Were there any pressed-steel bellhousing issued as standard equipment for the small block? Or were they all cast iron/aluminum?

Thanks.

Bud.

 

Only two materials, aluminum and cast iron.....

 

My 66 was raced for a time and the previous owner put a Lakewood, steel housing on. Wish I had the old aluminum bellhousing.

 

Why?...

Any missed gear can cause a problem aluminum can't fix....unless of course, you never wind it up and hammer the gears.

.. Of course if it's a numbers matching etc, etc, bla, bla, car...well you know.

I always ran a scatter shield with a 4 speed. Comes from a friend getting some shrapnel in his foot back in high school....he still walks wyth a lisp...

Stan...

 

And some on here worry about old tires. This is a '55 chevy flywheel/clutch explosion. I run a Lakewood in all my cars. I wonder how his legs made out.

 

Up through 1959 ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Corvette and pass cars had cast iron bell housings with an open bottom.
ALLLLLLLLLLLLL 1960-62 Corvettes ONLY had cast alum, open bottom bell housings.
In 1963-later, ALLLLLLLLLLLLL Corvettes went to the full enclosure, die cast alum bell housing.
The pass cars retained the open bottom cast iron bell housings through 1962----------EXCEPT--------the 1960-63 hi-perf 348 and 409 engines. The 63-later pass cars WITHOUT the hi-perf 409 got the same die cast, full enclosure alum housings that were the same as the 63-later Vettes.
ANY Chevy---car, Vette, truck----that had an open bottom bell housing (didn't matter if it was iron or alum) ONLY had the larger 168 teeth flywheel. THERE WAS NO SUCH COMBINATION AS AN OPEN BOTTOM BELL HOUSING AND THE SMALLER 153 TEETH FLYWHEEL.

The 1960 open bottom, cast alum bell housing that was on ALL Vettes and hi-perf 348 cars, was the same, and ONE YEAR ONLY housing. This particular housing is probably the highest value of all bell housings.
Probably the next highest value bell housing is the cast alum open bottom version on ALLLLLLLLLLLLL 61-2 Vettes and 61-3 hi-perf 348-409s in pass cars.
After that, it's probably a toss up between the 64-65 full enclosure alum housings used ONLY in full size cars and Chevelles (this housing WAS NOT used in Vettes) and the 444 full enclosure housing used on 66-VERY early 67 BB Vettes, Chevelles and MAYBE full size cars.

Tom Parsons

 

AC and all so I expected a standard bellhousing. Actually took a look at it this last weekend and it has a pressed-steel housing. It's red so maybe a Lakewood or something else re-painted. Was surprised, can't figure out why the PO would make this upgrade. While its not NCRS, nothing indicates it was raced in its history.

Funny how you can look at things and not 'see'. I've looked at that housing dozens of times and it just never registered that it wasn't a cast item. Is that an old-age thing??

Bud.

 

I remember seeing a picture VERY similar to this back in the day. I think it was a 55 or 56 Chevy that hand grenaded the flywheel. Same pic? One thing that is kinda confusing tho, what are all the hydraulic lines and fittings in the floor opening there?

 

Isn't that the hydraulic clutch actuator/throw-out bearing?

DT

 

I saw that too and was wondering the same. Was also wondering what the guage was on the passenger side dash was. First thought it was a oil pressure but it looks like it has an odometer too. Whatever, it would be hard to moniter from the passenger seat.

Bud

 

It looks like another speedometer but I doubt this was a rally car.

 

The lines and pump look very similar to the fuel pumps used on the old hilborn style fuel injection units. Not sure what it would be doing back there though!

 

My thoughts also. It could have been driven by the back of a roots super charger or off a purpose built distributor. The drive appears to be in the picture above it.

The floor looks to have been cut earlier, to access the rear of the engine. The blown bell housing looks to be a steel scatter shield. Cast iron or alum. would crack off, not bend around.

Bottom line, if you have a solid lifter engine that revs, no stock flywheels.

 

I'm sure there are some good stories with that car!

Well spotted Vette62. It does look to be steel. I'm no expert but doesn't it look a little far back to be the bellhousing? I thought the flywheel would be a little further forward closer to the engine - as I said I'm no expert. But if it is a steel bellhousing and it didn't do the job of its intention, is it simply a hope and pray sort of situation if the flywheel does go? The reason I'm asking is most of the time spent in my 64 is at the track - I'm old but I still don't want to be looking at the family gems up on the roof liner!

Bud

 

I have always known that with the right clutch/flywheel explosion, it will go through the scatter shield. The problem is some still run cast iron flywheels. Illegal at the track. Constant inspections of the flywheel will show cracks when over heated. Time to throw it out. I just, this week, spent $500 on a new flywheel because I like my legs and do want to kill anyone at the track. That hurt, for something that will not make the car go any faster.

I think the scatter shield is designed to contain the clutch if let loose. The flywheel is not expected to let go if within specs. Your family Gems should be safe if you are racing and have Billet flywheel.

Yes, the engine looks to be more rearward than stock. Hence the rear access cover. My question is what engine is that????? It does not look like a SBC. Remember we are talking 45-55 years ago. The heads look weird.