Technical Adapt ANY Engine to ANY Transmission

What's shown in this two part YouTube video is probably old hat to some/many of you. But the 99% of us who are not machinists will probably get a kick out of this and also learn something to boot.

Near the end of the first part the fella doing the work and describing it says "...there's really not a lot to this...". Easy for him to say. This is so far over my head I get dizzy just thinking about it. He also says that "...I don't have the fanciest tools by any stretch of the imagination...". He uses a mill, a lathe, and a bandsaw, along with some lesser tools like dial indicator, pliers, etc. Most of us don't have a mill or lathe, but have friends who do. Or have a local machine shop that can do some of this. I know that even though I'll never do anything like this that I have several friends who would do some of the more complicated steps for me if I needed it.

Anyway, here's to hoping you are as fascinated by this as I am. First video is 26:13 and the second part is 12:19 long.

Adapt ANY Engine to ANY Transmission! - YouTube
Any Engine + Any Transmission Part 2! - YouTube

The engine, bellhousing/flywheel, and transmission are all from different manufacturers, but I really like the use of the flathead Ford bellhousing/flywheel due to the clutch release mechanism that Ford used. Nailhead Buicks use a similar setup that would be really cool too. It's likely that other manufacturers used something like it.

While there are "store bought" adapters out there for "common" setups, someone here might want to mate up wildly different drivetrain components that would use this information.

Cheers all.

 

I watched his videos too and was quite impressed. Talented young fellow for sure. I had a tiny bit of variation of thought about a couple of the steps he took, might have done something a bit different myself, but it all worked out just fine.

Will I ever build a similar adapter for some purpose...probably not. But, at the time I found his video I was thinking about doing something similar even though a adapter package is available, but mucho $$$$$. I , like so many others, always say I have more time than money, but at 68 maybe I'd be better off saving some time.

Lynn

 

This is well within the capabilities of a well equipped machine shop, but way beyond the capabilities of the average Joe working in his shop.

Moving on.

 

I think you raised an excellent point here, but unfortunately many builders today shy away from learning how or even trying to adapt transmissions. I remember watching a series a few years ago about Cuba and how the hot rodders down there never throw anything away.........and make anything fit anything because thats all they have to work with. It reminded me a lot of the pioneers of hot rodding and how they adapted things. I have a lathe and a mill and one of the true joys I have is being able to make something fit something else or modifying something to serve the purpose I need. There are a ton of transmisions out there that can be had dirt cheap because they aren't the popular ones. Many foreign cars have 5 and 6 speed manual transmissions that can be bought for a song. Find out what length input shaft you need to reach from your bellhousing face and add an inch or so for an adapter plate. Then look for a cheap trans with that or longer input shaft. An adapter plate can be made on a drill press but a mill would be nicer. Buy one of the tabletop small milling machines instead of a conventional drill press and you are well on your way. A lot of people just never try to learn how to do things like this, but let me tell you its a real good feeling when you make things like that. Once you learn a few basic things, its really not that hard to adapt/make a lot of things.

 

Seems like he added an unnecessary step or two in using the Ford flywheel, clutch and bell housing.

 

Tubman : But the "average Joe" can learn to up grade his/her skills by watching/studying videos like these... Henry Ford said it a long time ago : "If you think you can or can't, you are right..."

 

If a guy has a lathe and knows how to cut/weld, my method of making a custom bellhousing from scratch might be simpler...
https://grannys.tripod.com/20102b.html

 

@Weedburner That was impressive and looked better than professional.

 

That's cool

 

If I had to choose between a milling machine and a lathe for my shop, I would get a milling machine and a rotary table (12"). Taking it a step further, the mill should have a working digital readout. If someone has one of these in their shop there is a myriad number of ways to make things. You don't need a drill press if you have a mill. You can't really modify a bell housing on a home size lathe because they are too big for most lathes. On a mill with a rotary table you can enlarge bores to almost any size you'll ever need. You can drill hole patterns, machine flats and edges, cut slots and flats. Everyone should go get one right now................You know you want one
The lathe can come later.

 

Not to boast, or be contraversial, but I do have these tools and the lathe sees far more use than the mill. If I were to re-outfit the shop, it would be lathe before mill.

 

For what it’s worth I was considering making my own adapters for a 354 Chrysler Hemi I’m doing. I have Bridgeport and lathe and can even operate them. But when I started to look at the raw materials I had other thoughts. I didn’t catch every bit of the video but don’t believe he mentioned the cost. Online Metals sell that 1.250 thick 6061 plate 18”x18” for $367.83. My project also needs a chunk of steel for the crank adapter which can get pricey. If there’s not an adapter then you have no choice. It was an interesting and informative video though.
Thanks for sharing


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

FORD flathead, Mopar flywheel &starter, GM 700r4 AOD transmission....

 

Well, I ain’t got none of those high dollar fancy machine tools, nowhere to put them if I did, and sure as heck wouldn’t know where to start to run them if it was right here in front of me!

I thought about buying a small lathe one time and learning how to operate it, then reality spoke up and I realized I wouldn’t use it enough to pay for itself. I’m not knocking you guys with the tools or the knowledge, I just don’t do enough stuff to need anything like that, seems more like what a pro builder would need, and I’m just half assed shade tree.

 

Does anyone here know what the acceptable tolerance is for the alinement of the transmission to the crank shaft center line? I know OEM bell housings are spot on, but sometimes the steel scatter shields are somewhat off.
I always figured if I was going to build one of these adapter bellhousings , I would leave the transmission bore a little small and then after everything is built I would fab a boring bar in the engine main bearings for the finial cut, ensuring near perfect alinement. Plus leave the transmission mounting plate a little thick , for a finial alinement cut . Maybe I’m just over thinking this?






Bones

 

If you score a little lathe, you will wonder how you got a long with out one. I had a little Atlas lathe in my work shop, for 33 years! Probably the single most used tool in the shop.
I was alway chucking something in there to polish, file, machine or mill. I now have three of them in my home shop! Mills are handy, too. I have three of those, fixing to trade one for a shaper!








Bones

 

O/T, but same rabbit hole: I was intrigued the VW Midget race cars in '80, and had a side job repairing those cars...
Took a VW bus (O.T.?) bell housing ('Hogs head) and mated it to a VW 1600 engine, then on the back, a GM Saginaw trans. Tube frame, 'glass '23 bucket with a poop deck, '40 rear with '46 truck open drive, '37 tube front axle. (wish @MartyStrode could have seen it!)

 

OK I am looking at a mill,, suggestions for a Mill Challenged rodder??
I am looking at this one
Photo wont show

 

Not to argue, and I use my lathe a lot..........I'm just saying you can do more things with a milling machine and a rotary table. You can make round and retangular shapes on it. The rotary table is the key to versatility. It may take a little creativity, but generally I can machine large holes in larger things than I can on my lathe.....and its a 15" swing. Recently I wanted to modify a flywheel by drilling a different mounting pattern in it and opening up the center hole. I have a $450 new aftermarket flywheel for a 500 Cadillac. I needed a second flywheel but didn't want to spend a lot. I bought a used Pontiac flywheel for $100. I couldn't get the jaws on my lathe chuck open enough to hold the flywheel and still clear the ways. So I put it on the rotary table and in a little bit I had the hole opened up and the bolt pattern drilled. I didn't bore all the way, only enough to clear the nub on the Cad crank. Now the flywheel fits either a Cad or a Pontiac, and its lighter than the stock Cad. Without the mill I would have had to buy another new flywheel.
I probably use my lathe more on a daily basis, but most of the time its for small things like making something fit something else. Generally lathe jobs tend (for my use) to be simpler things and a lot of them can be accomplished with a little creativity on my mill. Most of the time anyone who has a mill will shortly start keeping an eye out for a small lathe to compliment it. Bestus is to have both available. I respect your opinion, and as always viewpoints differ.

The same setup would easily resize a bellhousing as well as correctly drilling transmission mounting holes in the right places. Thats why I would prefer a mill. I have no problem with anyone who feels they would prefer a lathe.............but we do agree that having both is always best.

Edit: Go to this concurrent post #43 https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...-a-mill-and-a-way.502086/page-2#post-13988069

 

My mention of having considered making an adapter was similar, but in my case a 241 Dodge Hemi. I didn't price the chunk of aluminum but knew it wouldn't be cheap, so buying the adapter and all of the parts that coordinate adapting a later manual or automatic from Hot Heads seemed it would be a better use of time and money.

Now something one-off like done in the video is most inspiring and certainly the only option!

Atwater Mike....your "T" with the VW sounds to be along the same vein as the T roadster back in the 70's(?) that had a Corvair engine up front. Ingenious! I have an appreciation for that out-of-the-box thinking, although I never have found out where the box is kept.

Lynn

 

This has been my problem with making larger parts. My solution was to get into metal casting. I can make a pattern out of wood and then melt down some of the scrap aluminum that is always laying around.
Naturally after that the machine tools come into play.
Technical - Reinventing the wheel | The H.A.M.B. (jalopyjournal.com)

 

Right on, Lynn... I remember seeing that Corvair powered T, and thinking: "How did they deal with the backward-turning of the Corvair engine?" (obviously, the ring gear got flopped to the other side, but I bet that confused the transmission!)
Thing was, the VW 'hogs head' was there, and I kept looking at it thinking, "That's an adapter, actually..." LOL

 

@ 51 Norm casting has been on my list of things to learn. I’ve done my share of babbitting but never scratch parts. I didn’t read your thread yet but I’m looking forward to it.


Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Even if you have an above average hobby shop, it's still not all that simple! I have a small lathe and mill, but it wont accept a part as large as a flywheel. And even if it did, I'd need digital runout meter to determine the exact location to make sure the new dowel pins, and bolt pattern were perfect when drilled. And my lathe will do a 9" swing, and has a 3/4" bore in the headstock, so I'm limited on how large a diameter shaft fits inside the headstock when chucking up parts.
Great videos, but the tools he has are well above the average hobbyist's tools.

 

Watched his videos. It totally is simple if you are a real hotrodder. Not meaning if you have all the tools but if you are a real car guy/gal, you know others and they may have talents and tools you don't. It is part of the lifestyle

 

I agree with ekimneirbo. I have a series2 biridgeport, with a rotary table, and a D.R.O. for locating. There aren’t many things I can’t make with it. I also have a “garage sized” lathe. It won’t allow any part bigger than a 7” diameter. I use this machine frequently for the things it can do, but there is no question that the mill is more of a universal go-to machine when combined with the rotary table.
This is posted in another thread, but Im making an adapter that mates my early hemi to a Lakewood scattershield. The scattersheild will mate to an overdrive version of a clutchflite transmission. I want the adapter to do a few things like eliminate the block saver plate, add mid mounts, mount O/T sensors.
I bought a 3/4” thick 6061 plate 20x24 for $271.00 the cutoffs will go to other purposes.

 

My '60s Ford shop manuals gave a limit of 0.004" of runout when dialling the bellhousing hole to the flywheel, regardless of engine, if I remember right.

I really like the idea of home casting, but it is very involved. One thing that strikes me as odd is that a lot of hobbyists videos will show using pop cans, extrusions etc. as raw material for aluminum casting. It would be much better to use old cast pistons, trans cases etc. as they are already proper alloys for casting.

It's kind of like attempting to make cast iron parts using steel as the raw material.

 

True. I don't have one, but my buddy just picked up a used one practically for free, along with a lathe (having his shop converted to upgraded 3 phase cost him as much as the tools). He just drilled a new bolt pattern (Ford 5 on 4.5") on my '40 hubs, Buick drums, set up and drilled the Wilson Welding backing plates for the 8" under my current Hemi/Model A roadster project. It was pretty interesting watching him work, and made me regret not learning how to do this kind of work myself.

 

I think I remember running a lathe back in high school for a couple of hours, that would have been in the early 1970s. Buying a lathe would pretty much be wasted money for me.
I did do some time with a Bridgeport when I was in maintenance in the first factory I worked in. I made a few parts we needed for one of the machines. That would have been in the mid 1980s. I have a 2 stall garage, there just isn't enough room in it for a Bridgeport, even if I could remember how to use it. Being a machinist was not something I ever enjoyed. Its pretty hard to do something you don't enjoy for long term.
One of my HS buddies was a great machinist, but after school, he moved where his machining abilities lead him. The last I heard, he was in MN someplace. I admire people that can do well the things I can't, but I don't want to be them.

I fully understand that parts can be adapted from one vehicle to another one. I've done it a lot, but for me, it better be pretty simple. I can cut the pattern out of something made from steel and weld it in place of a different pattern that was made from steel, but for the most part I'm going to let the machinist do the machining. I'll stick to the welding and wrenching. Gene

 

@Boneyard51 I agree with the .004 as far as a tolerance goes. It’s been awhile but I’ve corrected steel scatter shields with new dowel pin bungs. You drill out the old hole indicate the housing and weld the bungs on. I’ve done sone SAE cast housings were you remove dowels indicate the housing then ream the dowel holes for oversized dowels.



Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app