Looks like your missing your Transmission bellhousing!
You pretty much answered your own question in your post, the bell housing is meant to protect the flywheel & clutch/Flex plate & Torque Converter.
It also is able to come off of the transmission, by a couple of bolts, so you can unbolt the flexplate/flywheel from the clutch/torque converter.
You might want to replace that.
Blade.