I'm building a '30 Model A coupe, on a custom frame, with a 455 Olds and Muncie. Because of where the engine/tranny will mount, I have some pretty severe space issues on the driver's side of the bell housing. Thru the floor brake/clutch pedals, throwout fork, the bell itself, hydraulic slave (most of you don't like hydraulic T/O bearings, and I'd prefer not - and I already have a new fork, T/O brg, and Wilwood slave ). Then there's the shift linkage. And oh yeah, the steering column. If I can make the throwout fork and slave cylinder go away, that will resolve much of the problem. I came up with a goofy idea, never heard of it done, thought I'd ask y'all if I'm nutso. In the attached pic of a BOP bell, you can see where the fork pivot goes, driver's side, and the fork window. Seems to me we could make a 1/4" or 3/8" steel plate that would bolt to the back inside face of the bell, and use it to move the fork pivot ball to wherever we want - like to passenger side, level or even down low. Would have to cut a new window in the bell for the fork. Mounting the pull slave on the passenger side would be very easy, lotsa room, nothing else there. Only unknown seems to me is (a) if there's enough clearance at back of bell for the clutch itself and the new adaptor plate, and (b) how much cutting that new fork window might weaken the bell. I think done carefully, with rounded corners, it'd be fine. The steel plate would be plenty strong, would have a round hole to match the bell tranny hole. And we'd have to assure that the mounting depth of the pivot ball ended up same as stock. Whatcha think? I've never heard of this being done. Anyone else ever tried this? Seems pretty easy to do - I'm mostly concerned about weakening the bell.
My instant thought after seeing the pic; I would not do a steel plate in there to move the fork pivot. I'd find a guy who can TIG some material on the other side so you can drill/tap for the pivot. 2nd thought was where is the starter, and is it in the way. Weaken? I can't see how it would.
Thanks F&J. Yeah I s'pose the TIG approach makes more sense. I just thought the plate, because I can do that myself. The starter, BTW, is also on the driver's side. I don't know yet whether that's gonna be another issue. This project lately has been that for every one problem I solve, about 3 more pop up. That's hotrodding....
Well, I did not mean that you should not try the plate.. If I had to do a plate, I'd first check on all the things that might be in the way, or cause a problem...like; would the ball "depth" still be the same...and if the P.Plate is close.. etc Can you come off of the spare trans mount holes for the plate? Stuff like that. Yea, I hear you with 3 steps back. My 32 is just like that. My rough old 40 is just the opposite...I only have to do the task once, not redo 3 times on each issue.
I did something like that with a Packard bellhousing and a Ford fulcrum and arm. Worked for me and I bet it will work for you.
I know how that goes. I swapped the fork from left to right on my Nailhead / Muncie. I used a fork that was cobbled up from an old Falcon fork which actually pivots from the opposite side from the clutch linkage. I made up an external pivot on a mount plate and mounted it outside the bell next to the original fork hole. Probably hard to visualise but my point is that I think you can make it work without too much trouble.
Thanks for all the tips, but I chickened out and ordered a Speedway hydraulic T/O bearing. Even tho there is space on the pass side, the trans tunnel would have had to accomodate the fork end and slave, cutting into pass footroom. I may later regret going the hydraulic T/O route, but for now anyway, it gets the problem out of the way. I have plenty of others that will take a little more headscratching than this one did.
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