It sounds easy sbc to ford tranny, but!!!

Hi guys,

i have or am in the process of buying parts to hook up a 1960 283 chevy SBC to a 1936 FORD tranny. i have-

1960 chevy 283

1936 tranny loaded with Lincoln gears

Offenhauser adapter

1950 Mercury Borg & Beck 10" pressure plate (same stud pattern as 10 1/2 i have been told????)

10" ford clutch disc.


so i am finding it very difficult to find out what flywheel to use. it seems every thread on here says just use a standard 168 chevy flywheel, BUT what is that??

when ever i call up a guy selling flywheels he talks about balanced and unbalanced wheels??

what size is your pressure plate 10 1/2" or 11". but mine is 10"??

so can i use this b&b pressure plate and if so what flywheel do i buy??

thanks for any help you guys can give, james

 

Also be sure to figure out in advance which starter to use. I did this 20 years ago and was suprised (but I don't remember why). I think my adapter was designed to use the early (1955?) starter.

Charlie Stephens

 

Check your PM's. I just sent some info.

 

yes as far as i have found out i have to use the early starter.

 

hey dave, thanks for the contact

 

Looks like that adapter would only take the early bull nose mount starter.
try Jegs on a flywheel 555-601205, 168 tooth, 14 1/8 diameter, drilled for two pressure plate patterns 11 5/8 & 12 5/8 and on sale for $60. Can't redrill one for that.

 

Foreign orders don't seem to bother them a bit either so that is a plus in your favor

I don't think I could resurface and put a new ring gear on one of the ones I have for that price. That's about as good a deal as one will find on one of these flywheels. That link also gives the factory part number if that helps sort things out.

Usually the balanced thing on these flywheels means if it is for an internally balanced engine or externally balanced engine which requires a counterweight on the flywheel. Those are usually the 400 sbc engines and the 383 strokers.

 

so Mr48chev, a 283 is a internally balanced engine right??

 

yes

 

hi roundvalley, so the one you suggested says this :-

1967-85 SB & BB-Chevy Flywheel
Fits 305, 307, 327, 402 and 427" 2-piece rear main seal block and crank
Utilizes a 10.4" or 11.0" clutch
Internal balance
168-tooth, 14-1/8" diameter ring gear
28 lb. total weight
Replaces GM 3991469

but its for a 1967, mine is 1960. and it does list a 283 engine in the list of engines

 

Google ---- GM3991469, gmpartsdirect. JEGS is the same except for 2 pressure plate bolt patterns.

Don't forget a pilot bearing for your tranny to flywheel.

 

so i have found a place in england, it was the only place that i can find that mentions 10" clutches.

http://www.pauls-place.com/products-chevy-flywheel.asp

because the one you suggested roundvalley talks about a 10.4" clutch

 

I'm using a 10" clutch on a 168 tooth Chevy Flywheel. I think the pressure plate is early ford. Although not that it matters I switched to a '39 Ford trans when I built my engine.

I really wish I could supply you with more info but I sort of followed a couple guys' recommendations because that what they are running a ran with it.

 

I've done a number of these. The flywheel of choice is the '50 Merc style. It's different than the Ford one as it has the Chevy bolt pattern and is a direct bolt on.

 

so what you are saying is that the '50 mercury style' flywheel bolts straight on to the back of the 283??

 

From what i have found out JJ, unless you or someone has had the Chevy flywheel re-drilled, you can not attached a Ford pressure plate to a Chevy flywheel. Only a 1949-1951 Mercury B&B clutch will bolt straight on to the flywheel. But i can not seem to find out what size a 49-50 merc clutch was?
So then it is hard to find out what flywheel to use.

 

you should be able to run the chevy pressure plate with a Ford clutch in your application...d32

 

just a note...as long as the clutch disc is the same size or smaller than the pressure plate ..you are good...use the chevy pressure plate with the Ford clutch disc...d32

 

but i don't have a chevy pressure plate. i have a mercury b&b 10" one, as i am meant too.

the only problem i need help with is finding a flywheel that fits a borg & beck 10" pressure plate.

 

This is what i found today when i took out my 283 to 40 trans

168 tooth 14 inch aluminum flywheel made by schiefer any leads on where to get one my steel insert has cracks

 

There was an excellent article with some modern parts equivalent in fit to the merc stuff and modern sources and part numbers in Hot Rod Deluxe maybe 3 issues back--find someone that has it! I think they got the pieces via Summit and one of the big horod clutch outfits.
Merc or modern diaphragm they list in HRD fits Chevies with passenger diaphragm clutches, 1955--I don't know.
You CANNOT use a Chevy pressure plate...fingers are incompatible with use with early Ford transmission, which has a large throwout collar and uses a much bigger throwout bearing than Chevy or most anything else. No, you cannot fit a small bearing on there.
Early ford, '49-50 Merc are the common trans with that bearing.

 

Does anyone have a 49-51 MERC pressure plate for sale?

 

I had to have a place build me one for the SBC to '41 transmission in my 1948 Mercury, I have the information at home.