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  • 1965 - 1973 Classic Mustangs -General/Talk-
  • Classic Mustang Specific Tech

Bellhousing

  • Thread starter Thread starter giper24
  • Start date Start date Jul 12, 2007
G

giper24

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Feb 14, 2007
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#1
  • Jul 12, 2007
  • #1
has anyone ever heard of a 5 bolt to c4 transmission bellhousing
 
D

D.Hearne

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Jul 12, 2007
#2
  • Jul 12, 2007
  • #2
They would have been on the very earliest C-4's and as such will now be classified as "rare as hen's teeth" today.
 

rbohm

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Apr 12, 2002
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Jul 12, 2007
#3
  • Jul 12, 2007
  • #3
have i heard of one, yes, have i seen one no. you will find them on 64 and early 65 289's and 260's. i think there is or was an aftermarket manufacturer that cast up a few new C4 bells for the 5 bolt block, but i cant for the life of me remember who it was.
 
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giper24

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Jul 13, 2007
#4
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #4
I hear that the early falcons had a 5bolt to c4 trans can anyone back me up on that.
 
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D.Hearne

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#5
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #5
Anything's possible, and worth a look to see. After 40+ years, you never know what's been replaced in a vehicle since new.
 

65fastbackresto

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Apr 13, 2007
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Jul 13, 2007
#6
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #6
Heres the deal

I actually just got done investigating this very issue cause my old C-4 is the 5 bolt type. 5 bolt bellhousing only use 5 bolts to bolt directly to the engine. They stopped making 5 bolts around 1967 or 68. The newer c-4`s use 6 bolts to bolt to the motor, and did all the way until they stopped making them i`m geussing around 1982.

I got this info from a guy thats been running a tranny shop for long time, I hope its right. He wouldn`t rebuild my old c-4 cause he couldn`t find the parts or the bellhousing to convert it to a v-8 bellhousing.
 
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giper24

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Jul 13, 2007
#7
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #7
Well my im gonna go check out my local junk yard today and see what i can find thanks for all the help
 
G

giper24

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Feb 14, 2007
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Jul 13, 2007
#8
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #8
well right before i was walking out my door to go to the junk yard i got a call from my dad and we found a 5 bolt to c4 transmisson bellhousing some guy in the middle of no where texas has 2 of them
 

65fastbackresto

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Apr 13, 2007
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Jul 13, 2007
#9
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #9
If you have a 289 motor

You need to look at the back of it, make sure you need the 5 bolt housing before you buy it. Those older motors are getting kinda rare.
 

rbohm

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Apr 12, 2002
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Jul 13, 2007
#10
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #10
65fastbackresto said:
I actually just got done investigating this very issue cause my old C-4 is the 5 bolt type. 5 bolt bellhousing only use 5 bolts to bolt directly to the engine. They stopped making 5 bolts around 1967 or 68. The newer c-4`s use 6 bolts to bolt to the motor, and did all the way until they stopped making them i`m geussing around 1982.

I got this info from a guy thats been running a tranny shop for long time, I hope its right. He wouldn`t rebuild my old c-4 cause he couldn`t find the parts or the bellhousing to convert it to a v-8 bellhousing.
Click to expand...

the 5 bolt bells were eliminated in mid 1965 as a running change. the 6 bolt bell ran through 1996 with the end of production of the pushrod V8 small block ford engines. however i think you are talking about a six cylinder bellhousing, and that is a different animal, BUT the basic C4 trans is the same in so far as rebuild parts go. the bell bolts to the C4 trans, so you can swap any C4 trans behind any ford engine, as long as you have the right bellhousing.
 

dennis112

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May 15, 2005
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Jul 13, 2007
#11
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #11
The 6 cylinder ALSO went from a 5 bolt block/bellhousing to a 6 bolt block/bellhousing in mid 1965. I've had both in the 200ci flavor. The 65' and early 170's were all 5 bolts. Neither of these bellhousings are compatible with the early or late V8's which had a different spread on the bolts. Any of these bells should bolt onto any Mustang C4.
 
B

Blu-Steel

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Dec 29, 2006
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Jul 13, 2007
#12
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #12
I ran into this too and it caused me lots of trouble. I had a 66 six cyinder with auto, but it had a 65 six cylinder rebuilt engine in it. I also had an old 66 six cylinder engine that I had bolted a toploder to. It worked great but the car was rusted bad so I decided to change out my automtic in the good car with th toploader. That's when I found out my 66 Toploader with a 6 bolt bellhousing did not mate up to my 65 five bolt block. I was not happy! I knew that Ford switched to 6 bolts bellhousings and blocks in 1966 but now I always verify which engine is actually in the car in case someone switched it out.
 

rbohm

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#13
  • Jul 13, 2007
  • #13
actually dennis small six ford bells came in a few different flavors.

high mount starter small bell, used through the mid 70's

high mount starter big bell used from 1967 through 1980

low mount starter 250 block, used on all 250's and was the same pattern as the 6 bolt small block ford bell

low mount starter big bell 200, used starting in 1980 and ran through the end of small block six production in 1983. this one also has a 6 bolt bell pattern, and will sort of interchange with the small block ford. the top two bolts are lower and wider apart on the bellhousing due to the 200's shorter deck height.

starting in 1967 ford used a dual pattern block so that the small bell and big bell high starter mounts can be used on the same block as needed.

that said, the big ford six changed bolt patterns with the small block ford in 1965, also as a running change.
 
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giper24

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Jul 21, 2007
#14
  • Jul 21, 2007
  • #14
well i just got the bellhouseing today = ) and it fits great thanks for all the help guys
 
D

D.Hearne

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Jul 22, 2007
#15
  • Jul 22, 2007
  • #15
rbohm said:
the 6 bolt bell ran through 1996 with the end of production of the pushrod V8 small block ford engines
Click to expand...
I guess you forgot that the 5.0 was produced another 5 years and installed in the Explorers, Mountaineers and marine applications thru 2001.
 
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