Hey guys I am new to this group and want to say hello to all! I have a question about a 3 speed overdrive transmission i bought. Supposedly its out of a 57 chevy. I have a 1953 BelAir and an origional 1955 265 small block. I need some help finding out what bellhousing needs to be used behind that small block to fit the 3 speed. I heard the one off the straight 6 that came with the car wont work. Any help or advise would be appreciated! Thanks Guys
I think the 1955 takes an earlier one only, due to the starter mount being different on later small blocks. You are correct, a stovebolt bell won't work at all for a v8. I heard Lakewood bellhousings have the provision for early starters, but that could be a fib.
Thank you. When you say earlier do you mean something like from a first gen Camaro or nova? I have a bunch of parts from those cars, but this is my first early model car so I am learning about it as i am building it. Or something like off a 57 chevy car bell housing from a 4 speed would probly work?
You can use any Chevy V8 stick shift bell housing that has the starter bolt holes and indentation. Truck bells will work too if they are Chevy V8's. I would think that the pre 63 cars are correct, but the trucks may have gone past 63 with the starter mounted bell housing. Damm. that John Evans beat me!
Sweet. I'll post a few pics when it's driving. Shouldnt be too long now. Thanks for everyone's help and advice. I'm looking forward to being a productive member of this community. Thank you everybody!
Keep in mind that the '57 transmission won't work with the '53 stock rearend and torque tube. That trans. is actually fairly rare and valueable, it was a good score.
It's also fairly weak, any decent running small-block can make mince meat of it at will. Another thing to consider when shopping for a bell-housing; that early block has no side motor mount provisions, so the bell has to have them, cars went to '57 with them, trucks till '66. The motor mounts use the four bolts down low on the front of the block.
Yeah the torque tube rear end has been replaced with a 92 S-10 rear with drum brakes, this let me use the 3 speed overdrive without too much hassle. And I can keep the original rear for a swap meet sale or garage item.
Are the bellhousing's with motor mounts being reproduced by anyone or am i going to go junkyard diving and swap meetin again?
The 55-57 car bellhousings have mounts on them, they are not the same as those on your original 6 cyl 1953 bellhousing, but you could probably make them work. 55-59 and 60-67 truck bellhousings also have mounts, of a slightly different style. These bellhousings are not that hard to find used. Also you could look at getting a steel scattershield, which might be easier to make mounts fit?
A guy in our car club has a 63 chevy truck with a 4 speed and a bell housing sitting in the yard and its free if I want it, this bellhousing will work but how different are the mounts? Now is there a difference in the clutch fork from a passenger car to a truck as well or will the one from the truck work? The car has a 3 on the tree set up. So I'll need to find some linkage also.
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