I've got this old 331 Hemi and thinking about dropping it into my Deuce frame . I have the adapter and pilot bushing to hook it up to the '39 loader. What flywheel, pressure plate, and clutch disc. do I need to start hunting for? Anybody been there? ---------------------------------------------------------- OPOSSUM BENDERS "Central Missouri Chapter"
Hemi flywheel and pressure plate, Ford 10 or 11" disc. You already have the pilot bushing. Take your hemi flywheel to your local clutch-shop, have it resurfaced, tellem you need a rebuilt B-B pressure plate for it, and a Ford disc of corresponding size, maybe tellem what your doing, theyll know. Should cost about buck-fifty. No burn-outs unless you have more cluster gears.
Thanks Homeresque for your input. I will be lookin for that flywheel. I assume were talking about a manual unit and not this weird one that is on it now. I believe that was part of the Powerflight trans? Yeah Yorgatron, I got this monster pile of top loaders and they are all '39's. and most have the "Good Z gears" in them. I got to get rid of them, so I thought I'd just blow the shit out of all of them, and throw'em in the ditch. I wonder how many were replaced in the Pierson Bro's comp coupe? Probably not very many. Salty! ----------------------------------------------------------- "OPOSSUM BENDERS" Central Missouri Chapter
I know a guy that has had one hooked up for a long time,that said I know he never gets on the thing.If you want a Hemi for looks go for it,if you ever want it as a Hot Rod look for another trans to run there is just to much tork to get on it with the Hemi....-TV
Hey Tone...... Is there another one around the corner I don't know about? Or are we talkin about the same one my neighbor "Jim" gave me. I should have bought that 354 you had! Damn!!! Hell yes! I got room for more! ----------------------------------------------------------- "OPOSSUM BENDERS" Central Missouri Chapter
Thanks TV.... For bringing me up to date man. I didn't realize that all old hotrods that had "toploaders" in them were built for show! Hell, I'm going to go build me a Hotrod! First thing I guess I need to do is take my blue tip wrench and cut that damn k-member out of my way! Then I can install one of those cool 5 speeds out of a s-10 shitbox! Hell yes... I get it now! ---------------------------------------------------------- I'm from Missouri... got ta show me you can tear it up!
i have a laSalle geabox. i might have a hemi, with the adapter to stick them together. will this setup hold together? casue i'm gonna hammer the shit out of it. four-thirteen
Visor....good luck finding a Hemi stick flywheel. Chrysler never put a stick behind the Hemi engine. I'm using a mid- 50's "A" motor flywheel behind my 331. The A motor was the old wavy-valvecover 318 and other smallblocks that came in everything from plymouths to dodge trucks. A dodge truck will be where you'll find one. You may need to have the center of your crankshaft drilled to accept a pilot bushing/bearing if there's no hole there. I got lucky with mine. It's possible a previous owner had mine drilled, I dunno. The throwout shaft and fork should be in the front of your '39 style tranny but the pilot may be the wrong size to fit your input shaft nose. Measure to find out and you'll possibly need to have an adapter machined up to fit over your present pilot shaft, making it the right size to fit the inside diameter of your pilot bushing. Another way is to just have a pilot bushing machined up to fit your needs. Remember, your flywheel will need to have an 8 bolt mounting surface. I used the dodge truck flyhweel,pressure plate [10"] [after having it rebuilt] with a LaSalle clutch disc [again, 10"] for my LaSalle tranny. You'll need an early ford disc with the correct splines to slide over your early ford input. BTW, I'm thinking of selling my LaSalle tranny and adapter to use a 4 speed instead...$500 for everything but the flywheel and my Dodge pressure plate...
rocky, the flywheel i sent you came from my firedome with a 3 speed. are you saying it wasn't the original tranny behind the hemi? i'm only asking to gain a little knowledge myself. i kept comparing the size of the tranny to the one on my panhead, kinda scared me. i went with a 700r4 with full manual shift valve body. i figured that oughta keep my right arm satisfied. and much easier to get a replacement if i do mess it up.
Visor, I wasn't being a smart ass, If you really want to run a 3 speed get yourself a buick , olds or cad. I put a 38 Buick in my Roadster PU with a blown Flathead just so I could stay old tech and really hot rod around... Put the candle back...(don't use the torch) on your Xmember.--TV
Visor is good at tearing up 39 top loaders and cutting out K members. He does that so the value of the ones on ebay goes up. He is doing his part to help the economy.
Rocky........... Thanks for all the input man. It got me thinking about that pilot bearing adapter that came with the Offy trans adapter. So I dug it out and when I opened the little tobacco sack that was tied to the adapter that the pilot bearing adapter was shipped in, I found an original instruction paper still legible. Wow! I guess I should have looked before asking the question. So anyways.... Offy says to use any flywheel from 1933 to 1957 Chrysler product that will mount at least a 10" clutch. Yeah I did realize that the Hemi never had one for a manual. A 1949-50 merc. clutch will work without alterations. And then it goes on and on about the pilot bearing adapter. The number they give for the flywheel is 1123776. I believe that is a dodge truck unit. Man Rocky you are right on bro! That Lasalle trans you have is a killer unit. I had one hooked up to a 327 chevy back in '66. All in a 29 full fendered A. Man did that roadster haul Ass.... Banjo rear too. Never broke a thing but axle keys! Hey guys I know what your sayin about the 4 speeds. I have a M-22 crusher in my 40 coupe. The 4D is fun to drive no doubt. I know most of you picked up on my drift. I just can't be cuttin on that perfect K-member in my Deuce frame. So I'm going to live with that '39 loader. It does have the "good gears though"! Man I have been dream'in and build'in this job for 40 years! Most of those years were just dream'in! But it is finally coming together. Ah hell, I just get tired of lookin at that big heavy son of a bitch and want to put it in somethin! I will probably just drop in the little 58 283 chevy and be mellow. I know that will piss somebody off! Thanks again for all the input. --------------------------------------------------------- "OPOSSUM BENDERS" Central Missouri Chapter
You might also look for the flywheel from the flathead 6's. They use only 6 bolts but bolt to the hemi crank.If Chevy can get by with 6 bolts, a hemi can too. The 6 bolt flywheels weigh about 20lb versus the 40lb for the 8. I put my pilot bushing in the flywheel.Don't throw the powerflite ring gear away. You might need it because it is the same as the stick . I know it's welded but just grind the welds and get it off.
Hey with the long bell 331 to chev 4spd adapters which flywheel and clutch is used and what else is involved???
FWIW I was in the same spot.I didn't want to cut the K member. I put in a 55 Chevy trans with later medium ratio gears. I shift it with a 40 column. Running 250 in Dodge. No problems.No cut to K mem. Used cross shaft holes to mount thans. mount.
Well 51 f-3...... It goes something like this...... First off you need a flat plate type adapter. Speed Gems made one back when and it was part #SG-84. I believe there may be a new company that repops it. Anyway, here is the old Speed Gems info: Dodge truck flywheel #1123776 Buick Disc #1175085 Dodge truck pressure plate #1266023 G.M.C. truck throw out bearing #2387603 Chevy fork (1950 thru 54) #609952 For the Ford pivot ball use: Olds #1428964 Speed Gems pilot bushing #80-A Hope this helps...... ---------------------------------------------------------- "OPOSSUM BENDERS" Central Missouri Chapter
Silent Rick...Chrysler never put a manual tranny behind their Hemi but dodge and Desoto put one behind their baby hemis. As far as I know, the DeSoto and Dodge baby-hemi flywheels are the same one used in the poly-head Dodge trucks. Any way you slice it, I'm still jazzed beyond belief that I got a flywheel for my setup. .....and the Merc and the Dodge truck both used a "long" style pressure plate..interchanges with each other. The Merc used the big [1.25"] input like the early fords, so they also interchange, making it a snap to order clutch pieces. Like has been said here...simply order a clutch for a 49-50 Merc.
If you want to stay old time - the try a late 30's Packard trans. It sould fit with the confinds of x-member, and it will stand up to the hemi. Offy sells the adapters
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