Bellhousing
- Thread starter giper24
- Start date
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.
65fastbackresto
Active Member
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.
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.
65fastbackresto
Active Member
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.
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.
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
15 Year Member
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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