So I have my transmission out, driveline dropped and new trans and clutch ready to go in. I can't seem to figure out how to take the the bell housing off without taking off every other thing in the process and doubling the work. Has anyone done a trans swap and know and easy way to do it or any pointers? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Describe the bell housing shape....is it a half bell with bottom tin cover, or did someone swap in a full bell? and what is the new trans? stick, 3 speed, or 4 speed or AT? 3 speed stick and even the truck 4 speed can hang off the bell. But A/T and 4 speed muscle car trans, really need the A/T tail crossmember for support. Tough to find a 63-66 A/T crossmember, but 67-72 will work with a couple holes redrilled. Fits great width and height, slight notches for dual exhaust, too Then that bell housing crossmember can get tossed out .
I edited my mistake on using "full" bell twice LOL The stock bell has a tin lower cover, or half bell some call it. the cover comes off to get at clutch and flywheel swaps, without taking the bell off. I never had one in my shop with the wrong, later full circle bell, but I doubt it can be removed with the bell crossmember in the way.
What trans is going in?. If you want the bell housing out you need to support the rear of the motor, remove bell mounts, remove Z bar, lower rear of motor (make sure the dist doesn't hit the firewall and fan doesn't hit the rad/shroud) and then take all the bolts off. If your going to use the stock bell still all you need to do is pull the inspection cover on the bottom, take off the clutch cover bolts by spinning the motor until each one is accessible and then take off the flywheel bolts through the trans hole in the bell......all this is easily done while the motor and trans are safely in the mounts. I can tell you one thing, if you going with a TH350 or something longer then the stock 3spd the parking brake cross member is going to be in the way. You can either fight with it or take out the rivets and bolt it back in later. Also if your going with a TH350 and your going to modify the parking brake cross member to make a trans mount, try to find a parking brake set-up from a '66 truck, they went to a frame mount cable system as all the bars and linkage from your '64 will now be in the way.
With a manual transmission in a Chevy truck, I would use nothing but the cast iron bell housing. 1oldtimer is right on the money with everything in his posts.
I'm putting in a t5 I don't know how to differentiate the bell housings but it's a 292 had a 3 on the tree Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
That was really helpful tho cuz the only reason I'm taking off the the bell housing was to replace the clutch I thought you had to take it off Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm not sure either honestly, all I know is that My neighbor said it was a good swap to do and that I'll need a smaller clutch Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
You will need a adapter with the T-5 , as the input shaft is longer, using the stock bell housing....
Look up The Ultimate T5 Thread on here. There ways to adapt the front bearing retainer to whatever hole the bellhousing has. Over size ring adapters, turn down the retainer outer diameter (not sure how this works on a T5). The C40 to C60 trucks with the Clark 5-speeds had the larger retainer hole in them. I like the truck/ early V8 cast iron bell housings for many reasons. The starter bolts to the bell housing, eliminates any block-related starter woes. The clutch drops out the bottom, no need to remove it. It uses the 168-tooth flywheel, which will accept any size clutch up to 12".
The 64 truck will have the small bearing retainer and the bellhousing hole should be the right size. Trucks starting around 1968 had a larger center hole in the bellhousing, I think this is what they're talking about...
I think so to, thank you I was worried I didn't have all the pieces so I didn't get to finish it today Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
So this project has taken a lot longer than I expected and I have just started to put everything back together, I cannot for the life of me get the bell housing back in. It is a half bell, I have the peeper plate off and have lowered and raised the motor to try to get it in but it keeps getting stuck on the cross member. I'm willing to take that out I just don't know how to take out rivets Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Don't quite understand what you are trying to do...is the engine in the truck, and the bellhousing is not?
It should not need to come out. You need to find the right balance of up and down to slip it back in, else you will need to put the disc and pressure plate in after the bell housing is on. Yeah, you can do that with these. You will need a clutch disc alignment tool, in any case. Most auto parts stores loan them out, if you did not get one with your clutch.
BEFORE you button everthing up, I'd pull the flywheel off the engine and check the back of the block for STEEL freeze plugs, replace them with BRASS... way better NOW than later! Good Luck, Tim
The engine is obviously tipped back if the bellhousing is a struggle. I've done loads of engine swaps with the Chevy trucks and generally leave the bellhousing in place.
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