bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

[Bryan_S]

thats right, I recieved an intermediate unit, for my omc 800/ 351w.

It arrived and the thing looks almost brand new..... so i was stoked to see it.

got new engine assembled with new manifolds, water pump... blah blah blah

went to install the intermediate to the engine, and the gall dang bellhousing bolts dont line up.

after further inspection i noticed the cast #'s on the block are the same 909325

after even further inspection it seems that the correct holes for a ford are indeed there, just not drilled all the way through. also the starter holes on the bell, are there..... just not tapped.

My question is....

can i drill out this housing to fit my ford?

remember same cast #, spline shaft is fits perfect.

thanks

Bryan S

 

[proshadetree]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

As long as you can make sure you drill straight Id go for it.

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

ok ive done some more inspecting, and the only part I am concerned about is the dowells coming out of the block to the bell housing almost look like if i was to drill out those area's it would breach another mounting hole, that i would NOT be using,

Are these dowells (sp?) critical of the intermediate alignment to the engine block? Or will the 6 other fasteners take care of that?

just wanting to be sure before i destroy a perfectly good bell housing =]

thanks

Bryan S

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

The dowell locators are extremely critical, the bellhousing holes are something like 1/2" and you have 7/16 bolts mounting the bellhousing so you end up with some slop in those, however the dowell pin locators are what actually locates the bellhousing and they are an exact fit, hopefully the dowell locations are there too and remeber those holes are just a tad smaller for an exact fit to the pins. If you just bolt it up without them located properly you could end up with alignment problems with the starter and maybe the coupler too.

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

Don't alter the bell housing. What you need is the Ford adaptor plate. Same one for the 302 and 351w. It bolts to the motor and it's about an inch thick and has all the dowels holes, etc. I think all OMC 800 bell housings were shaped for the Chevy. As a result, the Ford uses a longer drive shaft as well.

What happened to all your original 'stuff'?

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

the previous owner tagged a deadhead in the puget sound, it destroyed the prop beyond repair, bent almost everything in the outdrive, and the input shaft to the engine is also bent.

I realize i could just remove my current bell housing, but the exhaust ports or really corroded, and one side has a chip out of it.

I contacted the person I bought the intermediate from, and he does NOT have one for a ford block.

I'm feeling kind of stuck here.

MY oh my what should I do now?

~Bryan S

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

....I realize i could just remove my current bell housing, but the exhaust ports or really corroded, and one side has a chip out of it.....

Are you matching the new bell housing to the 351w block or to the 1" thick aluminum adaptor plate I mentioned? Also, if your drive shaft is bent, what are you going to use?

The bell housing is NOT the whole intermediate housing!

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

heh ok

lemme clarify.

I purchased a whole almost new intermediate with the bell housing.

i was not going to put a brand new engine on a bent shaft.

so the intermediate that I purchased has a bell housing on it, but its for a chevy.

are you saying that the chevy intermediates have a longer input shaft?

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

are you saying that the chevy intermediates have a longer input shaft?

No! I am saying that you need to use a 1" +/- thick OMC aluminum adaptor plate that goes between the SBF and the intermediate housing bell housing profile. The Chevy did not need this adaptor plate, so it had a shorter input/drive shaft than what is needed if you use the adaptor to use the SBF.

Clear now?

Before I insert entire foot into my mouth, I will add this. Ablsolutely, you need this adaptor plate. Beyond that, it is my belief that the bell housing profiles were all the same, the adaptor being the variable. You should be able to look at your old bell housing and confirm. At the same time you should see the adaptor plate that bolts on to the back of the engine. When they come apart, the adaptor stays on the motor. Unfortunately I do not have a picture of this adaptor, only a picture of my entire intermediate housing out on the bench.

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

thanks for your input, I really do appreciate it.

This is my First I/O and I really do not know much.
Sorry if i seemed like i was questioning your knowledge.... I am not.

OK thats one thing i failed to inspect between the 2 intermediates was the shaft length coming out of the housing.

Where can one find this adapter plate?

thanks so much for helping me.

I just wanna get on the water, the salmon are almost here!

~Bryan S

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

I had to obtain one to replace one on a 302 that was out of my boat and then got stolen. I got it from a mechanic in AZ that stiffed me for a coupler. He sent a chevy coupler instead of a Ford. I returned it to him and he never sent the proper one back. I filed a claim with paypal but they never did anything. Gripes my Arse.

Anyway, on to your issue. What happened to the adaptor on your set-up. You definetly need the adaptor but I would also confirm what I have contended about the bellhousing profiles, sans adaptor. That should be easy enough to do.

I've got a number I can give you for someone who might have one. Let's get to the bottom of the rest of the fitment first. I also have an extra long shaft.

You never did say what year this all was?

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

whoops! =]

its a 1978 fiberform cuddy 2500

the engine I purchased from S&J engines in spokane.

I have not gone to the shop to measure the shafts.

so being the cast on the bell housings are the same, does this mean i have to move some mounts? Im thinking if i add this spacer/adapter i will increase the overall length, and need to re-position the motor mounts... does this sound right? ..... yikers

man i tell ya, people were right when they say boats are money pits =]

oh well i still love my money pit.

thanks

Bryan S

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

You still have not answered my question regarding the disposition of the original engine? It would have had the adaptor bolted to it. And NO, if everything I have contended about the old and the new intermediate housings are correct, the spacer would put the mounts right where they were origninally.

Sheesh! This getting to be like pulling teeth.

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

ok well, I did some more lookin.... didn't see any adaptor at all.

Im sure you already know this, but the shafts are 2 7/8 inch out of the bell housing.

ok since there is NOT an adapter on the old block or housing.....

sorry about the frustration, I am a noob =\

 

[a70eliminator]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

so what happened to drilling out the located holes, that sounded to me like you were on track then all this started. the dowell locator holes if i'm remebering correctly do end up right next to one of the mounting holes.

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

well shoot, im kinda leary to do this now that wizeone has been helpin me.

However, the input shafts are the same length

I've even measure to the spline plate on the flywheel, and with a spacer that "almost an inch" if i were to add this, I would Indeed need to reposition a mount, as my current setup does NOT have this spacer/adapter, And with a spacer/adapter, i would only be on the spline shaft about an inch.

The conflicting information is preventing me from doing this, as I do not wanna screw anything up.

and wizeone im sorry this has been so painful =p, but i do not have nor never had a spacer/adapter on my rig. Maybe the previous owner did, I dunno, but there is NOT one there.

Thanks you for the replies

Bryan S

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

This is a bit mysterious at this point Bryan. I am going to make a call for you this morning to make sure that I have not been leading you down the primrose path. Unless something was changed by OMC when they went to the '78 hyrdro mechanical drive, then everything I have said is still the gospel. I suppose that they might have gone to a 'universal' bell housing that could be drilled to fit either Ford or Chevy. If so, that will have been the first they had done it in all their years.

If by chance, what I've contended is not correct, I will enquire about whether or not you can drill those apparent Ford holes in your bellhousing or about a freshwater used replacement bell housing for you that you can swap out on your nice clean new IH, or about an adaptor plate.

Are the splines nice, clean and square cut inside your flywheel mounted coupler?

I will be back to you here within two hours.

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

hey wizeone =]

yeah, i just went down there and did a lil more measuring, and it sure seems like the splines on the shaft and the splines on the engine line up just aboiut where they seem they should be.

I'll wait a bit b4 I run to my buddies machine shop, again I do not wanna do something thats gonna cost me more in the long run.

coupler splines are in great shape, I've already replaced that with a good one.

I thank you sir for your researching

Ive gathered so much information from these forums just reading..... never really had to post until this issue. =\

thanks for the replies

Bryan S

 

[WizeOne]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

Can you confirm that the intermediate housing you got was for a 78-80 yr model?

 

[Bryan_S]

Re: bellhousing for my 351w is for a chevy!!!

well they look the same

is there #'s somewhere oin it?

Im pretty sure, its the correct year.