Purely theoretical question as I'm going Pinto to Type9 but I was just wondering on the theoretical possibility of making a bellhousing oneself.

We often have people asking how to connect engine X to gearbox Y and there's then a list of obscure parts from vans etc. listed. So what about a DIY job?

Two ways I can think of:

1) Casting it yourself from ali. I've done ali casting at school- wasn't too hard. The worst bit for a home user being sorting out the melting furnace I guess. The skill then coming in the making of the mould to pour the ali into.

2) A cut and shut made from steel plate: Get the front face from the bellhousing of your donor engine by cutting the 'ring' part of the bellhousing that bolts to the engine. Then take the back face of the bell from your gearbox donor.
Then, with appropriate use of a jig, join the two together using 5mm steel plates in such a way you get the bell shape you want.
Obviously the clutch lever will be an issue but maybe a hydraulic is the answer.

Anyway, just a thought during a long drive home the other night!

Cheers,
James

I would have thought that method 2 was the most common. You'd need access to a milling machine too to do it the first way.

Problems ofcourse arise if one bellhousing is ali and the other iron or steel. Then I guess you can just get a flange lasered up based on careful measurements.

It'd be interesting to undertake certainly
I'd agree with using a concentric hydraulic clutch release mechanism, adding a great big bulge in the side of the housing would be a pain.

I'd be concerned about strength - the bellhousing has to resist a hell of a lot of torque (roughly the same as the power being transmitted, but in the other direction, particularly during initial acceleration - I think).

Any flaws, internal cracks or design weaknesses would result in a VERY interesting experience for the occupants!

David

i put a york (transit deisel)engine into my landrover,made a bellhousing from 6mm(?) plate and it worked well,just a matter of lining it all up and having a welder capable of doin the job

Im with Dave J here, its subject to a lot of stresses and of course the vibration transmitted to all the components through normal road use is far greater than in any 'normal' tin top. On top of that you will need very accuarate jigging or machining to ensure it all lines up and doesnt run slightly out of alignment and put extra stresses on components that are already pretty well loaded.

Good idea in theory though Chris, i though about doing someting like that a couple of years ago. I think if its made out of thick steel plate isnt it going to have a weight penalty too?

James - you need to get out more

I agrre with jasper,it must be like being on benefit at your place of work or is it called place of shirk

I reckon you could make a frame up of 5x25mm strip and angle with the bolt holes in it then seam weld some 3mm plate round the frame to fill it in. Clutch actuation should be doable using original parts or hybrid hydraulics.
Rescued attachment bellhousing.jpg

Jasper,
Go play with a Teddy!

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Originally posted by bob
I agrre with jasper,it must be like being on benefit at your place of work or is it called place of shirk

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quote:

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Originally posted by Syd Bridge
I make 'em out of kevlar for a customer involved in drag racing in usa. Also done them out of carbon. Utmost care needed with fibre position though.

Syd.

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I thought my job was good

WHY do you want to make one when youre using a pinto and type 9?

Do you never want to finish the car?

Conrods idea sounds good ,make a plate to suit the engine and weld it on the front of the different gearbox ,I think some of these adaptors would even bolt on depending on bellhousing size, and where the bolt centres are exactly.

Just finish the car the quickest easiest way possible then you can drive round in it thinking up lots of great schemes Not to do.................cheers

Dave,

There's a couple of important parts to my post you seem to have overlooked:

quote:

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Originally posted by James
Purely theoretical question as I'm going Pinto to Type9

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Eh?

James

Theoreticaly you are just wasting time

Get in the garage and get on with it,oh and dont come back till you are finished

im with the 'can dos' on this, i think it is definately possible. I would take the two bells involved, pick the shortest and make up an adapter plate (the right thickness) to link the two bolt patterns. overlapping bolts would be skipped or bodged as approprioate. the alignment is the only problem. i would do something like cut a splined hole in the plate before marking up the bolt holes, then resting it on the input shaft. ideally the replacement gearbox would have the shorter bellhousing. assuming both gearboxes have the same input shaft dimensions!

Joel,

Now you're talking about something different - anyone with a reasonable bit of mechanical sense could probably work out an adaptor plate with a bit of mucking about.

That's not the same as making a whole bellhousing!

rgds,

David

well why make a whole bellhousing if the adapter plate would do?! dont tell me, i bet there are some times you cant use an adapter plate...

Sorry Pete but I'v just got to ask.

Is that a bellhousing from a VOLVO ?



Paul G