Sanity Checking Adapter Plate Ideas

Some time ago I brashly abandoned a thick adapter plate because the material would be too expensive. I spent some time investigating welding a plate into the bottom of the bellhousing and bolting the motor to that.

I should have actually checked how much a thick aluminium plate would cost, because it looks like it might not be very expensive. The back side of the motor mounting ears is 50mm to the right (in the photo above) of the bell housing face, and the bell housing is 330mm in diameter. 20mm should be enough to bolt the plate to the bell housing.

330mm * 330mm * 70mm * 2.70 g·cm−3 = 20kg

This is US$60 on the London Metal Exchange. We shall see how much it costs when you actually want to buy a piece this size rather than a whole sheet.