The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine/tranny change

A kid down the block is pulling the engine (a 216 that runs fine) out of a '47 Chevy car and wants to install it in his '49 Chevy 3100. He wants to use his truck 4 speed,but it won't hook up to the car bellhousing-the pattern on the bellhousing is a very small 4 bolt pattern. So he figured he'd just use the 3 speed from the car;but he says the car tranny is 3 or 4 inches too short. How much adjustment is available in the torque tube for different length? Seems like there should be provision for some movement forward & backward of the tube/axle. What options does he have? :confused: The truck had no engine so no truck bellhousing to change to. He kinda boxed himself in with other commitments and only has about 3 weeks to get the truck operable (and it's pretty scattered right now!)so I told him I'd see what I could find out for him.
Thanks!
Speed

If he uses his truck bellhousing... his truck 4 speed should bolt right up. The bellhousings are interchangeable on chevy and gmc inline engines from about 37-62. The bellhousings have slightly different configurations for mounting in a car or truck, or for different transmissions, but they all bolt to the engine in the same way.


John

See,the problem is he doesn't have the truck bellhousing. He got the truck without engine or bellhousing,and wants to use the '47 car engine but it won't hook up to his truck 4 speed,and if he uses the 3 speed from the car,it's too short by about 8 inches. He told me today he's going to make an adapter plate from 1/2 inch aluminum to connect the truck tranny to the car bellhousing. He said he'd pull the pilot bushing out of the crank about an eighth of an inch for just a little more support. Also,he's going to heli-coil the bolt holes and use loc-tite to make sure things stay where he puts 'em. We'll just have to see how it turns out I guess.
Speed

Wouldn't it be easier to find a truck bellhousing? I have one he can have IF he'll take it off...