I have a 50 Chevy Fleetline. The stock 216 engine took a dump so I am trying to decide what route to go for an engine. This ol' hotrodder told me there is a bellhousing from either a 62 or 63 Chevy truck (he can't remember which year) that enables you to bolt in a SBC to the existing manual trans. If anyone has what I am looking for let me know. Thanks Justin
Don't think so - I think some early TRUCK transmissions will bolt to the early V-8 std trans bellhousings, but not car transmissions
I'll check for ya this weekend. My father-in-LAW just happens to have a '63 GMC truck w/ no motor, had a 350 in it, bellhousing still in truck. Plus I may have one at my place somewhere.
I don't know how far back this goes, but I just picked up a car bellhousing with a center hole diameter of 4 5/8 inches. The truck bellhousing has a 5 1/8 inch hole. This is for the typical borg warner/muncie pattern. I have a source nearby that has many of both. $40-$50, +$10 for a clutch fork.
The earlier truck bellhousings (55- 68ish) have the small 55-up car sized center hole. The 50 car has a much smaller bolt pattern....see here http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78455 for some hard to read drawings showing the bolt patterns for the old Chevys
I had a 52 Chev pickup with a stock 4-speed transmission, which bolted right up to a stock V8 small block bellhousing.
the early 50s truck ******s have a much bigger bolt pattern than the early 50s car ******s....so that doesn't help him, unfortunately.
You'll need a '49-'54 Chevy truck three speed to keep your stock rear end--they had the common '55-up pattern on the front, while '40-'54 car transmissions had a unique pattern that fits nothing else.
First, early truck bell housings (up to around '67) have a single bolt mounting versus 2 bolts on car bell housings. I have what I believe is a '62ish cast iron belllhousing for a truck lying beside the shop that is a hydraulic clutch housing. The old slave cylinder is still attached to it so you have an idea what it takes as a replacement. It may be a GMC housing, I am not sure. I am located in Oklahoma City and the bell housing is yours if you wnat it and will pay for shipping. I may have the clutch fork for it also. Larry
do you still have that bell housing, chief? i'm kinda forced into a sbc swap as the pistons for my original 305 v6 are cost prohibitive. mine is a 1963 gmc lwb with granny 4 speed, but i'm installing 3.08 gears in the back to offset it and to help with gas milage. i already have the motor built on the stand and the correct motor stands to bolt to the frame.
Cody, Unfortunately someone beat you to it. I had that thing laying around for years and then two people ask about in a few months apart. The only thing I have left now is an aluminum one like all the cars use and it doesn't have mount pads on it. A buddy of mine ran across a GMC with a 305 in it at one of the local junkyards this past Saturday that looked pretty complete. I think it was at pull a part in OKC but I can check if that might help you out. Larry
I have a set of slightly used oversize 305E pistons....motor spun a rod bearing, I found a good used engine to replace it with. I'll go measure a piston and see what size they are. edit: I also have the complete clutch linkage for the 64-66 style pedal that uses a mechanical linkage, only part I don't have is the bracket that's riveted to the frame to support the end of the Z bar.
Generally yeah, four years later, something is going to be sold. As long as this is back to the top, though, I can't imagine running a V8 with a stock 49-54 car trans, even if I had a pile of them in my backyard 20 deep and enjoyed replacing them every month - if anyone else hits this thread thinking the same plans, forget it, just put a second gen Camaro rearend in your car and use whatever newer trans you like with the V8 swap.
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