roverman Art Gertz Winchester, CA. (3188 posts) Registered: 04/24/2009 11:02AM Main British Car: 74' Jensen Healy, 79 Huff. GT 1, 74 MGB Lotus 907,2L |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Hi Dave, What are questions ? Flywheel looks "heavy". Suggest lightening on back side,( budget permitting). I suspect a 10"
diaphram clutch in this light package, should suffice. You need transmission to BH. adapter ? Kennedy Engineering make engine adapters. Good Luck, Art. |
mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, Easy way is to find a 80-83 CJJeep bellhousing for 2.5 four cylinder that had the T4/T5 in Ford pattern. It has the same pattern as SBC on the engine side. The Chevy bellhousing uses the same dowel location and shares the 4 of the same bolt holes. There is a thin adapter to add the additional bolts on the Ebay link below. You may have to clearance the bellhousing a little bit, Jeep/Chevy used a 153 tooth flywheel, your Buick has 160 tooth.
[www.ebay.com] Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2022 08:16PM by mgb260. |
joe_padavano Joseph Padavano Northern Virginia (156 posts) Registered: 02/15/2010 03:49PM Main British Car: 1962 F-85 Deluxe wagon 215 Olds |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
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mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Joe, The Dearborn 3 speed isn't the same pattern as the Ford T5. It does look like lots of room to drill for it though. Ford top bolt holes would be just under GM. Bottom right looks close. Look at the beginning of this thread:
[www.mgexp.com] Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2022 11:07AM by mgb260. |
Airwreckc Eric Cumming RTP, North Carolina (246 posts) Registered: 05/28/2020 10:10AM Main British Car: 1972 MGB-GT (working on a Sebring project) Buick 300-4 V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Do you already have the transmission? I'm planning on using a Tremec 3650 with my 300. I had one built with an adapter for the BOP bellhousing. Yes, I know it's a big trans and I'll have to modify the tunnel, but it will easily handle the HP this engine can put out.
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Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Thanks to everyone for the replies.
Art, I looked into Kennedy as I'm already familiar as an air-cooled VW owner, but they only make engine to bellhousing adaptors, not the bellhousing to transmission adaptor I'd need if I want to use my existing bellhousing and transmission. I'm really not keen to re-sell my bellhousing as I paid a premium to ship it up here from the US and I'll never recover that, but all the same I have been eyeing the local classifieds to see if a suitable BOP bellhousing comes up. The only one I've seen in 8 months is a dual pattern BOP in Thunder Bay for $75 but local pickup only (it's 14 hrs each way for me). Knowing the Ford T5 and Dearborn 3-speed patterns are close but not identical (thanks again Jim) makes that and any other dual pattern BH a risk of not improving my situation, so I might as well accept it for what it is and get an adaptor. While the CJ BH and engine adaptor is a very good thought, it doesn't look like it'd put me ahead of an adaptor for what I already have. I did find thanks to Glenn T. an adaptor from Hotrodworks, which seems to be priced a bit high at $175USD plus shipping to Canada, but would in theory solve my problem. I'm told it's .550" thick, which would space out the trans quite a bit, but might help alignment of the shifter to my existing tunnel hole. My input shaft comes out about 7-1/4" from the trans mounting surface, so I already know I'll need an extended pilot bushing for the crank (or another input shaft if my splines are spaced back too far for the clutch face). The other option is to get a local machine shop to make one out of 5/8" plate aluminum, in which case I just need to work out the measurements. The only thing that seems unclear to me is what's going on in the input hub area. It appears to be meant to be piloted to the trans case and there's additional clearancing on the BH side for the HTOB, which doesn't seem to be dimensionally critical. Am I missing anything? [www.hotrodworks.com] Finally: Eric, I did take a hard look at the Tremec line of transmissions but decided to go this route simply because if I break something, I'm only risking a few hundred dollars for a late V6 T5 if I set the car up for it from the start. Tremec transmissions really are a LOT of money and while I won't argue that they're not worthwhile in the right car, I'm simply not building that kind of car. This is a wrenches-on-the-fenders, smoke the tires, have some fun for junkyard money kind of car and if I sunk $35-3800 US into a transmission I'd just be too scared to beat on it - if I break this transmission I can get another fairly quickly and learn where its limits are without losing the rest of the summer to save up for another one whereas a Tremec T5X is a holy-smokes $4508CAD: [performanceunlimited.ca] This V6 T5 I have is specifically a 1352-247, which is a "Z" code 1996 Camaro/Firebird unit. 1st: 3.75, 2nd: 2.19, 3rd: 1.41, 4th: 1.00, 5th: 0.72 and 3.53 reverse. With a 3.07 LSD rear and the broader/flatter torque curve of the marine cam I don't think driveability will be too terrible to tweak a little with the tire diameter, but am I wrong? I'm open to feedback on this but again, making a big change here means a big jump in total spend so it would have to be worth it. |
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mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, .550 adapter is too thick. Here is an idea for NO adapter. The center hole is already the right diameter. Put your T5 on the bellhousing standing tailshaft up. Use a transfer punch to mark the 4 mounting holes. Drill out and use fender washers and bolts going out through the bellhousing with Nyloc nuts on the transmission side.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/21/2022 06:38PM by mgb260. |
Airwreckc Eric Cumming RTP, North Carolina (246 posts) Registered: 05/28/2020 10:10AM Main British Car: 1972 MGB-GT (working on a Sebring project) Buick 300-4 V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Got it, I understand. Just so you know, my transmission with the adapter was about $2,500. And it is built to stronger standards than a standard 3650. I'm guessing the T5 will handle the torque of the 300, but it made me a little nervous. Good luck with your project. Love to see these 300 projects.
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mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, Would the 18 degree tilt the Camaro uses help? Try to position it with the trans mount level.
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Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Hi Jim, yes I've tried that orientation and it puts most of the bolt holes into a rib. Nothing really seems to line up in a practical way without going beyond where the trans will fit into the car.
What are the consequences of spacing the case 5/8" or .550" back from the bellhousing? And what input shaft length given the above would work with available Speedway bushings, or would a custom one have to be made? If it's just the trans tunnel hole honestly I don't mind hacking into it a bit so long as I can cover it with a gaiter. |
mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, You already have the right input shaft length. I'd make a dual pattern template out of poster board and make your own adapter out of 1/4" steel. The top two bolts will be close so probably use Allen heads there.
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BlownMGB-V8 Jim Blackwood 9406 Gunpowder Rd., Florence, KY 41042 (6468 posts) Registered: 10/23/2007 12:59PM Main British Car: 1971 MGB Blown,Injected,Intercooled Buick 340/AA80E/JagIRS |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
Know anybody that does heliarc welding? You can add metal where you need it for ribs or bosses. Shouldn't cost all that much.
I got one of the interrim Tremecs built for John Forte by Tremec with the GM main case and input and the rest Ford parts, everything off the shelf. It's beefy. Has a larger input and main shaft than the T5, shifts nicely and has a perfect gear spread. Don't know if any of those are still around, I got mine as NOS from Jim Willenbrink after he went to an automatic and have been very pleased with it. I know new Tremecs are expensive. I feel your pain. But considering that it's something that will last the lifetime of your car and give trouble free service, as well as allowing you to get the perfect steps between the gears, and that it is about the same cost as any other new transmission is it really that bad? I mean if you'd consider going out and buying a new crate engine a new transmission does seem appropriate. OTOH we MG enthusiasts are notoriously tight with the purse strings and it's a difficult balance between inadequate gear and excessive spending. All I'm saying is that the transmission is often given short shift in the balance and we tend to pay for it later on. A transmission with good ratios is a joy to drive. Jim |
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mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
3/8" steel is as thick as I'd go. I don't think there is a longer input shaft for that transmission. Using the center hole as reference it would be easy to make a dual pattern template and copy to steel.
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mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, this pilot bushing will take up 3/8" extra length.
[www.speedwaymotors.com]{match_type}&msclkid=2f9a0c96010c1735a41c6f921f11e843&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SMI%20-%20Shopping%20(CSE)%20(Bing)&utm_term=4577404348890847&utm_content=All%20Products%20(Feb28_2020) |
DiDueColpi Fred Key West coast - Canada (1365 posts) Registered: 05/14/2010 03:06AM Main British Car: I really thought that I'd be an action figure by now! |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David, a company called DSP (Deep South Auto Parts) makes the adapter that you need.
[dsapinc.com] No affiliation but I have used their stuff before and have been very happy with it. Cheers Fred |
mgb260 Jim Nichols Sequim,WA (2461 posts) Registered: 02/29/2008 08:29PM Main British Car: 1973 MGB roadster 260 Ford V8 |
Re: Transmission Adaptor Plate/Mount options? And Clutch/PP
David 4 of these countersunk into the plate will stick out like studs for the T5.
[www.fastener-warehouse.com] |