NV4500 mechanical bellhousing

[ODdave]

I know alot of you guys like the NV4500's around here and for good reason. One draw back to the swap into a cucv or any older truck for that mater is the hydrollic bellhousing and that the first generation chevy ones are weak and tend to crack. Well moving things around in the garage I had an idea.

I came across an old lakewood bellhousing that I really didnt have a use for so I figured what the ****. After a few mesurments and a little welding (to build up the area around the bolts) an a little machining I came up with this.

Ita a MUCH STRONGER than the stock aluminum bellhousing that fits the early style NV4500 that is capable of using a mechanical clutch. I also made did a second set of mounting holes to "correct" the trans if you where to use it behind a chevy adapter behind a cummins.

Thought this might be usefull info to you guys that like to fab. These old bells can be found from the old school racers and made to suit us.

 

[Tanner]

Nice work!

'tanner'

 

[Kasper31]

OD
Great idea, I'll have to see if it'll work for my set up.
Kasper31


You can't wear it out looking at it, use it, if it breaks you found your limit

 

[spicergear]

I did that about 7 years ago when I put a 6.2 into my one M715. It was a Lakewood too. I kept running across slave cylinder bells and didn't want that. I forget exactly now...but I believe I had one or two factory bolt holes line up and then redrilled the large ear on the transmission to line up the others. Cast iron drills like butter anyway. Yep, great way to strengthen up the bell housing area and get the NV4500 in.

 

[FUBAR]

I wanted to do this but the lakewood is from a T5 that has a longer input shaft than the NV4500. I'd have to make a new block mounting ring, cut down the bell housing perfectly parallel to the existing ring plane and then weld a new ring on it. It's the cutting that I'm afraid wouldn't not align right and the input shaft would then hit the block at an angle. Any suggestions on how to proceed?