Problem mounting Chevy eng. to ford trans using a motor plate

[meengrinch]

After mounting engine to front of motor plate and Chevy/ford adapter To the back of motor plate i have too much travel at the release brg to fingers of pressure plate....the motor plate is 1/2" am going to take some measurements this am but wondering if ford ever made a longer bearing mount? I didn't expect the 1/2" to make this big a difference...any idea's?

[oj]

Are you speaking of the candle stick? Yes, you can get them in different lengths or just make one, welding a piece of xmoly to the existing would be ok. I am not fmiliar with ford, it just bolts in right? the t-o slides on it and there are no moving parts or anything and the input shaft is inside but nothing touches right? then weld a piece onto the end (assuming yours is steel), you'll have to do something with the ball i'd imagine to move it out so's you'll have travel and the clutch pedal feels right.
Badassed avatar.

[F-6Garagerat]

You mean the throwout bearing fork wont push the bearing far enough to depress the fingers on the pressure plate and it wont release the disc completly right? I would bet the end of the trans input shaft isnt far enough into the pilot bearing in the crank either. I would think the plate is too thick, you're running out of travel.

P.S. what the hell is a candle stick?

[dana barlow]

The ball pin maybe needs to be spaced out a 1/2in also,making the arm were it was designed to be
?candle stick,could be a disk alinemint tool by some other name?my guess

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by dana barlow

The ball pin maybe needs to be spaced out a 1/2in also,making the arm were it was designed to be
?candle stick,could be a disk alinemint tool by some other name?my guess

Yeah but now ya got me wondering what the heck the "ball pin" is,lol.

[meengrinch]

to follow up.....F-6 is close to the problem........i am using a adapter for the pilot so the tranny sits in it ok....the plate is actually a 3/8ths plate not the 1/2 inch i said first..BUT the 3 fingers on the pressure plate are still to far away from the face of the bearing.....it almost push the bearing assy off the nose of the tranny. even if i were to space the brg assy with a 3/8ths shim it would push the assy off the nose of the tranny....appreciate your help guys.....

[F-6Garagerat]

I have a '57 283 with a 39 style trans behind it. I have a Speed Gems adapter. I know with this setup you have to use a 49-50 Mercury pressure plate, not the Ford pressure plate (yes it's different for some reason). I know the Ford pressure plate ears will hit the bell. Maybe the distance from the bearing to the pressure plate fingers is different as well. I can tell you this, the Merc PP seems thicker than the Ford version. Could be your problem. I can send you a pic of mine when I get out to the shop later. I also have a Ford type I can compare it to.

[F&J]

Originally Posted by F-6Garagerat

I have a '57 283 with a 39 style trans behind it. I have a Speed Gems adapter. I know with this setup you have to use a 49-50 Mercury pressure plate, not the Ford pressure plate (yes it's different for some reason). I know the Ford pressure plate ears will hit the bell. Maybe the distance from the bearing to the pressure plate fingers is different as well. I can tell you this, the Merc PP seems thicker than the Ford version. Could be your problem. I can send you a pic of mine when I get out to the shop later. I also have a Ford type I can compare it to.

Yes, I'd like to see some pics of your set up. I am not doing that swap but I like to know what works on different swaps/


BTW, candlestick is the front bearing retainer/tob guide tube, and ball pin, is the pivot inside the bell like on a chevy stick bellhousing

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by F&J

Yes, I'd like to see some pics of your set up. I am not doing that swap but I like to know what works on different swaps/


BTW, candlestick is the front bearing retainer/tob guide tube, and ball pin, is the pivot inside the bell like on a chevy stick bellhousing

ok, now I get the candle stick, unbolt it and stand it on end and it looks like a candlestick in a holder. but theres no ball pivot in the bell of a 39 style trans, the fork is on a shaft.

[meengrinch]

Your deal is pretty much like I'm trying to do. Chev motor with adapter into early ford tranny. Only difference I see is that I'm using a 3/8" motor plate. My pressure plate is the merc. One I was told by many on the hamb. It has the three individual fingers not the multi fingered one. I did notice that when I put the clutch disc in and tightened it to the flywheel the three fingers compressed a long way not leaving a lot of room to depress more. I've replaced a lot of clutches before and didn't notice that.

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by meengrinch

I did notice that when I put the clutch disc in and tightened it to the flywheel the three fingers compressed a long way not leaving a lot of room to depress more. I've replaced a lot of clutches before and didn't notice that.

shouldnt the fingers come out towards the trans when you tightened the P.P. bolts to the flywheel?

[F-6Garagerat]

Just for the hell of it, have you tried screwing it all together without the plate to see if thats the problem? gotta start eliminating things.

[JohnEvans]

Lathe time! Make 2 spacers,one to got between the bearing retainer[candlestick] and the trans case. And another to space the TO bearing out from its carrier. You need to retain the original release fork to bearing geometry for everything to work correctly.

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by JohnEvans

Lathe time! Make 2 spacers,one to got between the bearing retainer[candlestick] and the trans case. And another to space the TO bearing out from its carrier. You need to retain the original release fork to bearing geometry for everything to work correctly.

If you put a spacer between the bearing retainer and the trans case isnt that exactly going to alter the relationship betheen the fork and the bearing?

[F&J]

unbolt it and stand it on end and it looks like a candlestick in a holder.

The modern world has changed what a "candlestick" really is. If you were to look it up in a dictionary, a candle is what is placed "into" a candle stick. The candle is a candle, the holder is a candlestick.

[seabeecmc]

Originally Posted by F&J

The modern world has changed what a "candlestick" really is. If you were to look it up in a dictionary, a candle is what is placed "into" a candle stick. The candle is a candle, the holder is a candlestick.

A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum (plural: candelabra) is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped. Candlesticks are also called candle holders. However, not all candle holders are candlesticks unless they are tall and stick-like. Candlesticks are quite often and quite erroneously called candlestick holders by those who think that the candles themselves are the candlesticks.

[F-6Garagerat]

Originally Posted by seabeecmc

A candlestick, chamberstick, or candelabrum (plural: candelabra) is a holder for one or more candles, used for illumination, rituals, or decorative purposes. The name 'candlestick' derives from the fact that it is usually tall and stick-shaped. Candlesticks are also called candle holders. However, not all candle holders are candlesticks unless they are tall and stick-like. Candlesticks are quite often and quite erroneously called candlestick holders by those who think that the candles themselves are the candlesticks.

You guys discuss candle sticks, I'm gonna go work on my hot rod.

[JohnEvans]

F6 : on rethinking this it may. I think just a spacer between the bearing and carrier would slove the whole issue.

[meengrinch]

Still lacking a answer..when I tightened the pressure plate to the 3 fingers moved towards the flywheel..as if you were depressing the clutch..move a lot it seemed strange to me ...had not noticed that before...I am trying to solve problem w/o removing motor if pos...this deal with the exception of the motor plate has been done many times here on the hamb bible...I still don't know wha this candlestick name is .....don't think it has anything to do with my problem.."....any more hints out there.....thanks. Jim

[F&J]

Originally Posted by meengrinch

Still lacking a answer..when I tightened the pressure plate to the 3 fingers moved towards the flywheel..as if you were depressing the clutch..move a lot it seemed strange to me ...had not noticed that before...I am trying to solve problem w/o removing motor if pos...this deal with the exception of the motor plate has been done many times here on the hamb bible...I still don't know wha this candlestick name is .....don't think it has anything to do with my problem.."....any more hints out there.....thanks. Jim

I understand your problem, as I was looking at the same issues with an early Olds motor into my 40 Ford with stock Ford 3 speed.

I noticed that with the Olds/Ford spacer plate, and with the pressure plate fingers depressed to max, the TOB casting, actually goes a bit further than the total length of the TOB guide tube.

So, I did take the time to see if it was possible to press the bearing off of the cast iron ford TOB housing to do a spacer. A spacer would then enable the pressure plate to release the disc before the TOB casting gets to the end of the guide tube. ...No, the spacer wouldn't work; that's because the surface where the TOB bearing unit is pressed onto the casting, is not a uniform surface. Hard to explain/recall, but there is a fairly wide groove running around that TOB holder, or the groove was on the ID of the bearing?... for grease to not only lube the guide tube, but also allows grease to get up into the TOB bearing unit.

So, as you start to press the TOB bearing off of the casting, the bearing will now not be held dead straight. It won't stay put.

Push your TOB bearing off the casting to see if yours is the same. I'd bet it is.


My Olds/Ford setup was so close to being "at the limit", that I honestly think you are in trouble with this motor plate 3/8" thicker. BTW Yes, the fingers will go inwards a lot as you tighten the pressure plate bolts.

All I can think of is trying to find a thicker TOB bearing unit that can be pressed onto the Ford bearing casting, or some other pressure plate that has extended fingers. Both will be a difficult search IMO

3/8" extra does not sound like a big deal, but that's just not true with finger movement. It's a lot, really.