The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Bell housing issues on engine swap

I recently bought a 1958 235 and took out the 235 car engine that was in there. So I took it loose between the bell housing and the transmission. When I took the car engine out it had these rubber blocks on the side that was bolted to both the bell housing and the cross member. The bell housing on the new to me engine is a 58 235 and the area where the transmission bolts up looks the same except where those 2 rubber blocks bolt on to. I read that all the engines and transmissions will bolt up until 1962 but how about the bell housing. I measured the bolt holes and it looks like there is 1.5 inch difference. I really don't want to pull the clutch and flywheel if I don't have to. Any suggestions or info would be appreciated. Thanks, Bert

It's extra work, but I would test fit the new engine and bellhousing just to see how everything lines up. Looking at it that way may present a simple solution.

Hy berts53, if you are working with a 1953 truck, the bellhousing to frame mounts sit flat on the crossmember, the 54 and newer crosssmembers/bellhousings have an angled mount. So the two different bellhousings only fit their complimentary design of crossmember. So in short if you're trying to install a 1958 engine in a 1953 chassis, then you must use the bellhousing for the 1953 chassis, hope that helps.

Bert,

At the bottom of this page is an illustration of what 3B described.

Is your 53 still 6v, or was the car engine you had in it a 12v engine?
The 1958 engine would have originally been 12v.

If the engine you are removing was 6v, you should use its flywheel and starter.

You could use either engine's complete clutch assembly, as long as it can be bolted to whichever flywheel you will be using (use the throw-out bearing with its matching clutch assembly).