Is there a cast aluminum bellhousing that will work for this? Or are you stuck with the cast iron. What years would the aluminum donors be?
Langdon's stovebolts makes an adapter to get the sbc trans bolt pattern. I'm not sure how it works with a manual. There are also some early year truck bellhousings that will work. I don't remember which though. http://stoveboltengineco.com/ Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone
The stoveboltengineco.com says to only use the t5 from a 2.8 v6 application. I know about the mech speedo drive but why must it be specific to the 2.8 engine?
The 2.5 four cylinder and 2.8 v6 engines have a 60º bellhousing bolt pattern which differs from the common GM 90º small block Chevy pattern. Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone
True, but that is not relevant here. None of the adapters use the T5's bellhousing, regardless of origin. All GM T5's have the same trans to bellhousing pattern, until 1993 (when they switched to Ford pattern), which is the same as the old-school Muncie, Saginaw pattern. The reason that the adapters specify 4/6 cylinder T5 is that those have a LONGER input shaft, which accommodates the thickness of the adapter. You would need this (or equivalent): http://www.hotrodworks.com/catalog/index.php/t5-transmission-adapters.html And a S10 T5, prior to or at 1989, after which, the speedometer went electronic. There are two ratio sets. More info here: http://www.flatheadv8.org/ernie/ernie-t5.htm
Of course, all of this applies to the CAR 235 bellhousing, in a car. The TRUCK bell has a different path. Also, in either case, car or truck, your side engine mounts are on the bellhousing. Swap it, and then they are gone. Plan on building a mount to pick up the rear mount on the T5, crossmember or otherwise. the T5 case IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO GO WITHOUT. I have had two customers attempt to decide otherwise, and find out the hard way.
^^ Thanks for clarifying that Gimpyshotrods. I was unsure if it used the S10 bellhousing or not. I have only used Langdon's kit to put a 700R4 in a 54 Chevy 210. Haven't done a manual yet. Sent via Illinois Bell Telephone Company's Car Radiotelephone
Dave at Vintage Metal Works makes them too: http://jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=845200&highlight=t5+235 http://vintagemetalworks.blogspot.com/p/s10-t5-to-49-54-chevy-car-235216.html By going this route, you can keep your pedals, clutch linkage, etc. The clutch disc will need to be changed to match the T5's splines. You will need to swap the rear axle, and have a driveshaft made. If you are not up for making a crossmember, Walton Fabrication makes a very good one: http://www.waltonfabrication.com/19trcrkit1.html
Thanks much to Gimpys and 55IH for helping to clarify some points. One more question regarding the bellhousing is one preferred over the other car versus truck? Thanks again
If you have a car, you need one for a car. If a truck, then truck. While they could be interchanged, the clutch fork is not in the same place on the car versus the truck. Unless you are really into a masochistic adventure in compound clutch linkage geometry modification, the pedal/linkage cannot be easily used on one, for the other. Car: Truck: The side mounts are different, but that would be the least of your worries.
So, pondering this swap my self...... , I would need : pre 89 t-5 trans , new custom drive line , rear end , adaptor kit (plate) ,clutch for t-5,and a tail shaft crossmember, and then move the shifter hole in the floor back to accommodate it in my 40 chevy truck? any thing else I'm missing? thinking maybe it'll be cheaper to find a linkage bar kit for my sagie 4 sp. ? thanks , not to hi jack the thread , just looking for the same kind of info, thanks.
What exactly are you trying to put together? Some info in this thread isn't entirely pertinent to what you are likely trying to do. You need to specify.
a 58 car 235 bell housing has the correct transmission mount (do not need an adapter), and the provisions for a side mount brackets are drilled and tapped, though not used on the original application. Other years may work as well, I have the 58 and that is why I know it works. I have heard the magic years are 55-62 but cannot confirm, none have a foot starter provision for early cars and you must use a key solenoid starter.
Yes, but if you are going to run that one, and an S10 T5, you will have to use a spaced, and/or do some mods to the input shaft and throwout bearing collar. The input shaft is longer than the V8 ones.
I thought this thread was dead. But I haven't visited in a few days. As to Snarl's questions; this will be an adaptation of a stovebuilt dirt tracker but using early ford running gear with open drive. Maybe not totally purist without a torque tube but I want the o/d' I am using a Model A frame pinched in rear. Seating obviously rearward close to the rear axle. Handmade al body....visualize a Bugatti type 35. The original question was regarding if there was an aluminum bellhousing that fits the 235. And I guess not from the replies.
I can't say that an aluminum one was never made, but I have never seen or heard of one. Iron was all-the-rage back in that day.
gimpyshotrods showed you the pre 1954 bellhousings that the crosmember is flat. late 54 truck and 55-62 car bells have mounts at 45 degrees. just adding this for later tech to avoid confusion.
Oooh. Thanks for catching that. I sometimes forget that just because it makes sense inside my head, doesn't mean it does outside it.
Are you actually going to be able to get a title and registration for something like that? if you can't, then you won't be driving down the highway at 65, which means you probably don't need the OD. Just a thought... No, not aluminum. The only way to do that would be to get one of those $350 adapters intended for puting an automatic behind a stovebolt, and use a later fully enclosed aluminum housing. There was an aluminum open bottom housing used in the early 60's on Corvettes and 409 cars. Fairly rare and expensive, but they are around. Try Ebay... As to using an iron bellhousing, because of the nature of what you are building, fork angle and mounting need to be considered first, then trans bolt pattern. There are several choices relating to the above issues. All of them have the standard Chevy fork angle except the 1949-54 cars, which angles down farther, which might be useful depending on the kind of space you have to work with. If you do go with the 49-54, you would need the adapter plate to mate it with the T5 as the trans bolt pattern is different. 48-62 truck and 55-62 car housings have the regular wide Muncie trans bolt pattern. Depending on the T5 you use, you might need to shim the trans back so the clutch disc doesn't bind on the input shaft splines. All Chevy T5's have the longer 7 1/8" input shaft length, except for V8 and some V6 Camaro applications. 48-59 truck housings have provision for foot starter. all truck housings have provision for side mounts, but 48-53 are a different style than 54-up. 55-57 cars have the same style of side mount as the 54-up trucks, but they don't have foot starter mounting. 58-62 cars don't have side mounts, but they do have a pair of threaded holes on the front face of the corners that could be used for mounts. These holes are on all of the other housings as well. Narrow things down a bit, and I can give more specifics.
I think the bellhousing I have may have been from an early truck. It has provision for the stomp starter, and the mounting pads are vertical on the rear sides of the housing. It looks like pedals may have mounted to it similar to model a Ford because there is a boss with a hole in it on the left side.
Mr. Snarl, I see you are a fellow Wisconsinite. Regarding title. I have a title for the Ford chassis being used so that's not an issue. Primary use will be for vintage racing in prewar class. I'm reasonably sure the bellhousing I have came from a30's era stovebolt truck, which would have had a 206 or 216 engine. Fork angle is something I can deal with regardless of the angle it is in. Thanks for all the info. I'm picking up a S10 T5 from av6 this weekend in Depere. I guess then I'll be able to figure out whether to make or buy an adapter if needed. Thanks again
date code and casting number would help identify the bellhousing using a Hollander interchange manual. As for title and registration, if the car is modified to the point where it no longer can be identified as what it started out as, I believe you would then need to have it titled as a reconstructed vehicle which means it would need all of the safety and emissions crap that are required for the year you tried to register it in, which right now would be 2013. Obviously, that would be impossible to do. If you were planing on registering it as a Model A Ford to avoid the above issue and go with collector or hobbyist plates, keep in mind they now require pictures. I have a couple ideas on how to get around that, but they would only work as long as you never got pulled over by an overzealous cop who's eager to get your car off the road. I've seen this attempted on a couple people I know, who didn't even have cars that were heavily modified. They went through alot of BS to get their registration reinstated. Read up on Trans305 for more title/registration info.
have a ? I have a 54 210 close drive shaft want to swap to open drive so far I have a 55 car rear end no want to swap the trans and bell housing I would to keep it 3 speed so my ? is what kind of bell housing I can use and want to try a Saginaw 3 speed from a 60s chevy car thx in advance for any info.
Wow. Why is it so hard for people to start new threads? Get a 55-64 car trans and bellhousing for a 235, and you're done.
The Jalopy Journal
