Bell housing

[Nick Lotito]

I have a 1959 corvette with the wrong bell housing. Iam running a 350 chev with a 11" clutch. I picked up a 1959 bell housing that I want to swap.

Will the orginal bell housing work OK with the 350, the 350 starter bolts to the block the 283 starter bolts to the bell housing I have a 14" fly wheel that I am now using with the 350.

Will a 11" clutch clear the inside of the 283 bell housing?

Thanks for your time. Nick

[Mike Cobine]

Re: Bell housing

I'm pretty sure it won't although I seem to remember receiving a big block with one on it. In the standard fully enclosed aluminum bellhousings of later years, those for a 12 inch flywheel (10-1/2 in clutch) will not work with a 14 inch. They are wide enough (all SBC the same width.) but they don't extend low enough on bottom.

Since you have a two piece in '59, you could leave the lower cover off, but you have more problems.

Since the starter is bellhousing mounted, the starter is set for a 12 inch flywheel and won't fit with a 14 inch flywheel. I'm pretty sure there isn't enough room to block mount the starter with the '59 bellhousing.

You will also need a different starter to use the '59 bellhousing.

Cheapest option is to stay the way you are.

To look right, you need a 12 inch flywheel, a 10 or 10-1/2 inch clutch, and a bellhousing-mounted starter to go with your '59 bellhousing.

Since with a 350 you probably aren't judging the car anyway, I'd stay the way it is and set the '59 bellhousing and other parts on the shelf for that day you decide to restore all of it. It works, it runs, and you are driving it, so have fun.

PS. When I first wrote this, the thoughts of one on a BBC made me doubt my answer, so I ran over to the storage and measured one. The 14 inch flywheel will fit inside the cast iron two-piece bellhousing, but it makes contact with the starter shaft. Obviously, the starter couldn't engage its gear and the flywheel would wear all its teeth off when running. So, no, you can't use the 14 inch flywheel.