The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 235 bellhousing

I picked up a 55 car 235 engine. I need a bell housing and flywheel, to get this thing fired up on my garage floor. So what year car or truck parts will I need to look for, that will bolt up to this engine?

TIA. Brian

Depends on what you are going to put the engine in? The bell housing from any 216, 235, 261 and early V8 will fit.

The car and truck bellhousings will both bolt on, but I believe the car type won't have bolt holes for the stomp starter linkage. Be sure and match up the flywheel and starter, for either 6 volt or 12 volt- - - -the tooth spacing is different.
Jerry

The early V8 bellhousing will fit the 194-292 6-cylinder engines, not the 216-261 types.
Jerry

you will need a 235 flywheel and matching starter,216, 235, 261 car or truck bellhousing,, but i don't think a v8 bellhousing will fit as was previously mentioned. good luck. garyg

???

It is not just an issue of the clutch housing being able to bolt to the engine/block. The donor clutch housing should match the style for the year of the recipient truck. (Yakimabowtie's question is pertinent.)

The 1953 and earlier truck 216/235 clutch housing has a different motor-mount angle (and different motor mounts) from the 1954 and later 235/261 truck's clutch housing.

Also, I think that some 261 clutch housings might have been set-up for a hydraulic clutch (and maybe the throw-out bearing fork on the opposite side)? I dimly recall that I could not use my 1960 big-truck 261's clutch housing in my 1954 1/2 ton truck.

Brian, did your 55 truck not come with a clutch housing??

First off thank you all for your replies.

Yakimabowte----Not putting the engine in anything, I'm putting it on the garage floor.

Tim,---- Yes my 55 truck has everything, but I don't want to tear it apart.

All I want to do is fire this engine up and see if it's any good.(it'll be a spare engine).
All I need is a flywheel, starter, and bellhousing. I know that 55-59 235 car or truck will work. I just need to know what else will work, to help in my search. "I won't" be using these parts to bolt it in my truck.

Brian

Just about any 216-235-261 bellhousing, flywheel, and starter will work, from the mid-40's to early 60's, as long as you don't mix up years and get a mismatch between the starter and flywheel. I think the early 40's flywheel had a different number and/or spacing on the crankshaft bolts. If you're using the car bellhousing, the solenoid-type starter would be needed, since there's no provision for the stomp start on the car bellhousings after 1948 or so.
Jerry

Jerry,

How will a 216 clutch housing (bell housing) work in a 1955 truck?

The clutch housing has a different angle for the rear motor mounts. And, because the motor mounts are in a different location, the 47-53 rear motor mounts are a different design relative to the 54-84 rear motor mounts.

The shape of the rear motor-mount frame cross-member changed in 1954 (that is why no frame cross-member and transmission mount was needed after 1954 for manual transmissions).

Yes, of course a 6v or 12v clutch assembly should be used, depending on which is intended to be used in the 1955 truck

Tim, I think that Brian is only looking to set the engine up so that it can be run on a stand, not necessarily installed in a truck at this time. That being the case, what the bellhousing is won't really matter, as long as it bolts up to the engine itself.

OK, thanks, Bill
HRL covered it nicely.

1937-62 bellhousing
1941-62 flywheel, with matching 6 or 12 volt starter.

Bill has me figured out, and the rest of you gentlemen have given me enough information now, that I have a sense of direction. Much appreciated!!!!

Brian

PM Sent.