Good tip on tacking the nuts. How 'bout your starter fit?

 

starter fit is great, no issues there at all, I'm still using the stock one and you have to remove the knock out plate( much easier w/ plasma cutter to remove plate)

 

Here is a few pics of my install. I did it on the ground, a lot easier I bet.




It was a straight forward install, but the knock out for the starter is a SOB.

 

Mine fit fine to all the stock parts, but minor issues with the oil pan. My Canton 242T pan's flange protrudes past the rear face of the block, but the engine plate from the bellhousing kit lays flat there, so it interfered. I had to grind 2 horizontal trenches into the engine plate for clearance. Roughly 1/4" wide by 3/16" deep. Also, the pan was too close for a couple of the bolts at the bottom.

To remove the starter knockout, I used a Sawzall to cut the crescent into pie slices, then bent them back and forth with my giant Crescent wrench until they broke off. No way a you will get it out with a hammer, it's more of a premarked cut line than a knockout.