newb question about transmission plate

[luis84one]

im searching but cant find the answer.. whats the purpose of the metal plate between the transmission and the block? a bolt snaped off and the bell housing broke on another which caused the tranny to turn and the metal plate split in half.. i had the bell housing fixed and removed the broken stud now that im putting it back together i just realized that the two metal plates were actually supposed to be just one metal plate. is it just a dust shield and if so can i just jbweld it back together and put it back in? i know jb weld is a cheap fix but i wanna have it done today since i gotta get back to work tomorrow and need to have the car running asap.. any input would be appreciated. thanks happy 4th everybody

 

[mitsuturbo]

That metal plate is ...well, metal. It can probably be welded back together. If not, you don't HAVE to use it, but you should. The transmission and clutch were designed to have that piece in there. If it's not there, your clutch geometry could be a bit off, and the most obvious problem i've seen from leaving that out, is often times it causes starter engagement issues.

You can use one off an AWD DSM as well. I wouldn't recommend running without it, even though i've done it myself in the past.