Hi all,
I just acquired a bellhousing to hopefully speed up my 5.0 conversion
(on which I'd better get moving.... SUNI is only 6 weeks away), and I'm
pretty sure it will work out okay but there are just a few questions
that I'd like to have the answer to.
Here are the details:
-It's got a 6 bolt block flange on the front, with the starter indexed
for a larger (164T) flywheel. That's inconvenient but not insurmountable.
-It's got a narrow pattern Toploader mounting pattern on the back, with
the small (4 11/16") diameter bearing retainer hole.
-It weighs about 12 pounds. Magnesium? The patina (and corrosion) on the
surfaces would seem to suggest this.
-Overall, it's pretty much circular in profile, and looks like it was
cast in a two-part mold or from a mold set where the front and back
halves were interchangeable to allow multiple variants of the same basic
part to be cast.
Does anyone know who made stuff like this in the 60's? The combination
of 6-bolt block and narrow-pattern Toploader would have fit only a very
small window in the Ford production output. Does anyone have any good
suggestions for (a) a simple test to determine whether or not this is a
magnesium part and (b) basic cleaning and protection of such? It's going
to be under the car so it's not essential that it be shiny, but I would
like to keep it from eroding away due to occasional exposure to rain and
crap on the roads.
Also: Previously I'd intended to use an Ansen cast steel scattershield
for this project, but as it turns out, the left side of the bellhousing
has a kick-out in front of the clutch fork opening that interferes with
the header collector, and I'm unwilling to either cut up the header or
the scattershield. If anyone wants an Ansen scattershield (six bolt
block/dual pattern toploader, large bearing retainer hole), I can send
you pictures. Just keep in mind that the shipping for this 30 pound plus
monster will not be cheap.
Best regards,
Theo
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