blackvette7661

First? does anyone know the casting-part number of an orig. 1961-62 flywheel. Second? will a 11 inch clutch work with the orig. 553 bellhousing. I know the 168 tooth flywheel will work but will the presure plate?

DZAUTO

OK, for an immediate answer to the specific question.
YES, ANYWHERE a 168 teeth flywheel is used, an 11in clutch will work.

Up through 62, ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Corvettes used ONLY a 168 teeth flywheel. PERIOD!
ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 55-62 Corvette flywheels had a bolt pattern for the 10in (replacements are now 10.4in) clutch. To install an 11in clutch in a 55-62 bell housing, the stock style original 168 teeth flywheel will need to be replaced with a later 168 teeth flywheel which has a bolt pattern for an 11in clutch.

chris ritchie

The casting number for 55-62 Corvette flywheels is 3729004. The part number is something else. The casting number is cast or stamped onto the flywheel.

I don't believe it is a rare part. I seem to remember I got one once out of a '73 Camaro. I believe NAPA carries it. You might see if other FLAPS carry it too.

blackvette7661

My main concern is the Pressure plate for an 11 inch clutch. The pressure plate is larger and i am concerned that it will hit the bellhousing.

Bacci

I have a 60 Vette with a 348 flywheel, three finger type pressure plate, and original bell housing and it has been that way for over 50 years. Purchased the car in 64 and someone had already removed the original FI engine and drive train.

DZAUTO

In multiple versions, for several years, this question has come up, been addressed and answered more times than ANY OF US have fingers and toes to count on!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sooooooooooooo, let me try to clarify this a little better.

ANY CHEVROLET BELL HOUSING WHICH IS USED WITH A 168 TEETH FLYWHEEL, WILL ACCEPT AN 11in CLUTCH WITHOUT INTERFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do any of my cars with the same bell housing as yours have a 168 teeth flywheel and 11in clutch? YES, ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL OF THEM DO, including my 56 Vette with the alum 553 housing.
I DO NOT know how to explain it any better than that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

W Guy

Tom,
I put an 11" clutch on my '62 004 flywheel. The holes were there. It had a '62 casting date as well.

Verne

blackvette7661

I did not know I should not ask the same question over again, or there was a limitation on how many times it could be posted. Beings I am 64 years old and spend more time in the garage than on the computer searching old articals or threads. Some of us dont keep up with the form every day or know how to search for old post. We are just car guys and need some advice or help now and then. Since most of the questions have been asked before maybe we should just post pictures of cars or funny jokes. Or maybe I should just go back to old school and go with trial and error on my own. I would like to thank all you guys that did help me.

MikeM

Sounds right to me!

MikeM

Interesting tidbit in the '69 Corvette P&A book.

Says the '55 Corvette (8 cyl), first design used an 11" clutch. Wonder of wonders!

DZAUTO

IT IS POSSIBLE that there was a first design 11in clutch used in the 55 V8 Vettes. BUUUUUUUUUUUT, the BEST documentation INDICATES that only about 75 55 Corvettes were built with a V8 engine (all the rest of the 55 Vettes got a PG tranny). Of those 75 cars, VERY, VERY few of them are available for inspection of the flywheel/clutch assembly. Personally, I have NEVER seen a 55 V8 Corvette with a flywheel that has a bolt pattern for an 11in clutch (I'm not saying that there were not a few 55 Vettes with an 11in clutch, just that the number has to be rather small). OTHER THAN hi-perf W-motor cars, HD service cars (such as taxis, police, etc, trucks), all 55-62 V8 flywheels that I've seen had a bolt pattern for the 10in clutch, PLUS, they had a groove just outside the position for a 10 or 10.4in clutch. Thus, even if holes were drilled/tapped on a 55-62 flywheel to allow an 11in clutch to be bolted up to the flywheel, the disc surface would be into that groove, as shown below.





The ONLY reason that I can guess as to why this groove was cut into early flywheels was for the purpose of indicating the limit of how much a flywheel could be safely surfaced.

DZAUTO

I have ZERO issues with a question being asked more than once or 20 times. I just do not understand why the same person would ask the SAME question twice (just worded a little differently) within the same thread, especially after an answer was provided.