Putting a Stick behind a Caddy 365?

It's actually a 1955 331 Caddy, but it's got the same later block as a 365/ 390. I have the Offy adapter for a 4 speed, and I have the 4 speed trans. What should I look to use for a clutch and flywheel that will work and isn't impossible to find?

Thanks for any leads!

 

I would like to do the same...

 

PM Kirk Hanning here on the HAMB. His old '34 Truck has a Muncie and a 365....

 

I don't know how well that would work, since both 371s and 394s were externally balanced.

 

My 331 was earlier and used the La Salle Behind it ..Does Pat at Wilcap have anything?

 

http://www.wilcap.com/webdoc8.html

 

save yourself a ton of headache trying to match and make things work and order the flyweel from wilcap to use with the later starter. I used a vintage schaffer flywheel set up for early starter to begin with and had tons of problems with the starters and other stuff I can't recall now. eventually I sucked it up and called Pat and ordered a flyweel to fix the problems. been running it 5 years no problems. the only thing Id caution is a 5 gear can be a good addtional. I'm actually considering selling the set-up to add a 5 speed--my car just wants another gear on the highway--where I do most of my driving.

 

Not sure how much trouble you want to go to. I have a Shafer aluminum flywheel made for a digger with no starter ring gear. I think a good machinest could cut the ring gear from your flex plate or one I have and install it on this flywheel and then you could use your 12V starter. The '55 12V ring gear is different than the '54 and earlier 6V. Although I've been running 6V starters with 12V systems on the Cad. engines in my roadster and '48 moordoor for a long time with no trouble. If all else fails PM me and we can get together. I come down there every few weeks.
Gary

 

I believe that all of the '49-'62 Cadillac engines were zero balance, like most SBCs. When you look in an old Schiefer catalog, the flywheels they sold for '57-'64 Oldsmobiles had an asterisk next to the part number and, at the bottom of the page, there was a footnote stating that you'd have to have the new flywheel balanced to your engine before you could use it. The Cadillac flywheels have no such footnote.

 

I utilized a Bendstens kit. A bit o' $$$ but worth it in the end, their R & D is well worth it to me. Seeing that you already have the bell housing adapter locate a sbc flywheel and have an adapter hub machined up to bolt onto the Caddy crankshaft flange and the sbc flywheel on the other side. May be your simplest bet.

 

I have an old manual flywheel sitting in the shop that was supposed to be for a 365,I'll dig it out and take some measurements

 

Sqeak Bell out of Bakersfield CA does a kit that looks pretty good.
I saw it listed on ebay a week or two back.
He also had some awesome valve covers to boot for sale.

 

Skidmarks; There was a thread just a couple of days ago on small vs bigger OLDS ring gears. It did not change when the 12v came out, it changed in 54. My 53 Olds 12v has the small ring gear.

 

I have both here and compared them; V8 to 6.


Both ring gears sit in the same relationship to the starter.

But, on the 6 flywheel, the clutch surface is much further forward than the V8, so that means the pressure plate is also further ahead. So, in a stock Olds stick setup, that would call for a longer TOB.


I have not weighed the v8 Olds flywheel, but the 6 wheel is much thinner/lighter at 26 pounds.

...and the 6 flywheel won't work with an extended pilot bushing adapter like a Rocket going up to a flathead Ford trans....because the disc will now hit that adapter bushing.

 

The 331 extended bell engine that I pulled from a 54 4 dr. sedan has a 12 volt starter and generator on it. The flywheel has 176 teeth, if I remember right.

I'm also looking for a stick flywheel. My trans and pilot bushing adapters are from Bentsens, but I'm looking for a steel flywheel, not an aluminum one. The plan is for a Muncie 4 speed.

 

Wilcap and be done with it. They cut my ring gear off my auto and pressed it on a alum. fly wheel with a insert. Stock starter and no problems for 6 years.

 

Thanks for all the helpful advice guys!!... I'll look at Wilcap and Bertelsen's and consider a T5 transmission- Its tough because I've already got the T-10 sitting here, along w/ the Offenhauser adapter for that trans. Wonder if the Offy adapter could be modified for a T5?

 

If you have the T-10 and the adapter, and only lack a flywheel and plate.....I would keep your original plan, rather than now switching to a T-5 and need even more parts?


If your build is for mostly highway, that's different, I guess...but a T-10 will work at higher speeds with a good gear.



keep it simple is my new thing, and so far, it's working for me anyways.

 

I second that, K.I.S.S. is my moto. I have an Econoline top loader 3 speed with a Jeep shifter behind the '50 Cad. engine in my roadster and it is great. That Cad makes power from idle to top end.
I am enjoying all the new flywheel ideas everyone is coming up with.
Gary