Clutch linkage

i am installing a 283 and saginaw 4 speed in my 46 chevy i would like to use the original clutch fork and linkage for the floor pedal with the v8 bell houseing has any one done this and know if it will work? i have 2 bellhouseings to chose from one is a 61 chevy truck bell and the other is a aluminum bell houseing. thanks

 

no thoughts on this

 

Anything is possible but you most likely will have to do some fabrication to make it work. HRP

 

im thinking of useing the original clutch arm with the aluminum smallblock bell houseing and the original linkage for the floor pedal just wondered if anyone has ever done this

 

Unless you are using a Hurst or other '55-'57 front type engine mount??? you can prolly go with the aluminum bell. You should be able to either find or fab up a bellcrank for a chevy clutch to use the stock pivot balls. One time I ended up with a block that had no boss for the bellcrank pivot ball and had to scab up a pivot mount from a piece of angle and bolt it on using the bellhousing bolts.

 

i am going to use chasis engineering engine mounts stock trans cross member i also have a 61 truck bell housing with the hydraulic slave in the passenger side

 

I used the stock 1952 arm on a later aluminum bellhousing snapped right on the ball. Made an extended linkage and it worked slick. Your earlier arm may be the same?

 

Ok, here's what I did on my 50 delivery and I know the linkage and fork are very similar to the 46 linkage:
I used a small block chevy engine with a lakewood steel bellhousing. I kept the stock chevy pedals and master cylinder.
After looking at this mo-fo for a week, I drove to my favorite U-pull-it and walked chevy, dodge and ford rows...nothin! Wandered over to the truck area and BANG! Saw a mid 70s ford pickup with all the linkage I thought may work. I grabbed it all including the Z-bar mount tabs. They just bolt on instead of some others [chevy] that rivet to the frame..paid my 10 bucks and went home, cleaned it all up and cut the Z-bar down to fit the narrow distance between bell housing and frame. I also re-clocked the 2 halves to give me the correct geometry..welded it back up. Attached the z-bar mounts to frame rail and bellhousing [you could make a bracket that bolts to block or bellhousing mount bolts] Used a combination chevy and ford pickup linkage rods with [90% sure here] the original chevy L-shaped adjustable linkage rod and original fork.
Worked like a million bucks...smooth and positive with no flex. I apoligise for lack of photos.

 

those are good ideas has anyone ever used a hydraulic clutch with the original floor pedal if so how?

 

I hope these pictures will help you, slightly different, 38 Chevrolet but I suspect that your brake/clutch unit are about the same (I've got one -48 Chev- but didn't go dig it out to look at it). I had two or three Z bars laying around and the one I used required a cut to clock both levers to match. I fabricated a rod to go from the Z bar to the clutch pull arm and another adjustable push rod for the throwout arm. I used the original steering box mounting holes for the up right for the Z Bar.

Not sure what you are doing with the brakes, but I adapted a Mustang II Master Cylinder to the org MC using a home built bracket and brake push rod. I am using a Lakewood Scatter shield and side mounts on the engine and a rear transmission mount.

 

thank you good pictures the 46 steering box is farther forward for the original front suspension i am useing thanks for the pictures

 

I've a different take on this situation... I've a friend that was faced with this issue, when he was building his '39 Chevy. The stock clutch fork wouldn't fit a modern bellhousing pivot ball, but the '39 Chevy bellhousing's pivot ball will fit the modern bellhousing. By installing the original pivot ball & clutch fork in the modern bellhousing and mounting the new engine & trans (with the original '39 clutch fork installed) in the stock location, the original clutch linkage worked without any modification.

 

I don't know that using the old clutch fork will gain you anything. If it works, fine. But if you've got the fork that goes with the later bellhousing, I'd use that. Usually, the clutch fork ends up in pretty close to stock position even with an engine/trans swap, and the original linkage can be slightly modified to fit.

To use the hydraulic system, you'd need to mount a second master cylinder and hook it up to the clutch linkage. Then a line from the ms to the slave cylinder on the bellhousing...or a hydraulic throw-out bearing.

 

any pictures of a hydraulic clutch master mounted and connected to the floor pedal would sure be appreciated thanks again for all the information

 

any new ideas ?