6 Cylinder clutch housing and flywheel

[gibbsr1]

I'm preparing a 5 speed kit for the six cylinder guys. Got just about everything figured out but I had some questions about the different clutch housings. First off where is the part number located? I found the casting number but that doesnt help any. I guess I want to know what the interchangeability between all the housings are. What years are the same and what are the differences. I am mostly concerned with the 50-60s models, flatheads and ohvs. I would appreciate any information you guys have to share. Also are all the flywheels the same??



Dan Giblin
Cincinnati, OH

[Transtar60]

I doubt you will find anything other than a casting number on the bellhousings. IIRC just about any Champion powered car will have some variant of the T-96 tranny. I know my 60 Lark and 62 Lark sixes have the same T-96 tranny.
Checking the only car parts book I have, 59-64 6 cylinders can use the same flywheel. There is a second part number for 62-64 but the other is listed as well.

Another flywheel is listed for Y1(taxi) but it is actually a V8 flywheel used with the HD taxi tranny setup.


3E38
4E2
4E28
5E13
7E7
8E7
8E12
8E28

59 Lark
etc

[nels]

Dan,
I just talked to Ted and he seems to think that there was a 8 1/4 and a 9 1/2 inch clutch available and the two sizes fit the same flywheel. Can anybody verify this?

[Greg Meyers]

To share my experience with the flatties and older chev 3 and 4 speed trannys:
There are two different sizes of bell housing and at least two different configurations of each size to move the starter from high on the driver side to low on the passenger side. Each bell housing has it's own engine plate between the engine and bell housing. There are two different pressure plates and disks to match. I believe there are two different transmission bolt patterns as well. The bigger housings and clutches are used on the 185" six and remained on the later flathead sixes when they returned to 170" in the later 50's. Those engines had the same main bearings as the 185" with the same rods, but "longer" pistons to get back to 170". Those engines had the same distance from crank to head gasket. The flywheels of two sizes also had variations in the placement of the ring gears fore/aft, which may have had to do with the placement of the starters. Don't know if there is any problem with interchangeability of those in application. The throw-out bearings are, I believe, all the same. Their inside diameter is greater than the chev, and a bushing on the input shaft allows the use of a stock throwout bearing. The splines on the Stude clutch disks are the same as chevy saginaw 3 and 4 speeds. The pilot shaft portion of the chev input shaft is smaller than the hole in the stude flywheel, and bushings are available to fit the two together. The diameter of the chev input shaft housing flange is bigger than the hole in the stude bellhousing, and depending on what you are planning, one piece or the other would need to change. I believe I used a 5/8" plate to make adapters (don't quote me on that). I'm not sure, but would expect that the overhead engines used the same larger bellhousing etc. as the later 170". The earlier engines were referred to as 169's. Starters are of basically two types, hooded for the 169's and outboard bendix for the trucks, but I'm not absolutely clear on those applications in the later passenger cars and trucks.
Hope some of this helps.

[Jeff T.]

As far as I know, a OHV bellhousing was the same part from 61 to 64 in cars that used the T-96

Here another approach for T5 use in Six cylinder cars, use or adapt the Ohv taxi/truck engine plate and use a V8 belhousing, clutch and flywheel. I am in the process of getting a few more parts to mock up an extra six I have, the v8 plates and housings and my T86 to see if it all fits. I would love a t5 instead of a T86/90 or even a T10. I've got a deadline of next july to get it all going.

Since the T5 transmission adapter plate exists...Perhaps reproduce the 8E/taxi engine plate (I think mine is 1/4-5/16 inch steel plate) and use V8 housing and clutch parts(10.5 disc) rather than the ohv parts (8.5/9? disc)

It's a thought, I do not know why it would not work

Jeff T.

"I'm getting nowhere as fast as I can"
The Replacements.

[gibbsr1]

This is all really great information. Thanks everybody? As of now I have a t5 mounted to a flathead using only an adapter plate and a modified bearing retainer. I guess I'll have to see what trans was mounted to see what all will work with the trans bolt pattern. I wonder if an s10 pressure plate would work on the 6 cylinder flywheel?

Dan Giblin
Cincinnati, OH