Hot Rods Flathead Bellhousing to 289 block

Looks like my 39's motor is locked solid. I want to keep this car as unmolested as possible, and I got a few 289/302s laying around from my Cobras. Yes ,I know there are adapters avaliable, but where's the fun in writing a check for parts? That being said,,I obtained a 50 Merc stamped steel bellhousing and it looks like this might just work, drilled the dowel pin holes from the 289 in the proper place, gotta drill a few more holes for the other bolts, and weld a tab on top for the 289 bolts, the 289 block plate will locate the starter. Anybody out there ever done this, I searched all over here, Fordbarn, and the rest of the internet with no results. No pichers yet, untill I'm a little further along.

 

As long as the depth is correct, it should work.

 

looks like it just might work, now onto the clutch

 

Not sure if this will dimensionally/physically work but it's just another possible alternative.
What about a steel or aluminium adapter plate that will adapt an original unmodified F1/Merc bellhousing and also provide a suitable mounting/location for the 289 starter. It's thickness could be made so the 289 flywheel distance is the same as the original FH flywheel distance to the bellhousing/gearbox surface. A 289 (10.5") long style PP should still work with the 10" FH clutch disc and throw-out bearing ..... the 289 spigot bearing/bushing may need depth a adjustment too.
Good luck.

 

that adapter plate was the original plan, but when I looked at it, why not just redrill the Merc bell housing and add a few tabs here and there where there wasn't enough meat for the holes. The Merc housing is thick enough so some 3/16" plate did the trick. The starter located off the 289 block plate perfectly to the flywheel. Now to the clutch 3 finger Long style or Diaphram

 

Don't go crazy with the clutch. You're still using the original cross shaft and fork. There's very little leverage there. I used an Offy adapter back in the 70's to do what you're doing in a 40 Ford pickup. I cut and modified a front sump pan to just clear the oil pump to get the engine in there. The rest of the swap was simple.

 

How did you center the bellhousing to the motor before you drilled the dowel holes? That has to be exactly in the center of the crank so it all lines up.

 

dial indicator on the crank hub centered on the hogs head, hope it all lines up with the 39 trans still in the car, if I was going land speed racing or Nascar, I guess I'd have to pull the trans out and center to that trans, but I think it'll be ok as is. I don't think back in 39 the boys hooking transmissions to engines went too crazy bolting thing together