850" diameter for the TKO (part number appreciated!), does this even exist ? (its not clear to me if this was available in 2007 when I assmbled this power unit)
3) Is there an OEM Ford 460 BB bellhousing out there that uses a 4.687" register bore that I should find and use instead, and pitch my 351/400M with the 4.850" register bore?

Thanks all,
Sage advice appreciated.