4 speed adapter plate...

OK guys, hear me out, im haveing a heck of a time finding a big block 4 speed bell housing for a truck that isnt 10 million dollars. I have a mill, I have the tools to make a adapter plate that goes from the 833 pattern on a car bell housing to the wide truck pattern. I was thinking of using 3/8 plate. Im not worried about spline contact, or clutch pivot stuff as I can make all that work with simple tools. Do you guys think Ill need a crank flange spacer to get the clutch and pressure plate correct or is 1/4 or 3/8 not enough to worry about.

Its a farm truck, and a ugly one at that, but I really want to use up some old 383 parts I have laying around.

I can even mill the back of the bell housing I have off and then not need a spacer.

Buddy brought up a good point, starter issues, so i would have to move flywheel.

If you also have a welder, I'd say you probably don't even need an adapter. Just weld on more material as needed, then mill off whatever you don't need.

I thought about just making an adapter ring to center the truck trans into the car bell if needed, and braze lugs onto the bell housing, but IDK what direction is better. Prolly less screwing around just making the lugs. The bell housing I have is less than stellar as its been repaired already, so Im not messing with anything good to start with.

How much larger is the truck transmission bolt pattern than the car pattern? Bell housing cast iron?

The obvious question is exactly what truck transmission are you trying to bolt up to the big block?

That might help with trying to find a bellhousing.

How about using a big block scattershield? Got to be easier to machine, weld, etc than cast iron or aluminum.

Even a old lLakewood will set you back $1-3 hundred but you could drill /weld whatever onto it with no problem

I thought about a old lakewood. A buddy has one but hes gonna use it.

They only made 1 mopar big block 4 speed truck bell housing. its the same old wide 4 pattern from the 62-93 NP435.

they never used the overdrive 833 tranny behind a big block in a pickup that I know of. if they did this wouldnt be a problem as its the same as a car bell housing, so this is the only bell housing ever used behind a big block in a pickup.

The bell is cast so welding is out of the question BUT what about drilling right through and bolting the trans up from behind. If need be you could make 1/8" adapter plates to spread the bolt loads front and back. Bolt the trans to the bell THEN bolt the bell to the motor.

I can weld cast iron pretty easily. Just either use Ni rod, or Ill silicon braze it. The tranny is so wide that the face isnt wide enough to accept it so ears will need to be made. Which is why Im thinking the adapter place will be easier.

It would be easy to make an adapter plate from 3/8" then you could use your mill to take some off the face of the bell to compensate for the adapter plate. You would just need to get some 7/16 countersunk bolts to mount the plate to a standard bell.
Gus

YUP, thats what Im thinkin ill do. I think 3/8 is over kill, but 1/4 will be fine.

If this truck is used for ordinary driving and not like dump truck or pulling heavy equipment I would think the 1/4 or 3/8 plate would work . Setting back that thickness shouldn't affect the pilot bearing or throwout bearing but dimensions should be checked.

The new Lakewood(newer part number 15335) accepts the NP435 pattern. It's still expensive, but no fabricating necessary. I've had a few cast big block bells, sure wish I had held on to them.

Your time must not be worth anything to be willing to do all of that work, those bellhousings usually run $200 from a lot of people.
try a craigslist search via https://www.searchtempest.com/
you can search nationally. Or put out a want ad, someone probably has one on the shelf and would be willing to let it go affordably. Tim

I put an 883 overdrive in a big block truck using a Lakewood bellhousing. All I had to do is machine the bearing retainer down to the center register size of the bellhousing.

I will assume you have a post 1968 mechanical clutch version of this pre 69 hydraulic bell?

Yea I think he’s talking about the 69+ mechanical linkage big block bell, the 68 and earlier hydraulic big block bells seem much more common, I got lucky and found a mechanical big block bell for my truck