Treetopflyer

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I guess I should start out with explaining that when I bought the car it had a 327 from a 1968 Camaro in it. I found the right 1959 283 to put in it, so I rebuilt it and put that in. I have run into issues with the last owners “creative engineering” that made the 327 and Saginaw transmission functional in a 1959 Corvette.

Now on to the problem: I put on the ball stud bracket that bolts to the bell housing for the cross shaft for the clutch linkage and they do not match up, not even close. As you can see by the red lines that I have added. My first thought is that the last owner removed and rewelded the frame bracket with ball stud, as may be evident by the welds, circled in green. I thought it was In order to accommodate a direct to engine block ball stud, but the brake lines are curved around that bracket, as you can see by the blue circle, which could have also been done by the last owners. It looks like a sloppy cut and weld job. However, I see nowhere on the frame that the return spring bracket should have gone. So, I am also wondering why that has no evidence of removal.

Has anyone else run into this problem with a 1959 or am I just missing something?

Chuck Gongloff

Wonder if if was originally an automatic transmission car?

Chuck

1KULC7

Chuck Gongloff

Again, NO expert here, but something didn't look right to me, so

I went out and looked at my 63. I know, different year, frame, etc, but..

The "ball" on the engine block for the Z bar on my car is mounted about 6" to 8" further forward than yours.

Yours is adjacent to the oil filter...a bit above and ahead. Mine is located MUCH further forward. It would probably line up with the frame mount.

NOT being a guru of every engine block configuration made, I have to ask that maybe you have the ball mounted in the wrong hole?

Chuck

claysmoker

I went out and looked at three blocks I have. Two from the 60's and one modern. All have a tapped boss for the clutch ball 5" forward of the centerline of the filter.

The modern block has a tapped hole for an oil pressure pickup in the location where the ball is screwed in on your block. Take the ball out and see what's under it. Something fishy here.

Plasticman

Treetopflyer,

Just checked my 62, and the inside (engine) pivot ball is aligned with the forward edge of the oil filter (about where your ball appears to be).

Note to Claysmoker and Chuck, my 62 (and I assume the OP's 59) pivot ball is bolted to a bracket bar that comes forward from the bellhousing. I can see the end of that bracket in his picture. The ball does not bolt to the engine block. However, someone in the past may have used the forward engine bolt pad to locate the Z-Bar pivot. I don't know if the early engines even had that bolt boss (before my time). My 2 spare engine, and the NOM in my 62 all have 2 bolt pads on the engine, that can be used for pivot *****. But neither align with the "correct" location for a 62.

I have made a bracket that tied into those engine bosses for wmf62 (Bill) 62, when he put in the ZZ4 engine, using a different bell housing, that did not have the bell housing pivot ball bracket mounting bosses to mount the OEM bracket. Here is a drawing:

The 2 end holes are for mounting bolts (into the pivot ball bosses on the engine).

For further info, see this thread:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c1-a...-corvette.html

Plasticman

Kensmith

Those welds are horrible. It looks like the frame bracket has been moved forward and re-welded.

JohnZ

Here's a correct C1 engine-side cross shaft bracket that bolts to the tapped holes in the bellhousing; if you look further forward on the block, you can see the boss and tapped hole in the block that the midyears used for the cross shaft pivot stud.

Treetopflyer

That is exactly what the bracket looks like on my car. It bolts to the bell housing. I think the last owners may have moved the frame bracket. The 327 from the Camaro that came with the car had the cross pivot shaft connected via that boss and tapped hole in the block, which matches up perfectly with where the frame bracket currently is.

Can anyone provide me with a good picture of what the frame bracket should look like in the proper place and possibly some measurements for placement?

Looks like I may have to do some cutting off of the old bracket and welding on a new one, inthe correct spot.

knockbill

this is exactly how the c1's z bar is mounted,,,

my 56 was originally an automatic also, but i when i got it, it was used as a drag race car,,, not only was teh frame ball mount located forward like yours is, but the welds were just as nice!!!! they also had teh engine mounted further back in the chassis,, i didn't realize that until i went to put my engine in,,, i had to use teh original, unmolested trans mount location to re install teh front engine mounts in teh proper place... if the ball mount is too messed up to reinstall in teh proper place, some of teh dealers sell new ones...
old cars are fun to play with,,, aren't they??

knockbill

[QUOTE=
Can anyone provide me with a good picture of what the frame bracket should look like in the proper place and possibly some measurements for placement?

Looks like I may have to do some cutting off of the old bracket and welding on a new one, inthe correct spot.[/QUOTE]

i located mine by installing teh bell housing ball bracket , and then squaring the z bar and frame bracket to the frame, and tacking it,,,it will get it as close as necessary to work right, then just weld it in...

gbvette62

It appears that when the 350 was in the car, they used the hole in the block for the pivot, instead of the 62 and earlier bracket, that bolts to the bellhousing. To line up with the ball, they must have moved the bracket forward.

I went out to get a picture of the frame bracket on my 62, and the hood release cable broke! If no one else posts a picture, I'll try to get you one, once I get the hood open.

JohnZ

The dimensions for locating and welding both the cross shaft bracket and the spring bracket are shown in Section 2 of the Assembly Manual; they were installed at St. Louis.

Treetopflyer

Looking at section two, I only see sheet 1.00 and it is simply a picture of the frame assembly, no measurements.

JohnZ

In '57, it was in Section 2 - in later years they may have moved it to Section 7; here's what it looks like.

Treetopflyer

Thanks John! I appreciate it. I did find it in my manual but the numbers are very blurry and hard to read, bad copy.

Thanks again.