Hemi Transmission Adapters

This may belong in the classifieds:

Does anyone make early Hemi transmission adapters to fit Manual Chevy besides Wilcap and HotHeads? The cheapest "kit" I can find on the web is $625(!) I know both are very respected, but $625-$750 seems pretty high to me. Neither one appear to be Alliance vendors, or offering any discounts.

Anyone know anyone else? Please post, or PM me with any information.

Thanks for any vendor information,
Britt

 

Id like to know if anyone else fabs the Hemi/Chevy manual as well?

BTT

Rat

 

I have an Old Trans Dapt Hemi to GM 4spd, Have another Trans Dapt that goes to A833 MoPaR 4spd

I have hunted all mine down, You dont Find them in Catalogs unless you want to spend a TON of $$$

An EASY way to do it is Find a Hemi to Flathead adapter and the buy one of those New adapters to put a GM manual box behind a Flathead & Piggy back adapters.

The good one has a T/O Bearing fork built into the Falthead adapter.

Both of those adapters are all over the place... There is a Hemi to '39 box adapter in the HAMB classifieds .. Look for it

 

what all comes with those kits? do you get a flywheel? clutch? pressure plate? those parts add up.

 

I was thinking about using a 3 speed Mopar set up from the fifties, bellhousing, flywheel and clutch. I would use a homemade adaptor made from a plate of ergal, to match the GM trans and the Mopar bell. A clutch disc from a GM car, to match the spline of the GM trans. Same for release bearing. Not done yet, but sounds feasible.

 

...Ok, I gotta ask, what make the gm trans desirable?


.

 

Probably years of exposure to Chevy/GM bias in magazines, race coverage, ect, ect.

 

Same Reason people say the 350 Crate engine is the best !!

You can find them in any town when you break down !!

I alway thought that was a Lame excuse, " I can get parts anywhere when I BREAK DOWN "

I thought your werent supposed to BREAK DOWN !

 

Thanks George / DeSoto, I thought maybe I was missing something vital...

.

 

got a link to those sites pitbull?

 

Buy the time you get it in to 6th the $750 won't seem so bad.

 

De Soto: I'll do some more digging on that.

Silent Rick: Yes.

adventurer: I suppose you could.

73RR, George, De Soto (2nd post): I got a completely rebuilt with all new seals and gears Saginaw 4sp, from the bell housing back. New clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, throw-out bearing, and an original Hurst 4sp shifter with all the linkage from a guy for $60!!! That's why. He bought the vehicle with all these new parts already installed. He wanted an automatic instead, so I bought the stuff from him.

I'm glad you guys are quick to assume some sort of transmission/wives tale ignorance on my part. Mopar four speeds are considerably stronger than a GM Saginaw unit, but I don't have one. What I do have, is a damn good deal on an "alternative" transmission, regardless of make. There is no sentimental value, just value.

Thank you for your input.

 

Falcon, You'll have to navigate their respective websites to get the exact part (kit) you want, but these will get ya there.

http://www.hothemiheads.com/transmission_adapters/hemi_chevy_manual.html

http://www.wilcap.com/Hemi.html

 

Thanks Pitbull..
Figured you must have one laying around...piece work...lol

 

Anyone have a spare 331 to hydro adapter or am i gunna have to make my own??

 

Thought that might be a possibility. Have noticed thin skinned people tend not to stay long.

 

Just as an FYI... Wilcap makes those adapters for Hot Heads. Pat from Wilcap is HAMBer also.

To the best of my knowledge, there is not much else until you start looking for original adapters at swap meets.

Just a though. If you could find a manual transmission that used a cheaper adapter (or no adapter) then maybe you could sell the 4-speed and get something else. Seems like in the end you're going to spend the money either way. I don't blame you for trying to shop around though. Good luck with whatever you do. I'm sure it will be fun.

 

Scooter, I thought that was the case. They look very similar. I don't mind running another type of transmission, I just hate to pass up using this one since it's basically all new. Might as well just buy it.

Pat did an amazing reply to a thread on this very issue a while back. I am completely convinced of his knowledge and quality of parts. Just thought I would try to get any info.

 

Just seems that with ALL of the info up it would make helping someone a bit easier......and then I would have said "call Pat McGuire".
But since you already read his post and are 'convinced' of his superior knowledge, why didn't you just pick the fucking phone and call him??

.

 

73RR: I can't possibly imagine why you think this is a dick stretching contest. I was merely asking a question, because there may be someone else out there who is making a quality product as well. Perhaps I have not heard of them.

Nothing more, nothing less. Get off your fucking high horse.

 

Pat at Wilcap set me up with my adaptor for my 392 + NV4500 5spd OD trans. for my truck. It was about $750 if I recall, but it was a custom setup as I had the hemi + Chevy bell/ input shaft + Dodge trans. case. Pat was great to work with and basically figured it all out for me. I sent him the trans. as it was unfamiliar to him being a heavy duty truck trans. He did the job pretty quickly with good communication, no attitude or drama and sent the whole thing back to me and it all bolted up perfectly fine as expected. That alone was worth it to me.

And yes, that included other stuff: flywheel, mini Mopar starter, clutch parts. Not to mention the advice and shop drawing to review and coord. so I would know what I was getting. Only thing I needed to get extra was the throw out bearing because I didn't know what version of clutch fork mech. I was going with at the time.

I am sure there are others out there who could make something pretty easily for you. It isn't rocket science. But, I found Pat to be very good to work with and got just what I needed and very professionally and no problems to boot. If I ever need another one, he'll get a call from me again, that's for sure.

 

got my gm to stick adapter and flywheel from Carl at Black Mountain Hemi....he's the guy i picked up my 315 hemi from...nice stuff, modified 426 hemi flywheel machined down to size..uses the standard sb mopar starter on the right side..came complete, bolts nuts washers...stuffed the rotated bellhousing for my wc t-5 and it fit like a glove on the adapter, locator pins and all.the ,,,way he talked he was cranking these out himself...mentioned it a $500 value..i did some tradin for the hemi and got my adapter setup as part of the deal....his number......717 738-3197.......

 

I ended up scoring a flathead to gm tranny adapter off craigslist for cheap and then purchased a hemi to early ford tranny adapter from a fellow hamber (thanks Desoto!!)...if this works as planned I will now be able to place just about any GM gearbox behind my hemi for a total investment of ~150 bucks. I still need to find a flywheel but this is definitely an inexpensive way to do things...so long as you can be patient and wait for good deals. I would love to have a Wilcap setup but this is what my current situation allows for.

 

Waa waa waa......I ve got a GM T5 behind my DESOTO hemi, and it works great. Since I drive my car practically daily, and roadtrips are fun too, 5th gear is my friend. Crying about which transmission a guy runs is a waste of time. Oh, and I took it in the ass and got the Hotheads adapter. Works very well though, and came with a flywheel.

 

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the input!

 

Well you can all flame me , Im adapting a Chevy 11 inch flywheel , clutch assembly , to the hemi crank , making a 1/4 inch full scatter shield to suit the Muncie , also adapting a chevy gear reduction starter ....this is on a 671 blown 354 in a '29
cheers Steve in Oz

 

Sorry, but not my horse Tonto. Recall that I asked a very simple question and you started pissing on my boots. Around here you usually get what you give.


.

 

I have a quick question regarding different bellhousing depths, input shaft lengths/dia, and aftermarket trans adapters..

How are you guys determining the pilot bushing/bearing situation? It seems like everytime you add a 1" thick adapter, you're moving the trans further out, and stacking them (Chrysler Hemi to early Ford, early Ford to GM, to arrive at Hemi + GM trans) seems like a bad idea because the trans input shaft can no longer reach the back of the crank to engage the pilot bearing. Every trans I've had shifts better and lasts longer with a functional pilot bearing.

So you guys that run crazy adapter setups, how are you setting this up? Or are you just ignoring it? Thanks.

 

Gotgas, to answer your question about the stacked adapters...I have an extended bell hemi so the early Ford adapter actually places the transmission inside the bell a few inches and then the Ford to GM adapter brings transmission placement to about an inch past the mounting point of the first adapter (about the thickness of a single plate adapter). I may have to remove a little material from the outer adapter if clearances are off but I'm not to that point in the game yet. If I get a chance later I'll put up a picture. I'm not sure about every case but in mine it looks like it should work.

 

It doesnt relly MOVE the trans out Further.... Think About it.

1 Adapter is to put a Flathead Trans on a Hemi in the correct location.

1 Adapter is to put a GM trans on a Flathead in the correct location.

If ya bolt the 2 together, Ya end up with an Adpter that puts a GM trans on a Hemi in the Correct location.

Pilot may have to be machined or adapted but thats the Easy part.

If you know the "El Diablo" '32 Ford Roadster owned by Tom Branch, You know that car is DRIVEN !!

It has a Studebaker V8 with Stacked adpters.. Stude to Flathead & Flathead to GM Manual Trans.

This Shit has been going on for YEARS, Stacked Adapters Aint Nuthin New.