I have installed a 283 Chevy in my '32 Ford and I am adapting it to a 1939 Ford transmission. I am using the 168-tooth flywheel, I am using a Borg&Beck three-finger pressure plate, a '40 Ford clutch disc, a stock '39 Ford throw out bearing and carrier, the adapter is approximately 3 3/4" deep.....the problem I am having, is with everything in its relaxed position, I have a space of approx 1 1/4" from the bearing to the fingers on the pressure plate. This is such a large gap between the pressure plate fingers and the throw out bearing that I cannot adjust it out. I know this is totally wrong, but I haven't done one of these for years and I can't figure out what components will bring the pressure plate fingers and the throw out bearing closer together from the start. In other words, anyone who has done this successfully.....what should I be using for components? lonewolf700
I have not done the swap, but since you are new here...many people are not online here compared to weekdays. So don't worry if you can't get some help right away I do have a question for you though; have you figured out the Ford/Chevy input pilot bushing yet? The reason I ask is that I just found an adapter at a swap today, to put an early Olds 303 into my 40 with stock 40 trans, and I am going to need to machine an extended adapter pilot bushing. My Ford shaft is 1/2" away from the face of the bushing. Anyways, sounds like a fun swap IMO. I like the old way of doing these swaps.
What they used in the past was a mercury Pressure Plate. If you have the standard throwout bearing and the forks are straight up and down,you will have to turn to put straight. Now measure from face of trans to bearing.Now measure from face of adaptor to fingers.If you are close you should be ok.Does the trans fit in poilot bearing. This is a Mercury PP 1949 1950 some 51s
thanks to everyone so far!! I do have the correct extended pilot bearing adapter in place. I will run copies of the each input and study them and hope to get closer to a successful adaptation. lonewolf700 specifically for F&J: I'm using the pilot adapter that came with the bell housing adapter. I bought it from a friend at a swap meet, I don't believe the chevy to ford would be compatible for a olds swap anyway. specific for George/Maine: the Merc pressure plate seems to keep surfacing in the whole excapade. Would the Merc pressure plate have the same bolt pattern as the chevy flywheel or would the flywheel need to be redrilled.....?
I don't have a Merc pressure plate to try a test fit here for you. But I did find a new 50 Merc disc today at the last swap of the year. From asking everyone I have run into, the Merc is the largest diameter at 10", and everyone has told me that Ford cars used 9". My Olds pressure plate will work with a 10" just fine because the Olds disc was 10.5. So, when you get to choosing a pressure plate, I'd guess you'd need to measure it's face to see what size disc diameter it can handle.
Try. Www.wilcap.com. They have all the right stuff for Chev to 39 Ford trans. i have used their stuff several times and it works!
specific for George/Maine: the Merc pressure plate seems to keep surfacing in the whole excapade. Would the Merc pressure plate have the same bolt pattern as the chevy flywheel or would the flywheel need to be redrilled.....? I don,t know for sure but these are evenly spaced and is what was used years ago,could redrill.What is good about these PP is the throw out bear is the correct size. These are getting rare. I was going to do the olds swap, but never did years ago.I think you use the olds PP and the Ford disk.Very common in the 60s.
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