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Technical 283 SBC from under the bench to a early ford 3 speed

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by bobbooth, Dec 3, 2021.

  1. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    Afternoon folks ,toying with the idea of sticking this into one of my projects. From what i can find it's a SBC 283 has no side mounts 1957 ?? would like to know what it's from.
    Block casting is GM 3731548
    c/heads 3748772
    engine number F4 IIL

    Would like to put it on to a early ford 3 speed so would need an adapter but that raises the questions what flywheel would I need a 168 or 153 ? ,pressure plate Chevy or Ford? and ford disc and TO bearing?. The block appears to be drilled for the starter but I was led to believe that the early blocks had a 3 bolt starter that bolted to the bell housing/adapter plate ?. I am also reading that I would possibly need some kind of bellhousing support mounts?. I know there appears to be a few questions but would appreciate some answers from those who know and being over this side of the pond stuff to do the swap is limited and takes a while to get here as well as expensive and the last thing I want is to buy the wrong stuff:rolleyes:. Thanks in advance guys
     
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  2. Tim
    Joined: Mar 2, 2001
    Posts: 17,097

    Tim
    Member
    from KCMO

    Been covered a trillion times but from memory a 50 merc pressure plate has the correct patterns to bolt to your chevy and fit the ford trans

    And yeah generally when I see front mount engines discussed, hurst mount or factory, they generally advocate for a mid mount if feasible. With the tiny ford three speed I wouldn’t be super concerned if you couldn’t fit a mid/ bell housing mount
     
  3. 50 Merc Pressure Plate ?

    Tommy
     
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  4. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,027

    19Fordy
    Member

    The info. here may help answer your questions. If you contact some of the folks who posted, I bet they can help you. In the 1960's i had a 40 Ford with a 265 Chevy in it and I used a HURST mount. I don't recall what flywheel, pressure plate and clutch were used. i know OFFENHAUSER made the transmission adapter for the Ford 3 speed.
    I bet this swap was written up in the 1960's hot rod magazine back in the day.
    https://www.google.com/search?q=ins...0l4j33i299.10296j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
    and
    https://www.google.com/search?q=ins...57j33i299l2.9896j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
     
    Last edited: Dec 3, 2021
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  5. bchctybob
    Joined: Sep 18, 2011
    Posts: 5,190

    bchctybob
    Member

    Ordinarily they used the flywheel and pressure plate that came from the factory for the year of the engine, the clutch disc is swapped for one that corresponds to the trans, the pilot bearing will need to be changed to support the input shaft. On early Chevys with bellhousing mounted starters they sometimes used the bellhousing ring from the cast iron Powerglide to provide the starter mount.
    As long as there is sufficient material you could always make a template and drill the block for the later starter. Mostly, it all depends on what adapter you buy.
     
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  6. Those adapters arent cheap new. see if you can find one used off the internet,ebay etc.
     
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  7. 50 Merc pressure plate to a 168 tooth flywheel, corresponding clutch disc for the pressure plate. The reason for the merc pressure plate is that it will bolt up to most old Chevy flywheels. TO bearing is Ford, Wilcap, offenhauser bellhousing and bob's your uncle. One of the easiest and most traditional swaps there is. I bought a Merc pressure plate brand new from Wilcap back in 2015, I would imagine they still have them.
     
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  8. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    Great info guys, I take it that I can use any starter if my block is already drilled ,adaptor (3bolt) or 2bolt (block) ? maybe it had a power glide originally ? From what I can find the heads are from a Vette with 1:72 and 1:50 valves unless anyone can decode differently.
    Prices seem to vary quite dramatically for those adaptors is anyone preferable or are they all the same ? 96D7AF12-814E-4B72-9D94-1E21DD684ABF.jpeg B5AE1F6A-AD6D-4EFC-92A4-7A93E544D05C.jpeg 20774D6F-A466-4B8E-B448-C41446F96BE0.jpeg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 3, 2021
  9. Yes, I believe you can use any starter that fits the block. Last time I checked used bell housings were 100-200 bucks.
     
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  10. razoo lew
    Joined: Apr 11, 2017
    Posts: 536

    razoo lew
    Member
    from Calgary

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  11. Budget36
    Joined: Nov 29, 2014
    Posts: 13,174

    Budget36
    Member

    I’m not sure what the best/preferable adapter is, but I had an F1 with a 283 and WilCap 307C adapter. It worked fine. I didnt put it together, but came that way when I bought the truck.
    Sold it all off years ago when I went 350/350 and don’t recall details other that the adapter part number.
     
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  12. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,145

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

    What it looks like together. 168 tooth aluminum flywheel, 50 merc clutch, pressure plate and throw out bearing. Starter bolts to bell housing, Hurst front mount. Transmission is also rev limiter :)
    20190811_100013 (1).jpg
     
  13. AngleDrive
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 1,145

    AngleDrive
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Florida

    I believe I purchased the pilot bushing from Speedway
    20190721_092649.jpg 20190721_091923.jpg
     
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  14. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    Does anyone know if you can still get 49-50 Merc PP's ?? ha d alook round the net and not come up with anything, or can i have the Chev flywheel redilled to something more readily available?

    Some great info coming forward...:)
     

    Attached Files:

  15. el Scotto
    Joined: Mar 3, 2004
    Posts: 4,698

    el Scotto
    Member
    from Tracy, CA

    I ordered my pressure plate rebuilt from these guys when I hooked the Chevy to an early 3 speed. It was the most expensive part of the combo.

    Those aluminum adapters shouldn't be more than $100 used. They are everywhere. I have two now, one fully polished and one that's as cast that's currently screwed to my fence.

    IMG_8336.JPG
     
  16. winduptoy
    Joined: Feb 19, 2013
    Posts: 3,331

    winduptoy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  17. Before running off to your parts store for a 168 tooth chev flywheel, GOOD LUCK ON THAT..

    It has to have the 10,5 inch pressure plate bolt pattern.. The aftermarkets do not drill them for both patterns any more...


    Flywheel should look like this one..

    20190721_091923.jpg

    Dual bolt patterns

    Only one I could find at the time was a used SFI flywheel.. Speedway/summit and such do have NEW ones but hang on to your ankles..
     
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  18. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    Yikes , no "parts stores" on my side of the pond I can run off to, just had a look on Wilcaps site and they seem to do a B&B PP @$170
     
  19. Is the Mercury PP a special height,,,,it looks like a regular Borg and Beck ?

    Tommy
     
  20. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    This is for sale locally 153 teeth ??[​IMG]
     
  21. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

  22. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    I just use early ford 9in pressure plate and re drill and tap the flywheel nice light clutch
     
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  23. If it is 168 tooth.. Looks dual pattern. What does the face look like?
     
  24. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    [​IMG]

    it looks like this , it's Aluminum

    And another one which is steel 168T
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 4, 2021
  25. fullhouse296
    Joined: Jan 30, 2009
    Posts: 404

    fullhouse296
    Member
    from Australia

    Just curious as to why yr going to so much bother to hook up a weak ,non syncro box that will most likely shit itself the first or second time you feed it hard with that set up . seen em behind early hemis in the fifties ,but they didnt have so much to pick from . cosmetic ?
     
  26. I would pass on the aluminum one myself.. Light weight would be nice but looks rough as a cob...

    One thing also to make sure of that the flywheel you get is for a early block and not a one piece rear main IE; 1986 up
     
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  27. Torkwrench
    Joined: Jan 28, 2005
    Posts: 2,713

    Torkwrench
    Member

    Starting in 1957, most, (if not all), 283's were drilled for block mounted starters. The bolt holes were not always tapped, though. The 1957 - 1961 TurboGlide transmission cars used block mounted starters. All others, (through 1962), used the bellhousing mount starters.

    By the way, the different flywheels, (168 tooth vs. 153 tooth), use different starters. The difference is in the starter snouts. The basic starter is the same. Also, a bellhousing mount starter can be changed to a block mount, (and vice versa), by changing the starter snout. I'll be doing this today. I have a new reman. block mount starter but need a bellhousing mount starter. Just swap snouts and it'll be ready to go in.

    Also, all 1955, 1956 Chevy V8 starters were bellhousing mounts and were slightly different from the 1957 and newer starters.
     
  28. bobbooth
    Joined: Mar 8, 2006
    Posts: 383

    bobbooth
    Member
    from limeyland

    Just because I have it under the bench , it's going in a 36 and if i'm honest with the little 21 stud pump in head i'm just not feeling the love for it to go on long distance jaunts across the UK
     
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  29. tub1
    Joined: May 29, 2010
    Posts: 549

    tub1
    Member
    from tasmania

    if you drive it the same as it has a flathead going up through the gears just use the extra power in top gear it will be fine the 35 in my avatar pic is 283 to 35 trans and yes the trailer is coupled to the car , start doing weelies or burnouts and trans will fail imediantlly
     
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  30. Boneyard51
    Joined: Dec 10, 2017
    Posts: 6,442

    Boneyard51
    Member

    There’s an adaptor that you need for this on Antique car parts on Facebook for $150! Can’t beat that!




    Bones
     
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