Couple SM465 questions.

[cwest]

I just swapped a re-manned SM465 for a TH400 in my 86' K20 4X4.  I see what looks like a fill plug on the driver side of the 465 about halfway up.  Is that the fill plug or something else?  And what is a good gear oil to use in these trans?

Also, when I went to bolt up the bell housing, the dust cover wouldn't go along with the party so I took it off.  The hole in the dust cover for the starter and the support rods are the most glaring issues keeping it from going into place.  Does it sound like the correct dust cover came with the bell housing?  If so, how much of an issue is it to not have a dust cover?

Last one, for now..  I bolted the bell housing separate from the 465.  My buddy and I did the best we could to keep everything alined while wrestling this thing into place but the pilot bearing worked its way off of the fork in the process.  So now the pilot bearing is on the shaft and the fork is hanging free.  I can reach in and spin the bearing with my finger tips but not get it to move into place where I can slide the fork into it.  Does anyone have a trick for connecting the pilot bearing and fork inside that little space?

[roundhouse]

The way to avoid all the wrestling is to get extra long bolts for the trans to bell and saw off the heads and cut a screwdriver slot

Put them in and you can slide the trans on them   Line up the splines and get the trans up against the bell
Then swap in the real bolts

[bake74]

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=19555.0

In the service manual (which can be found in the tech section) it says

"3-AND 4-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION LUBRICANT.   Every 4 months or 6,000 miles, whichever occurs first, check lubricant level and add lubricant, if necessary, to fill to level of filler plug hole with SAE 80 or SAE 90 GL- 5 Gear Lubricant. If temperatures below +32°F are expected, use SAE 80 GL-5 Gear Lubricant only.For those vehicles normally operated in Canada, use SAE 80 GL-5 Gear Lubricant."

     I could not find a pic of the drain and fill plugs location.  But if you look and read through the above thread you will find them, they are not aligned up and down from each other, they are separated and off set from each other.

[cwest]

What are your thoughts on the dust cover?  Should I try to get it in there or is it no big deal?