Chevy Bellhousing Modification ????

Has anyone here ever swapped the clutch fork/arm from the driver's side of a Chevy bellhousing to the passenger's side??

I have a 606 bellhousing with a second pivot ball location cast in and a window on the passenger's side that has not been opened up. It looks like the clutch fork/arm could be swapped by opening up the window and relocating the pivot ball.

I am going to use a hydraulic slave cylinder and it looks like I may have some clearance issues on the driver's side.

Any help, photos, etc appreciated.

 

No, I just dug up a factory bell housing from an early '60s Chevy pickup with a 283 that already had a hydraulic slave on the passenger side.

 

Chevy trucks were on the right side, with a slave. Around 62 and older.

 

My '67 350SS/RS camaro's stock 11" bell housing has an unthreaded hole in it for a third clutch ball stud.

I have a boneyard slave cylinder out of who know's what in onna my old tool boxes that I have saved for years and years in case I ever wanted to use it.

And, right, the big GM trucks used bell housing mounted hy-slave cylinders way back then so hunt in the big truck boneyards..

pdq67

 

1/2 ton pickups from 60-62 had the hydraulic clutch.

 

To answer your original question, no I haven't done it. But I have looked at that feature and thought it would be a simple job to do if needed.

I used a chevyII bell with the 7 o'clock position on a T roadster because i did not think of the truck bell or modifying one like you have.

If i had the bell that you have I would do it.

 

So why did the 60-62 chevy's have a hydraulic slave on the passenger side? I know those were also the truck that had the torsion bar front suspension. Were they just doing that to be snazzy?

 

Well, I think I will post a "Wanted" ad in the HAMB classifieds. A quick search turned up several 6 cylinder bellhousings but no V8 models.

I have some time to get this in order so a bit of searching and waiting to get the right factory part is no problem. Anyone have any leads?

My thanks to everyone that responded.

 

Another option (if you can find one) would be to use a cable operated clutch from a Monza with a V8. there is absolutely no interference with anything on the left side using one of these.

 

You might also try shopping at
http://www.stovebolt.com/

They have a 60-66 pickup forum and classifieds.

lg
no neat sig line

 

I have a bell housing out of a 1960 C60 . It had a early 60's 283 car engine in it . The stock bell housing was used. It has the clutch fork on the right side ,hyd slave cylinder .

 

I don't know...but Ford had hydraulic clutches in their trucks a bit before then. Might have been a new-truck fad? (like the torsion bars)

 

What about european??? or splatter some weld in a normal one and redrill and knotch it??

 

I converted my GM bell to passenger side hyd. slave, cut new window for fork, made a alum. block to bolt inside of right side of bell.

Ago

 

Sounds like what I need. PM sent.

 

Here's a pic of a LakeWood Bell Housing I converted to clutch fork on the passenger side. I needed more space for my feet on the drivers side.

Wasn't any big deal to do. Just took some time.

I also have 2 of those truck bell housings with the clutch fork on the passenger side. I'd sell one.

I think the best way to solve this problem is to use a hydraulic throw-out bearing.

I would've done it here, but I didn't have enough room inside there 'cause I'm running the thick 3-finger Borg-Beck style pressure plate.

If ya' use a thin diaphram plate you'll be OK.

 

Yes, I did it on the aluminum bell for my track roadster and ran an after market slave cylinder. Absolutely no problems!

Charlie

 

Okle Pete sent the following pictures of one that he has offered to sell me.

Looks like the real deal.

 

I am about to do just this on an A I have in the shop, on a small Chevy Aluminum bell. There does not seem to be anything that would prevent it. It looks like they were headed that way, because, as you noticed, there is a second pivot ball boss there, on the other side.

 

Chevy did this so they wouldn't have to have a special die for the right hand fork. When they ran a series of one side the insert in the die was changed and they could run the opposite side. The side hole is already outlined for you.........cut it out. the pivot ball (as you already noted) has the boss present. Machining the pad for the pivot ball and your set to go. Any competent machine shop should be able to duplicate the pivot ball machining at the new location.

Frank

 

As mentioned earlier, not a big deal to move the arm to the right side. Toughest part was to find someone with a 13/16ths X 16 TPI tap for the pivot ball

 

Nice work Rochie. Do you have a picture of the slave cylinder set up you can share?

 

88-91 chevy trucks with a 4 speed were made on the right and low with an external slave.would be easier to find a slave for while traveling too.
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