Hey everyone! I have a 55 Pontiac Chieftan with a 287 that I recently pulled out because it was smoking pretty bad. Found another 287. This car has a three speed manual transmission and I want to put in a four speed saginaw instead with a floor shift. I need to know what bellhousing I can use that has the rear mounts and a saginaw bolt pattern. Is this possible? Spike
I put a 58 bellhousing in my 56 with a saginaw. You'll need the 58 side motor mounts that go on the crossmember as the bolt pattern is a little different. 59 and 60 bellbousings have the same bolt pattern but I'm not sure if they have the side mount provision.
Yes, you cannot use your '55 bell. You'll need a '58 bell that has the large hole, register, in the bell to fit a 'modern' trans like a Saginaw, Muncie, T 1O, etc. '58 was the last year to use the behousing mounts. '59 started 'modern' side mounts on the engine and a trans cross member. Please keep me in mind for your old parts if you wish to part with them. I have a clean 55 coupe project and would like to convert to stick. Would be interested in any shift linkage, stick shift st column or anything else you may not want. I think I already have a 55 stick bellhousing. May be interested in 3 speed trans too. Please keep me in mind. Am putting together a Pontiac museum as money allows.
Thanks everyone! Great information as usual. Applekrate- I'll probably have some left over parts and you are more than welcome to them. I got a few extras with the new engine, and, if I can make a four speed work, I'll have three speed stuff laying around. Spike
I'm in the process of doing the same thing but with a 56. 58 bell housing and a schafer flywheel. Went through the nonsense of trying to use a hydraulic t/o bearing but i went to an external slave cylinder i'm trying to use a fork from a chevy truck as it is a couple of inches longer than the one i have (chevy) i don't have a pontiac fork. Let u know how i make out
Well..after a bit of research today, i discovered that even Pontiac people are stumped when it comes to putting a four speed behind an early Pontiac... like I'm the first person to ever want to do it. There has to be a way... and 58 Pontiac bellhousings are as rare as hen"s teeth, or so it seems.. can't find one as of yet. I may just put a three speed back in it and put in a floor shifter... anyone make one of those, or am I on un-touched ground again? Somebody, somewhere must have done this back in the day.. Another thought is to have an adapter made for the original bellhousing so that the Saginaw four speed will bolt on. Any thoughts on that? Spike
58-60 Pontiac bellhousing or Pontiac equipped GMC trucks of same years are needed. An adapter would be useless look at the register hole differance between the two. 58-60 on the left, 55-57 on the right. Pic borrowed from Yahoo 50's Pontiac group.
Call Bendtsens in Hugo,mn, than think muncie. I have the 58 bell on a 60 389 but hard to find. Give Bendtsens a try ,will give you another option. Im sure they can help but cost is high. Cost will be high no matter what for your choice.
Damn hard piece to find. I think you might have an easier time boring out the hole in the 55-57 bell, or making up an adapter plate to go between the two, like the piece they use to put a T5 behind a Chevy 235 with the 49-54 car bell in it. In fact, with the 287 a world-class T5 might just be an option over the Saginaw, unless you plan to really beat the crap out of it I would think it would hold up fine.
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