Back to the 3 speed od topic I asked about a little bit ago... Is it possible to redrill the factory '51 bellhousing to allow the trans to bolt on? I've yet to find anything saying it's been done but I cant see why it couldn't.
I drilled holes in my transmission to line up with the ones in my adapter but it is critical that you get the alignment spot on. I traced the holes from another transmission that had the correct holes and lucked out but I wouldn't advise doing it.
I'm not entirely sure. It's all still installed in the car so I havent looked at it yet. It the newer bolt pattern wider, taller or both? I'm trying to remember from my Hotrod Works T5 adapter but I can't. The '53 trans I have is packed away in storage so I can't take measurements off of it. I was also trying to find an extended pilot bushing so I could just keep the adapter plate but the longest I can find is .25" over
The early 50s car transmission has a rather small bolt pattern, compared to the 55-later one. Take a peek under there if you can, and see what it looks like. I don't recall what the status of your car is right now, though...
It's my alternate daily driver, I'm just bored with the floor shift. I'm trying to get things squared away before I pull the motor/t5 out since my lady uses the garage normally and I'll have it occupied. I try and collect all my parts before cracking into any project.
Put on a 55-62 bellhousing and you won’t need to do anything but add an open drive shaft rear end. Stock column linkage will work too. You are already going to make a plate to use the trans mount.
I have a '58 truck bellhousing. My car's running a T5 and s10 rear. I have the timing plate motor mounts (but I'm seriously considering getting the front corner motor mount kit off ebay), the bellhousing (anti twist) mounts and a Waltons crossmember (soon to be Hotrod Works for the added ground clearance). My concern with using the truck bell, besides having the chain link clutch connection putting side load on the release bearing, is the bellhousing mounts, unless they're not necessary.
The clutch fork position on the pickup bellhousing is different than the passenger bell housing. If you use the pickup bellhousing with the passenger clutch linkage it will cause binding. Pickup on the left, passenger on the right.
I'm not sure that there is enough metal there to drill. Hopefully someone has both the small pattern and the later pattern bellhousings out where they can take a photo or two and post the differences.
I still don't understand what is in your car, and what you are planning to do. But this is the difference in transmission bolt patterns between the old car bell, and the newer car/truck bellhousing
I would just get or make an adapter plate . as far as the extended pilot bearing and machine shop could make you one out of navy bronze ( not cheap) but probably the best solution in this case. alternatly if the bushing is sticking out of the fly wheel to far, drill and bush the flywheel to hold the bushing completely. more use a truck bell and modify the side mounts and clutch fork or use a 55 and later car bell and fab a cross member. ain’t gonna be an easy task , but you do have many options to get it done.
To install a later 3 speed, Iused a 61 car bell housing as it doesn’t have the mounts on it as they are not needed on 49-54 car. Then welded a pad at 8:00 and milled flat/drilled/tapped to relocate the clutch lever pivot from the 61 bells 9:00 pivot location. Ground out window in side of bell. Use the stock clutch lever. Works really great no issues. We welded it ourselves with preheat/7018 rod and a friend has a mill. It was a bear to drill and tap as we didn’t know what we were doing and likely hardened the cast iron when welding it. Someone may know the proper way to weld this to make it easy to drill.
Oh wow that's not even close, huh? I have a '58 235, an '89 s10 T5 and a Hotrod Works adapter plate. I'm thinking of switching back to column shift without having to put the torque tube back in. On the same note, I have the car for sale and when/if it does sell I dont want to lose the t5 because I want it for the '49 Ford coupe eventually. I'd get more for the car with the 3 speed overdrive than I would with the 3 speed and torque tube. I also wont need the s10 rear since it's too wide for the Ford.
Shortest path seems to be either modify a pickup bell housing or get/have machined an extended pilot bushing.
I would cut out the area below the clutch arm on the later housing and move the pivot ball lower...Mostly because I am a hillbilly and it's low cost, crude but effective
If I understand correctly, you want to do all this just to save the T5 for another project. It looks like you are going to have a lot of work solving lots of small problems and maybe have as much money invested as you save. If you have a really good T5, I'd just look for a cheap one you can swap in its place and use what you can get for the 3 sp OD to offset that cost. Getting the shift linkage and clutch/TO to work may be more of a problem, then you have to make the OD work too. If you use an adapter, will trans mount still work, or driveshaft length? Lots of niggling little details that often make for a lot of work.
I don’t know if this post will present any useful info, but here goes. Many decades ago (1962 ....I was 18).....my best friend’s Dad, an older man and carpenter, had a dilemma. His Studebaker work truck (‘50 ish) six cylinder gave up the ghost. He had a very good running ‘48 Chevy and asked me if I thought the Chevy engine could be put in the Studebaker and make it useable again. I said “no harm in trying”, so I proceeded. The point of this tale, I adapted the Stude trans to the Chevy bell housing. I swapped the front bearing retainer to get the right size OD for the Chevy engine. Bored out the pilot bushing a bit for the Stude input shaft. Then test fit for bolt pattern. Was able to drill the bell housing for the upper bolts and decided to drill and tap the face of the Stude trans to match the lower bolt holes of the Chevy bell housing and the bolts inserted from inside the bell to the trans, like Chevy pickups. Maybe something like that would work here. Ray
That’s an idea. Maybe all 4 bolts would work like that Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I wish I could find a cheap t5 to swap in. All I can find are the 4.03 first gear versions and even those are going for way too much.
Will your adapter plate hold up to supporting the rear driveline weight if I lose the bellhousing side mounts? Im going with the Davis Speed front corner mounts to keep the twisting down and then just the trans mount if possible. Doing that will put alot of pressure on your plate as far as it tying the motor and trans together in the middle.
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