Valve Body Spacer Plate

The Goerend 68RFE spacer plate is engineered for use with the Goerend 68RFE channel plate.

 

Unlike many other aftermarket spacer plates, the Goerend design blocks feed oil to the pressure regulator (PR) valve circuit directly from the manual valve rather than near the pump. This hydraulic routing provides the necessary oil control to support 220–225 PSI commanded line pressure while incorporating an internal vent into the circuit.

 

When used with the Goerend channel plate, the system can operate with or without the exhaust hole in the channel plate being plugged, depending on the application. Because the Goerend spacer plate blocks feed oil to the PR valve circuit, there is no feed oil available to exhaust when the channel plate plug is removed. This eliminates the additional spacer plate modifications commonly required by other designs and allows the channel plate to remain configured appropriately for the vehicle application.

 

The Goerend spacer plate must be used with: seven (7) check balls, and a white-connector solenoid pack

 

Most 5-check-ball valve body castings still contain all seven check ball pockets and can be converted for use with this spacer plate. The only known exception are select early 45RFE castings.

 

The Goerend spacer plate is also compatible with an OEM channel plate. However, when using an OEM channel plate, we recommend a maximum commanded line pressure of 185 PSI. To reliably achieve 220–225 PSI with an OEM channel plate, the feed hole to the pressure regulator valve must be blocked, as the factory separator plate does not incorporate this modification.

 

Although the Goerend spacer plate may appear similar to a stock separator plate, it is specifically designed for high-pressure tuning applications. Its hydraulic modifications are internal and differ from many competing designs, providing the required pressure control without the more obvious feed modifications found on other aftermarket plates.

Every one of our 68RFE valve body spacer plates is finished using a dedicated lapping process to ensure exceptional flatness and surface quality. This step is critical to maintaining proper hydraulic function in high-pressure transmission environments. By removing microscopic imperfections left from machining, lapping creates a perfectly smooth, flat mating surface. This allows the separator plate, channel plate, and valve body casting to seal correctly—eliminating cross-leaks between circuits and preserving line pressure where it matters most.

 

The 68RFE transmission operates at high line pressures. A precisely lapped spacer plate prevents fluid from leaking between circuits with different pressures, maintaining consistent hydraulic performance.

 

Lapping eliminates surface irregularities, which is especially important when using thicker, upgraded plates designed to handle increased pressure loads.

 

Tight parallelism helps prevent valve body distortion when assembled, reducing the risk of sticking valves and erratic operation.

 

The lapping process uses fine abrasives to produce an ultra-flat, smooth surface that promotes a reliable seal across all mating components. The result is a separator plate that supports proper pressure control, reduces common 68RFE issues, and helps extend overall transmission life.