G-body bell housings anyone???

[Bar50]

Okay, I scored a '78 Malibu bell housing, and I am going to use it to reproduce several while I am at it. (Weld up the old hole, weld in a boss, counter-bore, drill, and tap the correct lowered pivot stud hole)

Would anyone else be interested in one?

I have about five bell housings, all 10.5 inch, gathered up so far.

I'll snap some before during and after pics.

The bell housing for my own car, I am going to open up the fork hole (Lower it) and use a readily available release fork like the every other GM car on the planet uses (less than $20 at the nearest parts store)

Thought I might ask, figured I wasn't the only one wanting to run a stick.

 

[TURNA]

i think the 78 housings were 11 inch

That was the difference between the 78 and 79's and up

 

[t5montecarlo]

The 1978-1981 A body bellhousings were all made for the 10.5-inch clutch if the casting number was 462606, the ballstud was lowered, and the number on the ballstud boss inside was 606.

In 1978, a bellhousing was also offered in the A body for the 11-inch clutch with casting number 464697 or 469697, the ballstud was lowered, and the number on the ballstud boss inside was 697. It is rumoured that this bellhousing was only available in the El Camino, but that has not been validated.

Marc

 

[Bar50]

Well, I have one 697 bell housing and one 606 and a half dozen 383's that I am going to turn into 606's.

 

[7d8ss]

I had a 697 in my 78 Elcamino. I got a blow proof for free from a friend. I did to it just what you are going to do to the other housings. I cut about 1/2 inch from the clutch opening so I could get the proper fork location without rubbing on the opening. You may be on to something with the use of a standard fork. I didn't consider it because I used the goofy G body fork I had. You may have to make the opening wider & as long as the length of the fork is about the same. it should work. Good Idea! If I change my clutch or have to remove my transmission, I am definately going to look into that. ~ Jon

 

[Bar50]

I am making a fixture to drill the hole in the same spot, to save set up time on the mill. Going to relocated the stud in my scattershield to, but, its in the car, so, bell hosuings first, then it, when it comes out.

 

[turboapache]

Has anyone considered the t-5 Camaro bellhousing? The 78-81 bell had a lower opening for the fork and also the fork turned down to the point of contact of the pushrod. The t-5 bell is canted down 17 degrees. Think about it, if you use a t-5 trans the correct shifter will put the shifter strait up and with a straight clutch fork in the bell and cut off the bracket cast on the bell for the slave cyl. so it is not in the way it might just work out about the same. I just put a t-5 in my 80 El Camino and used the hyd clutch sys and have had problems with the clutch master cyl because it did not have the correct geometry. So I have been thinking about this. Any thoughts outthere?

 

[t5montecarlo]

On the F body bellhousings, the ballstud is not in the same location between the mechanical and hydraulic versions. On the mechanical version, the ballstud is closer the center of the bellhousing. So, a mechanical fork would not fit the hydraulic bellhousing.

I have already done the homework regarding what bellhousings will fit.
http://garage-scene.com/t5-into-ag-body/

 

[t5montecarlo]

The 1978-1981 Malibu bellhousings had the window in the same place as the "regular" bellhousings.

Bar50, rather than ask the buyers to try and find a Malibu fork, why not move the window so that a straight fork and stock boot will fit? Yeah, I know...it is more work, but it will be easier to sell since the forks are not available new anymore.

 

[Bar50]

That was my plan, I was going to make up a few with the original window for the fork, and some that use a normal fork that is available at parts stores across the land for less than $20. I was going to try one out in my Caballero before I tried to sell any, with the hole opened downward.

I made up a fixture for locating the pivot stud hole, so I can do it to any bell housing or scatter shield*. I was going to see if it was going to be profitable to sell any bell housings or offer the service of relocating/machine work.
*That is what I am going to use, it hugs the block a little tighter*.

I bought some of those hiem joint clutch linkages from your web site (had some small issues with getting all the parts, but, they made it right). I have yet to mock it all up with the big block headers.

AND---I found another stick shift car, a '79 Malibu (has the trans and clutch stuff all still in it with a dead small block), going to try to buy it next Sunday, I'll have a few of the bell housings made up by then, swap one into the Caballero (has to be 11" to work with a 454 flywheel and clutch), modify the scatter shield that is in it....then either rip out the 454, or build another one to set in the Malibu with the headers and...well projects.

I'd thought this would be cooler than a new pickup to drive. Plus, everyone digs the thump-ity thump rat motor with loud flowmasters of the Caballero ('H E L L-Camino', as it has been deemed by the local drag/street race guys...I haven't even drag raced it yet) but, lots of guys know me for having hot rods and big block stuff.