[art leong]

Cary I have an idea for a fairly cheap fix to your problem. Atatch a round plate about 7 inches in diameter and very thin (.030 or so) to the crankshaft hub. This becomes part of the crank. so the flange is now 7 inches. So your 8 inch hole is rule book legal.
The 4 cylinder Chryslers use something like that (but the same size as the crank flange) that ataches to the outside of the flex plate to help prevent harmonics from shaking the flexplate bolts loose.
I know how you feel I was furious that they made a big deal about the louvers in my fiberglass fenders. They allowed me to run that race but sent letters about me to all division tech directors so they would be on the lookout for me.
I took off my fiberglass fenders replaced them with metal fenders that were 8 pounds lighter. And painted the whole nose with a rattle can. Telling me to change them would have been fine but the letters to all division offices was over the top.