[Slick1725]

Has anyone tried to get ride of the Chevy 8 degree or so tilt by using a Lakewood ford 6bolt pattern bellhousing to a chevy manual trans like a SM465?

I mentioned this in a thread but i think the question / info was out of place.

I have gotten as far as calling Lakewood and then Novak Adapt. From what I have read on here the Ford 4bt dapter plates are the small block 6 bolt pattern setup. The lakewood product is listed as:

LAK - 77-205 Transmission adapters, Ford, 289/302/351 C/W, 6 Bolt Blocks, GM muncie/Saginaw, BW T-10.

The bore is 4.683 or something close "(number is not right in front of me). Novak Adapt opens the smaller chevy bellhousing bores from this to 5.000" and then cuts the input bearing retainer to 4.995. This should work on the lakewood unit as well.

The only other issue is a ford clutch and a chevy clutch plate but I have been told that is no big deal to order that combo.

My goal is to find a cheaper way to run a 4bt at 0 degrees with a chevy manual trans and not pay 1300 dollars.

 

[JimmieD]

I may be confused on your question, but on my swap the engine angle was a result of motor mounts, not adapter plate. I ended up making my own mounts and using all stock Dodge Cummins parts and it came out fine. My engine came out of a Chevy P30 stepvan that had a tilted engine.

 

[LincTex]

Novak Adapt opens the smaller chevy bellhousing bores from this to 5.000" and then cuts the FORD input bearing retainer to 4.995. This should work on the lakewood unit as well.

^That is to use a Ford trans with the chevy bell.....
you want to go the other way around.

A good machinist can machine a ring/spacer that would take up the slack between the smaller chevy trans retainer and the larger Ford bell bore.

 

[66gaza]

My goal is to find a cheaper way to run a 4bt at 0 degrees with a chevy manual trans and not pay 1300 dollars.

I am using a '96 up chevy NV4500 just swapped the I/P shaft and bell for a dodge one and therefore no tilt. This is a common swap.

Gaza

 

[Slick1725]

I may be confused on your question, but on my swap the engine angle was a result of motor mounts, not adapter plate. I ended up making my own mounts and using all stock Dodge Cummins parts and it came out fine. My engine came out of a Chevy P30 stepvan that had a tilted engine.

From what I have researched the Ford, Dodge, and SAE adapter plates are all setup with the engine running at 0 tilt. The chevy adapter plate was manufactured with a tilt towards the passengers side. If you want to run chevy transmissions you either live with it, tilt the tranny and adjust the motor mounts, or buy an adapter.

Tilting a chevy manual 2wd tranny should be fine. Tilting a chevy automatic would be a bad idea unless you verify good fluid pickup. YOur tranny pan would also be prone to leak while sitting since the fluid might be over the gasket line. In my case the transfer case is my limiting factor. I do not have room to rotate it to compensate for the tilt.

 

[Slick1725]

Originally Posted by Slick1725
Novak Adapt opens the smaller chevy bellhousing bores from this to 5.000" and then cuts the FORD input bearing retainer to 4.995. This should work on the lakewood unit as well.

^That is to use a Ford trans with the chevy bell.....
you want to go the other way around.

A good machinist can machine a ring/spacer that would take up the slack between the smaller chevy trans retainer and the larger Ford bell bore.

I may have misunderstood your comments but please do not quote me then change my information!

This is directly form Novak Adapt:
GM
As the reader will conclude, the Chevrolet and General Motors SM465 will marry directly to a GM style bellhousing. This includes Chevy car, Buick, Oldsmobile and Pontiac bellhousings. However, since this transmission has such a large bearing retainer, the car size bellhousing bore is smaller than the transmission's input bearing retainer. If you need to join this transmission to a GM bellhousing with the 4-11/16” bore, it can be done. The bore must be opened up to 5.000” and the retainer turned down to 4.995” as precision slip-fit. We can perform this service with a very quick turnaround, or you may have it done by a good machine shop local to you. We also sell new bearing retainers turned to the dimension you require.

 

[averagef250]

Why not just use a Ford T-19 or NP435? You don't have to buy all that expensive junk and I'll take a BW or NP over an SM465 anyday. Not a big fan of the guess-a-gear shifting top plate they have when they get a few miles on them.

If you're concerned with mating a GM t-case use a Ford 4x4 435. Have a GM NP205 housing bored to fit the Ford 31 spline input and redrilled to the Ford 6 bolt pattern.

It all bolts together, no adapters and the Ford 31 spline input is tenfold stronger than the GM 4 speed coarse spline stuff.

 

[Slick1725]

Reply to Averagef250

Evidently you are a Ford guy through and through. I am a chevy guy and could say the same things about Ford parts.

The point to the question was to find out if anyone has tried the idea in the original question not to find alternatives.

I already have a SM465 and GM np205 that I just rebuilt so that is what I will be using. I want to run the engine at 0 tilt with this setup.

I know there are many other options with different tranies and so on.

By the way do you have any data to back up the 10 spline to 31 comment. I do not know anyone who has snapped one. If we put them on a lab torque machine I would put my money on the 31 spline but I am talking real world. My used tranny had a twisted input shaft so I would make a bet the 10 spline is not the weak point (it used to be in a rock crawler).

 

[averagef250]

I don't care Ford or Chevy. I had a dodge/GM NV4500 in my Ford for awhile. Chevies used NP435's too. Yes, I have seen coarse spline shafts break. They're smaller diameter than a GM 32 spline, Dodge 29 spline or Ford 31 spline. I don't think a test would be necessary. Common sense could probably save us some trouble.

I just thought I'd offer a simple solution to your problem that would cost someone with access to machine tools next to nothing.

 

[Slick1725]

Didn't mean to strike a cord. Thanks for the original reply.

I think my idea will work with the stuff I have. I agree with the common sense and yes the fine spline shafts ultimately have shaft diameters that are larger and thus stronger all metalurgy held constant. I will not be rock crawling or towing super heavy loads so I feel like my setup will work fine.

I will refrain from the brand name comments