Projects I need a photo of a Ford Flathead Bellhousing

For a Flathead Ford Bellhousing used to adapt a 1939 transmission to a 59AB flathead engine... what does one look like?

Here's what my tranny looks like and for my ignorance towards Flatheads i thought it would just bolt onto my engine, but it doesn't



also where does one start to look to find one, the correct one to use for a 59AB motor?

thanks for your help,
cab

 

the `39 transmission will bolt directly to a 59 block, you may have an 8BA block,in that case you will need either a stamped steel or cast iron bell housing. you`ll be able to source one easily.

 

I just did a quick Google Image search and came up with this. I've seen them as a cast piece and as a stamping. Same part either way. They were used mostly on trucks to mate the later engine to the realy style trans that was continued in trucks for a couple years.

 

agreed. You must have an 8ba block, as the 59a block is a one piece unit. PM Jetmek on here, he may have a few of them he would sell.

Mike

 

This is what i thought, but have had two people tell me that i need a bellhousing for it
can you say confused? I have yet to try it since i just have been buying parts for my build, so i'm just going with what i need. Motor/tranny/ torque tube/ ford banjo rear end, etc.

Here's my engine and it's stamped 59 on the block.



Does anyone have any photos of this kind of set up i have they can share?

 

Cab,

The bellhousing was integral with the block on the 59AB motor. The tranny would bolt up without a bellhousing or adapter. If your block doesn't have an integral bellhousing, you have an 8BA (49-53). If it's an 8BA, you want to find the stamped steel bellhousing as they are stronger and will not come apart if the clutch blows. Kind of like a factory scatter shield.



This photo shows the bellhousing as bolted to a 1949-53 8BA motor.

 

Cab,

Your tranny will bolt right up to the back of your engine.

 

Also see this thread!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=183227&highlight=starter+plate

 

Cab - that should be a direct bolt-up what isn't fitting?

 

Here's a series of photos showing an early flathead (1940) and 39 transmission being mocked up in a 40 Pickup. Hope this helps.

 

oldtimerodder72 ... you ROCK!

this is exactly what i was looking for and even more, thanks for the awesome photos as this helps me tons I can see now that i don't need a bellhousing unit and what i have will work fine! since i haven't bolted anything together yet and i'm getting to mock up my engine and tranny to set the middle X member into my frame. Now i'm thinking that my buddy said i needed a Bellhousing if i was gonna use one of those mock up plastic blocks instead of my real engine, so this is why i think he told me i needed a "bellhousing" unit to mount the 39 tranny to it if i'm correct now.
Thanks again for all your help and this is making some sense to me now
cheers,
cab

 

No, problem. Anything to help out a fellow HAMBer. Yes if you were using the plastic P-Ayr block you would need a bellhousing as it is based off the 49-53 8BA engine

 

This is a little late probably, but from what I have gathered, the earlier flatheads had part of the bellhousing as a part of the block, post #10. Mine (1952) has a separate bell housing like in post #3.

 

Here, just print off this adapter at 100% and stick it in between engine and trans:



Done! Ain't technology awesome?

 

Thanks for bumping this old thread up. It had some info and pics that I needed for this weeks mission.

 

awesome