Transmission / Overdrive: Aftermarket Bellhousings

[3x2stude]

Does either "Quicktime" or "Steeltech" make a bellhousing that would work with a 61 289 4-speed with a Stude T-10, Chevy pattern? I realize I need to go to a hydraulic clutch. Any experiance out there?

Jon Kammer

[StudeRich]

That is a pretty good setup you already have, if you have the T-10 to match it. I don't know why you would want to change anything, but you don't say WHAT you are changing to that requires a Hydraulic Clutch? Or WHAT it is going into.

[DEEPNHOCK]

No specific made race bellhousing for a Stude engine block.
(Unless you buy a blank flange unit, and center and drill it yourself).
But you can get a very nice GM/Stude adapter plate from Frank Van Doorn (41 Frank here), or from Meyer's Studebaker Parts, in Duncan Falls, OH.
(The Meyer's unit is pictured here)




(I know it's an A/T pictured here, but a steel bellhousing will bolt up also)

(way nicer than the last offerings I have seen from Steeltech)
Then you can bolt on a Chevy SFI certified race bellhousing...if you need it for racing.
Be aware that using this bellhousing will mean you will need some massaging of the trans tunnel a bit.
HTIH
Jeff

Does either "Quicktime" or "Steeltech" make a bellhousing that would work with a 61 289 4-speed with a Stude T-10, Chevy pattern? I realize I need to go to a hydraulic clutch. Any experiance out there?

Jon Kammer

[shifter4]

Didn't Phil Harris have some aftermarket Bellhousings ?
I remember seeing them at South Bend. They weren't SFI .
They had an anodized finish, but I don't remember much else.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yes he did.
I bought one second hand...It hadn't been used by the original owner either. I haven't even open the box and I've had it almost a year...
I right off hand, I don't recall the name either.

I seem to recall something about the builder going thru or "was" going to go thru the SFI process...too many years back..!

Mike

[PackardV8]

When Jon tells us WIGO with his project, we all can make a better recommendation.

The manufacturer who supplied Fairborn is no longer making the bellhousings. They were a nice piece.

Jeff's suggestion is valid, but a bit extreme. Unless one were to be racing a high-RPM Stude V8, the Stude-to-Chevy adapter and Chevy SFI bellhousing is wild overkill. Finding a correct Chevy pattern Stude bellhousing or swapping the Chevy pattern box for a Stude/Ford box or just swapping the complete transmission for the more common pattern would be much less expensive than buying the adapter and the bellhousing and modifying the floorpan/firewall.

jack vines

[3x2stude]

I like Jeff's option. It will allow options down the road, no pun intended. My goal would be to put a package behind the motor that has room for expansion. With this set up I can run any trans I want as HP goes up. I am also not comfortable with a single master cylinder so I want to go to a dual system. Having a master cylinder under the floor is as cave man as it gets, (just my opinion). My thoughts are to put in suspended pedals, (Slick Street Stuff), with either a slave cylinder or some common sense engineered mechanical linkage for the clutch. I got into the Stude cult because I wanted to be different and I am staying as "all Stude" as possible but some bolt on compromises will be made. I am building two cars, one in the garage, (production floor), and one in ("dream machine engineering"). I prefer to keep them both in parallel so that the real project benefits from the high tech where it is affordable. Any additional optional info would be appreciated.

Jon Kammer

[PackardV8]

With this set up I can run any trans I want as HP goes up.

Just asking - which manual transmission do you want to use which cannot bolt up to a Studebaker bellhousing? Some do require a simple adapter, but I can't think of any which haven't been done already.

or some common sense engineered mechanical linkage for the clutch.

FWIW, don't even think of a mechanical linkage. Since you are going with hanging pedals, a hydraulic clutch is the only way to go. I like the hydraulic throwout bearing rather than a slave cylinder.

jack vines

[3x2stude]

My clutch linkage is all worn. I am trying to weigh out the cost of restoration vs. improvement, with performance being the driving force, not cost, within reason. That being said as usual the forum has been very helpful in answering my questions and inspiring more.

Thanks for the help,

JK

[sldavidson75]

Has anyone used the quicktime bellhousing?

https://www.holley.com/products/drivetrain/bellhousings/studebaker/parts/RM-6075

I'm doing a t5 tremec swap in a '57 Golden Hawk

[PackardV8]

The QuickTime works, albiet at a seriously high price and currently on backorder.

Fairborn Studebaker has a kit with all the pieces to bolt most T5s to the Studebaker bell housing.

FWIW, Alan and some others have used the truck 4-speed and 5-speed bell housings. Those can be made to accept the T5, but they're heavier than the hubs of hell.

The side benefit of the truck bell housings is they have rear side motor mounts. If one is going to put a speedwhoop on the T5, the truck four-point mounts control the torque much better than the car three point.

jack vines

[sldavidson75]

I have the adapter kit from Fairborn. It won't work with the truck bellhousing. He said bell housing must be from a '58 or later car?

[Alan]

This is one of those things when their are more than a half dozen ways to do it and and all the little things that leave you scratching your head.
Truck housings are all register sizes and mount points, some on the bottom like a car, some on the flanges like light trucks and some from military cab over trucks.
Back in the good old days I would get a Chevy scatter shield housing for $50 at a swap meet and re drill for the Stude, but those are getting hard to find.
Also with the Chev, they use a larger flywheel that has 20 more teeth. Ask Jack about all the fun he had with that.

[PackardV8]

If any is interested, I have some 4-speed and one 5-speed truck bellhousing I'd part with. Shipping would be expensive, as I mentioned earlier; those are heaavvvy!

jack vines