Hot Rods SBC To Early Ford Trans Adapter

Need some advice and info.

Anyone using a Cragar/Wilcap or other SBC to early Ford 3 speed top loader trans in a stock Model A frame?
What are all the parts necessary for this conversion?

I'm still in the planning stage and I already have the engine and trans to do it and just wanting to know if it is worth the expense and effort?

 

You'll need the larger (168 tooth) flywheel and a 10 inch pressure plate from a '50 Mercury.

 

Thanks HEATHEN
My engine is a '55 265.
Also, something about a Ford clutch disk (size?) and some sort of pilot bearing adaptor as well?

 

You'll also need a 3 bolt starter mount from an inline 6 cylinder Chevy.

 

Thanks hotrodA

this is the stuff I am after.
I have started on some projects b4 to piece together a conversion of one sort or the other only to find out I need more stuff!

Anything else?

Is a T5 a better/easier/less expensive option?

Will mounting the SBC and Ford top loader in the frame be an issue?
I have the Hurst front cradle mount.

 

???? All of the conversions of this sort I've seen used the three bolt 265-283 starter. In fact, all of the 235 starters are two bolt.

 

You will also need the pilot bushing. Trans-dapt makes one or you can bore out the Chevy one.



The starter motor is just the early Chevy V8...the only one available when this swap was first done. The Mercury PP has the 6 bolt holes evenly spaced. The Ford has 3 groups of 2.

 

tommy thanks for the input and pic.

are the merc pp re popd by anyone or you need to find one and "fix" it?
Stock Ford throwout bearing?

 

I do a lot of these. The pilot bushing you need is available from Speedway for 20 bucks, no mods necessary. I went over this a bit in this build thread, page 8.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=702443&highlight=koz+modified&page=8

 

Koz.....there we are. Thanks so much.

 

This is a set-up I have for a project-in-waiting. The flywheel and starter are Chevy, I'm sure, and the clutch disc appears to be early Ford, but I don't know about the pressure plate? It doesn't look like any of my Ford ones?

This was a set-up from a running car I'm told, so should just bolt in. Is there any reason why the block-mounted Chevy starters can't be used with these? The nose is presumably in a similar location as the flywheel will be the same as a later Chevy? It would make life easier for the adaptor, and also be easier to source a replacement starter if needs be?

 

Rem......Koz might be able to help you on this. I'm just trying to figure this all out myself.

 

Rem, Looks like you have a Chevy diaphram PP there. It should work as long as it lines up and is at an acceptable height to work with the Ford throwout bearing. You can use the later Chevy starters with the later adapter as well. You usually have to do a bit of "clearance" work with a die grinder on the Cragar style 'bell you have there. I will say the earlier three bolt starter is readily available and works much better. You have to drill the top starter bolt hole to take a 3'8" thru bolt on most of the adapters. Putting them on without doing this is an absolute PITA!

I've used a number of different PP thought the years, the Merc. being the easiest and works the best. The Ford with a redrilled flywheel is eaqually good, and the easiest to find. Everything else is a bandaid to one degree or another. Remember the Ford/Merc PP was designed to work with the clutch geometry in the early Ford trans and as such, just seems to work best with the least amount of rigging.

We have had some success in using 11" GM PP with a 10 1/2" Ford disc in the earlier adapters using the Powerglide ring and a 1/4" aluminum spacer against the block, This was pretty much "race only" territory though.

PM me if there's anything I might be able to help with.

Enjoy!

 

Ok

What I am discovering so far, for this type of conversion is the availability of the Merc PP.
Seems to be a fairly rare item?
Those who have them want your used one in exchange.

 

I've always gotten them from Wilcap, no exchange. Redrilling the flywheel to take the Ford PP is really easy and the FordPP are dirt cheap and available in several diameters.

 

Get a copy of HOT ROD DELUXE May 2009. Tech article in there about your conversion.
Ram 401 10.5" pressure plate and a Ram 312M Disc. 55/57 Chev. starter. Pilot bearing from Speedway. Make sure pressure plate bolt circle will match your flywheel.

 

Thanks.
I already have the Ford PP and a Ford 10" disk so, I just need to check with my machine shop for this service.

 

Fort Wayne (Indiana) clutch and drive shaft... can hook you up with the parts you need , I just got a clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing & pilot bearing for the same setup and it was around $175, I mailed them some extra cores on a Sat and recived the parts I needed by UPS on Tuesday

I'll look up the part numbers and post them

later kb

 

kb cookout thanks
do they require cores? i don't have any.

 

Suprised no one popped up, but you could save yourself some time and put a FE in there...after all it is a ford... JMO

 

You don't need to send cores they have them in stock.

They are one of the oldest clutch rebuilder around.....They also buy old clutches and pressure plate or will give you credit towards other parts

later kb

 

point taken.....but, I already have the engine and trans all ready to run....I'd have to buy an FE.

 

thanks kb
i'll check them out.

 

DO NOT go by this shitty article, information IS NOT correct. Please look at some of my previous threads about this nightmare...I went through this earlier in the year. I bought everything as per that article...Pressure plate will not work. Bolts up fine, but diaphragm fingers are way to long... I called ram during my problems and was told point blank that they do not offer an application for this...was told that the article was in fact wrong.
CALL WILCAP...great customer service, bolt in & go. They have what you need...I had mine in less than a week.
Also, I understand that you have a '55 265 so you need to use the 3 bolt starter & plate, but for someone using a newer small block, you don't have to. I am using a 153 tooth flywheel & a 2 bolt high torque starter...works fine. Just make sure that you r flywheel is drilled for 10.5 pattern, and you are good to go.
One last word of caution...Some small block cranks were not finish drilled for a pilot bushing. My 327 wasn't. Apparently, engines destined for automatic cars weren't. I had to turn down my pilot bushing...

[roundvalley;8665958]Get a copy of HOT ROD DELUXE May 2009. Tech article in there about your conversion.
Ram 401 10.5" pressure plate and a Ram 312M Disc. 55/57 Chev. starter. Pilot bearing from Speedway. Make sure pressure plate bolt circle will match your flywheel.[/QUOTE]

 

Also...
No core required from Wilcap...
Sam

 

Wow!
Things can get confusing fast!

 

Thanks very much for your help on this. Just for reference, do you have a pic of the earlier type adapter set-up that you mention?

 

I don't have many pics of this but here goes. And don't be confused by the Olds valve covers. I just made some adapter rings for the 283. There aren't any in the shop right now to get a pic of.





I don't know how much that helps. There are a few more pics in this build thread.

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=641469&highlight=koz+sport+coupe+sort+of

 

Thanks Koz.

If redrilling the flywheel for a Ford PP and clutch disk....is there anything different that needs to be done when not using the Merc PP or B B PP?

 

Here is my 265 w/PG trans. Is that adapter used for the PG what I need for the Ford top loader?