1964-66 4 speed bellhousing question

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Rockerdude

Rockerdude

Rock n' Roll and A-bodies
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Just curious, I know most of the 64-66 4 speed cars only had the small flywheel/9.5 inch clutch. I have heard of a few cars having the bigger clutch also, but never seen one in the flesh. Can you use a 130 tooth flywheel/10.5 inch clutch with the factory iron bellhousing?
 
Brewer's Performance can answer that, but you'll need to provide a casting number because they don't have.......

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If you cannot use the 10.5" clutch, I can tell you from stone cold experience.....like a week old that you CAN put a 10" clutch on the 9.5" flywheel....so you can at least do THAT.
 
Fixed: 273s had a 9 1/2 inch clutch. A 10 1/2 inch flywheel won't Fri in the cast iron bellhousing. :lol:
 
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There was only one casting number that I know of for 64-66 A-body with a v8. Does anyone make the smaller flywheel new?

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Rockerdude said:
There was only one casting number that I know of for 64-66 A-body with a v8. Does anyone make the smaller flywheel new?

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That's the 122 tooth. ....and not that I know of. Do you know if the crank register on the V8 is similar to the slant 6 in that the early ones have a smaller register?
 
Brewer's shows the correct flywheel, but they do not have it in stock, according to their web site. While the 10.5" flywheel MIGHT physically fit the smaller bellhousing, the starter location will not be correct and it will interfere with the flywheel. I'm sure someone has swapped the larger bellhousing into the early A. Maybe they can chime in......OR you could call Brewer's and see what they say.

Of course still, through "all this" we don't know WTF engine you're talking about, since you've never said. So.......

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That is also a good question. I'm not planning on using a 273 though, I'm using a 5.2/5.9 Magnum and a 64-65 a833. Might have to use the later style bellhousing with the bigger flywheel/clutch setup. Which means shortening the Z-bar.
 
Rockerdude said:
That is also a good question. I'm not planning on using a 273 though, I'm using a 5.2/5.9 Magnum and a 64-65 a833. Might have to use the later style bellhousing with the bigger flywheel/clutch setup.
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Finally. We get an answer.
 
Rockerdude said:
We posted at the same time. Lol
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Looks that way. lol See....if you had a slant six, I have the correct flywheel. That's why it's so important to try to include all pertinent information, so I don't have to do this.....

CRYSTAL BALL DUDE.jpg
 
Man you sure love that magic ball.

Back on topic though, trying to balance a 122 tooth flywheel to a 5.9 Magnum/hold the power with a 9.5/10 inch clutch may be an issue. I know they sell "bolt on" weights for the bigger 130 for a 5.9, so I'll probably have to just go that route. Or use just use a 5.2 for the neutral balance aspect. Options, options..
 
Yup, you're gonna have to go to the larger bellhousing. You don't have a choice. To my knowledge, there's not a 9.5" 122 tooth flywheel compatible with the 318. They changed the crank register size in 1968, on the slant 6 for sure and I believe on the 318 as well, so I think the only way is to get the bigger bellhousing. You'll be ahead of the game anyway with the 10.5" clutch. I'm sure if I'm wrong and there's a different way to get it done, someone will tell you. I think that's right, though.
 
The only aftermarket/new 122T flywheel I’ve seen is made by Wilcap. They do not mention crank register size, so may allow as a specification when you order. I don’t personally have the knowledge/skill to know if you can safely and consistently mate small register transmission to large register motor.

This page shows that the 122T ring gear will need to be supplied by customer: Wilcap Company Flywheels

This page shows prices for steel and aluminum:http://www.wilcap.com/FW.PD

I stumbled across Wilcap on the search for a 10” clutch that might stand up to a greater than 235hp motor. There are some folks on slantsix.org that at one time were able to get custom flywheels (I think from McLeod) to bolt on a more available Ford clutch and PP.

My latest “decision” for the collection of parts was to buy a flywheel, and have a local clutch shop beef up a 10” clutch for my 273 or a 318. Problem is that I have to make a decision on the motor, and I think I may have a later a833 in my 65 Dart. All this to say: the above info is based on research, not experience.
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yup, you're gonna have to go to the larger bellhousing. You don't have a choice. To my knowledge, there's not a 9.5" 122 tooth flywheel compatible with the 318. They changed the crank register size in 1968, on the slant 6 for sure and I believe on the 318 as well, so I think the only way is to get the bigger bellhousing. You'll be ahead of the game anyway with the 10.5" clutch. I'm sure if I'm wrong and there's a different way to get it done, someone will tell you. I think that's right, though.
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I used a 122 tooth flywheel with a 1965 273 bell on the 1971 318 I put in my 1965 Barracuda . It was a bolt in . It took the 10 inch clutch and worked great for the 12 years I had that car
 
RustyRatRod said:
Yup, you're gonna have to go to the larger bellhousing. You don't have a choice. To my knowledge, there's not a 9.5" 122 tooth flywheel compatible with the 318. They changed the crank register size in 1968, on the slant 6 for sure and I believe on the 318 as well, so I think the only way is to get the bigger bellhousing. You'll be ahead of the game anyway with the 10.5" clutch. I'm sure if I'm wrong and there's a different way to get it done, someone will tell you. I think that's right, though.
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When I swapped a 340 into my 65 Barracuda in the spring of 1973, I hooked it to the original 273 flywheel and a 9.5 inch clutch. No issue of it fitting the 340. Holding the power was another story. I managed to secure a new 273 hi-po clutch disc from the dealer, but the OEM 273 hi-po pressure plate was NLA. So, for a pressure plate I ran a Weber 9.5. It held the power, but it was the stiffest clutch I've ever run. I ran two of them. They lasted two years or so and then the high pressure would bend one of the release fingers enough that the clutch could not be completely released. At the time, no one made a 10 inch clutch that would fit in a 9.5 inch bellhousing (or not that I was aware of, anyway). So, about 76-77 I swapped in a 10.5 inch bellhousing and flywheel from a 340 car. No clearance issues with the floor pan, but of course I did have to modify the 340 Z-bar. Ran a Zoom clutch assembly (remember them?). It gave a stiff pedal, but not as stiff as the 9.5 inch Weber. Later I ran a Hayes and I can't remember what else. Now have a Centerforce Dual Friction diaphragm clutch which bites hard (really, too hard), but pedal pressure is light and it has lasted longer than any other clutch I've ever run.

When I installed TTI headers, I replaced my 40 year old home-brew Z-bar setup for a Brewers' 10.5 inch clutch linkage kit for early A bodies that fit around the headers better.
 
You change to the big flywheel you will need the big bellhousing and a combination of different linkage. Do yourself a favor and get the correct clutch for the smaller flywheel and call it a day.
 
Brewers has everything you need, I used their 10.5 early a-body conversion kit on my 66 and the parts were awesome. They make a special z-bar, clutch adjuster rod and clutch fork bracket just for this conversion and it all bolts right in. I’m currently in the process of getting these parts for my wife’s 66 four-speed as well, I was surprised to see that the prices were not super expensive, I bought the parts for my car 15 years ago.
 
I am running that combo that you have in mind. I have a 360 Magnum with a 10.5 bellhousing and I modified my clutch linkage to work with that combo and TTI headers. You will have to flatten the floor to fire wall seam but other than that all fits ok.
I also am running a flywheel from American power Train.
 
Then evidently, from what's been posted, the V8s don't suffer the same malady from the different size crank registers like the slant 6s do and that's a good thing. One less hurdle.
 
Yes, the outer crank register is the same on all small blocks. It's the inner register for a torque converter button that is different going from the '64-7 273 to the '68-9 273 and other small blocks. My conversion putting in a 340 in place of a 273 involved just using a slant 6 van clutch with more/heavier springs. Everything else is stock 273 stuff.
 
cudamark said:
Yes, the outer crank register is the same on all small blocks. It's the inner register for a torque converter button that is different going from the '64-7 273 to the '68-9 273 and other small blocks. My conversion putting in a 340 in place of a 273 involved just using a slant 6 van clutch with more/heavier springs. Everything else is stock 273 stuff.
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Sorry if you’re just restating—you’re saying that a stock 1965 273 would mate to a post-68 a833 too?
 
Beams said:
Sorry if you’re just restating—you’re saying that a stock 1965 273 would mate to a post-68 a833 too?
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Yes and it would get rid of the ball and trunion front u joint. You would need a adapter or have the driveshaft modified.
 
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