Hey groovers I'm currently in the throws of putting an S10 - T5 transmission and 283 engine in my 1953 Chevy Sedan. The car had a Holden 253 engine in it, with aussie 4 speed transmission. The clutch on this was a dead simple mechanism - basically just a rod that attached to the bottom of the clutch pedal arm that pulled back on the clutch fork when pressing the pedal. No cables, no hydraulics. Just bulletproof hotrod simplicity (see dodgy photo of bottom of clutch pedal arm). My car is a right hand drive and the clutch fork on the Aussie 4 speed gearboxes is on the right hand side also. My question is simple - can you get (preferably second hand/cheap) a Chevy bellhousing that has the clutch fork on the right hand side? I have a 10 1/2" clutch kit on the way also, so something that will accommodate that size clutch if possible. Thanks in advance guys Cheers J
Yes. The US spec 1963-68 10 1/2″ Aluminum Bellhousing (Chevy Chevelle, Corvette, Camaro) 3840383 bellhousing has the boss and window blanked-out on the right hand side. A little drill and file work, and you have it on the right. Scroll through the pictures on this page: https://davids4speeds.com/product/1...using-chevy-chevelle-corvette-camaro-3840383/ You will see that it has two pivot ball bosses, but just one is drilled.
The 60-62 chevy truck bellhousing also has the pivot on the right side, but it's a hydraulic clutch bellhousing.
Bellhousings with this feature are: 462606 3788421 3840383 3858403 I believe that these are all 153-tooth flywheel bellhousings.
Early 60's Chevrolet trucks did have a right hand side clutch fork, but, it was hydraulic actuated; I'm sure you could skip the hydraulic part of things. They are a cast iron bellhousing however, but will also have side mounts that you may need in a 53 Chevrolet depending on how you mount the 283. I'm sure there are later model, aluminum bellhousings that had right hand forks, but I'm not familiar with what they would have come in (not into newer cars at all!). I'd do a search on E-Bay, just to get an idea of what is available, even if you don't buy from E-Bay. It may be best to get one of the early Chevy II/Nova bellhousings; they have a blank for a right sided fork and a drilled but not tapped throwout bearing fork pivot. Plus, the Chevy II fork opening is lower, something that may help with the geometry needed going into an early car. I am Butch/56sedandelivery. Looks like I got treed, TWICE, while typing my response.
This is where I get confused. Would the standard 283 flywheel be 168 tooth? And, if so, what kind of problems will that lead to with this 1963-68 10 1/2″ Aluminum Bellhousing?
Yes, the 283 had a 168-tooth flywheel (14") It will not fit in a bellhousing designed for a 153-tooth flywheel (12-3/4"). The 153-tooth flywheel showed up in 1963. Prior to that, it was all 168 on the SBC. You said that you had a 10-1/2" clutch. That goes on a 153-tooth flywheel, unless you have a multi-pattern aftermarket flywheel. Some aftermarket ones can take an 11" clutch. The 168-tooth flywheel takes a 11"-12" clutch, native, 10-1/2" aftermarket. That's why I mentioned it.
In case you don't know, you can use a flywheel for a 194, 230, 250, 283, 302, 305, 307, 327, or 350 (1985 or earlier) on the 283 engine. They'll all bolt on and have proper neutral balance. Lots to chose from.
Do your research in this area before you go to far. First, how is the starter attached to the engine. Chevy used two different hole patterns for this. Next, the starter location AND bellhousing size will determine what diameter flywheel you can use. So you want to be sure they are correct for each other.
I can't think of an aluminum housing with the fork going out the p***enger side. The early Nova units were on the driver-side clocked at the 7 o'crotch position, probably to get more clearance. The clutch fork ball mounted to the block on those. Are all aluminum housings 153 tooth? I can't recall using anything but a 10.5" clutch on those. On my Ford I'm using a cast iron '55 Chevy housing, always thought it was from a truck until I ran the numbers on the internets. Flywheel is 168 tooth Chevy truck and I use the truck starter. Hydraulic clutch set ups are nice, either using the factory '61-ish type or aftermarket parts. Mine uses a Speedway slave and Wilwood master, AFCO hose.
Unfortunately I don't have the engine in my possession yet so I can't check whats going on with the flywheel and starter location. All I can say is its a 1967/68 motor out of a Holden HK Monaro. Does that shed any light on starter location/flywheel options? I'd sooner go for a new 153 tooth flywheel on Camaro bellhousing than 168 tooth flywheel and have a bellhousing that wont quite suit my intentions.
We don't see many Monaro engines over here....hard to say what it looks like, without some pictures. We'll wait.
Is that made of Gold? That is USD $707.99! That is a GM "403" bellhousing, opened up on the other side. I bought two for $40, at the last swap meet that I went to. That is a 153-tooth flywheel bellhousing. @Jasper6120 count your flywheel teeth, if you have one to count on, or look at the starter and let us know if the two bolts that hold it on the block are on a line parallel with the flywheel, or on a diagonal. Also, are you sure it is a 283? By 1976/68 GM would have been on to the 327 (or a 307).
I pulled the 194 six cylinder engine and 3 speed manual transmission out of my sisters 62 Chevy II wagon, that I bought for her, after she wrecked it (motor and transmission mounts broken, just cut the wires and hoses to yank it out). Some time later I sold the engine to my ex BIL. He did't want the bellhousing, flywheel, clutch, or transmission because it was going to be used with a Powerglide. Anyways, it had a really odd flywheel; 153 tooth count, but a recessed clutch disc surface for use with a 9" clutch; you definitely don't want one of those, but the bellhousing would work after being modified. I am Butch/56sedandelivery.
If your engine is original out of an HK Monaro it must be 1968 and has to be a 307 or 327, no 283 in HK. HK V8 with Saginaw box had a bell housing with a right hand fork with hydraulic operation.
"what the market will bear" I bet some of the guys in Australia wish they could hit all those swap meets over here, where the good deals are. I know I've made incredible ROI on a few parts I got the swap meet, and sold on ebay.
I wonder what it would cost to ship. I would be willing to mod my extra one, and ship it out. Has to be cheaper than $700.
A good 327 Monaro can bring between $200,000 and $300,000, so if you need a bell housing you pay the money. But its a small sector of the market that will pay that kind of money to make their car correct. https://www.australianmusclecarsales.com.au/muscle/207808-1968-hk-gts-bathurst-monaro-327-v8.html
I have changed a couple of the bellhousings with the blank on the right side to accept the throwout arm from the left side. I used a slave cylinder to operate it in both cases.. you need to make a mount for the slave, but otherwise standard hot rod ingenuity. The engine needs to have a block mount starter though. I ***umed the the bell housing would have been used elsewhere in the GM world.
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