SlowLearner
04-13-2004, 10:04 PM
Still on my continuing quest for torque monster. Now looking at cheaper, tho less character than Seagrave V12, or my DOHC Packard straight eight fantasy.
Now I'm thinking the big 472-500 Caddy. Prob'ly dead stock to begin with. But I've gotta shift the gears myself. Want to do a (late) Ford toploader 4 speed (to handle the hoped for torque forces). How can I do it cheap??
From what I've read, the 60's-70's Caddies had a B-O-P Bellhousing bolt pattern, but I don't know if they're the same length. More importantly, the ring gear on the Cad flexplate is 166 tooth, same for the Buick, Olds and Pontiac 455 FLYWHEELS (and some Olds small(er) blocks). Now we're getting somewhere. Apparently they're all internally balanced. Cad likewise?
McLeod Industries says the B-O-P flywheels are 13.979" in diameter. Dunno the dia of the Caddy flexplate. Does anybody??
What I want to do is get a CHEAP junkyard (swapmeet) flywheel, then clutch and bellhousing. Could I just turn down any larger dia. flywheel (redrill if necessary) then shrink on the right ring gear? (I know I'll have to bore the crank end for input shaft pilot bushing.) Then, hopefully, just redrill the back of the bellhousing for the ford pattern, or do up an adapter.
Sound doable?? Not much out on the web on this (except a wild guy who put a Cad in an International Scout(!).
Anybody do this...or got some pointers?
Now I'm thinking the big 472-500 Caddy. Prob'ly dead stock to begin with. But I've gotta shift the gears myself. Want to do a (late) Ford toploader 4 speed (to handle the hoped for torque forces). How can I do it cheap??
From what I've read, the 60's-70's Caddies had a B-O-P Bellhousing bolt pattern, but I don't know if they're the same length. More importantly, the ring gear on the Cad flexplate is 166 tooth, same for the Buick, Olds and Pontiac 455 FLYWHEELS (and some Olds small(er) blocks). Now we're getting somewhere. Apparently they're all internally balanced. Cad likewise?
McLeod Industries says the B-O-P flywheels are 13.979" in diameter. Dunno the dia of the Caddy flexplate. Does anybody??
What I want to do is get a CHEAP junkyard (swapmeet) flywheel, then clutch and bellhousing. Could I just turn down any larger dia. flywheel (redrill if necessary) then shrink on the right ring gear? (I know I'll have to bore the crank end for input shaft pilot bushing.) Then, hopefully, just redrill the back of the bellhousing for the ford pattern, or do up an adapter.
Sound doable?? Not much out on the web on this (except a wild guy who put a Cad in an International Scout(!).
Anybody do this...or got some pointers?