Hello folks,
While I have about made up my mind about a glitch, I know this forum will have someone with opinions I may nit have considered.

I pulled out my existing slant six/cast iron bellhousing/3 speed combo from my 3 on the column '64 d100 truck in preparation to slide in a new engine wih the aluminum OD 833 4 speed and its bellhousing. OOOPS. Something I had noticed before while laying underneath is NOT going to work easily.

The truck old bellhousing has two "hips", one on each side, that sit on a cross member that is somewhat U-shaped. The bellhousing looks like the one for an early poly 318. Unlike what I read in this forum about car crossmembers, the truck cross member does NOT touch the tranny or support it, in fact the existing tranny has no support other than the bolts holding it to the bellhousing.

Problem with the swap is the 833OD bellhousing has NO "hips" thus is not supported by trhge present crossmember, and the 833 tranny is twice as long or more, including tailhousing, as the existing 3 speed. In other words, if just slid in, the engine, bellhousing, and 833 will be supported only by the pair of front engine mounts. Obviously tghat won't do!

Now, I can create support that bridges the chassis and lets the bellhousing rest on it, and not create a tranny mount, or I can create an across-the-frame bridge for the tranny mount to sit on, or create both, or punt and take the iron bellhousing and have it drilled for the 5 1/8 Input retainer, or put a 4.80 retainer on the 833 tranny.

What would you all do? Seems the easiest thing would be to change input bearing retainers, but I don't know if the bolt pattern to the tranny is the same with 5 1/8 as the smaller retainers.

rock
'64d100

If the retainer fits, that is ehat I would do, but a crossmember to the tranny mount would be a close second.

I would make a crossmember to support the rear of the 833.
DD

I'm with Doug. I'd be glad to consult more in person if you want to get together again. I've built a couple of custom X-members now...

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

The OD bellhousing is aluminum, isn't it? I don't think I'd want to put that kind of load on it if it is.
I would vote for the new crossmember.

BTW, it sounds like your truck is going to pick up a couple tenths just from getting rid of all that iron...

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