tight clutch pedal

[cny78]

Am thinking I either need to get the correct housing & fork to mate with linkage as is, or adapt linkage to fit. But as you suggest, don't want to foul up the physics in the process. Changing rod position on the zbar along with altering its length might cause big problems.

 

[cny78]

I have had several 697 bell housings over the years. They all had the same figure 8 shaped casting on the inside of the housing.
I converted one to lower the pivot stud to the proper position.
I machined an aluminum plug to fill the pivot stud hole. I Tig welded it on both sides. Then I milled the rear face of the Bell and the aluminum casting on the inside. Then I drilled a new hole in the lower position. I had to also mill the recess for the pivot stud and finally tapped it. It is labor intensive but yields a factory style bell housing. I might do another over the winter.

So then your modification makes the converted housing workable with the curved fork and therefore mates with 78 gbody linkage?

 

[Bonnewagon]

Pagrunt- is the fork curved to clear the A/G body floor pan or because the ball stud is offset? (just for my own info) As far as I know there is no curved fork for BOP models. Or is there?

 

[gnvair]

This is the 697 bell housing with the higher location. It's interesting to see a 621 cast into the lower section of the casting.

 

[pagrunt]

can another fork be used to correct the problem or must the housing be modified as mentioned above?

There is no other fork to be able to correct. Modifying a double ball stud housing to the A/G position & using the correct curved fork would be the best fix.

A long shot but your bearing may be meant for a Muncie instead of the Saginaw.

Muncie, Saginaw, & B/W all would be using the bearing. The front bearing reatiner shaft O.D. are the same.

Pagrunt- is the fork curved to clear the A/G body floor pan or because the ball stud is offset? (just for my own info) As far as I know there is no curved fork for BOP models. Or is there?

Yes the curved fork & dropped ball stud are to clear the floor. The curved fork is used with the B.O.P. 563441 bellhousing for our cars. I do not know if the B.O.P. bellhousings have same double ball stud boss like some later Chevy ones. That might be one thing to check on a B.O.P. site since by the time our cars were made only Firebirds were the only "traditional RWD" B.O.P. with a clutch, possible the X-body cars might of had them too.

 

[fleming442]

Sounds like a complete Charley Foxtrot. Remind me not to try this....

 

[Bonnewagon]

The curved fork is used with the B.O.P. 563441 bellhousing for our cars.

I did not know that. I guess the Buick 231 would be the only source for one of those. I used a late 60's Pontiac OHC-6 housing that I scored completely by accident at Englishtown swap meet. With a straight Firebird fork it fit the Bonnewagon perfectly. Go figure.

 

[gnvair]

I did not know that. I guess the Buick 231 would be the only source for one of those. I used a late 60's Pontiac OHC-6 housing that I scored completely by accident at Englishtown swap meet. With a straight Firebird fork it fit the Bonnewagon perfectly. Go figure.

The 79 Lemans, Grand Am and Grand Prix were available with the 301 4 speed combo. Probably one of the rarest of the manual transmission A bodies though.

 

[cny78]

I have had several 697 bell housings over the years. They all had the same figure 8 shaped casting on the inside of the housing.
I converted one to lower the pivot stud to the proper position.
I machined an aluminum plug to fill the pivot stud hole. I Tig welded it on both sides. Then I milled the rear face of the Bell and the aluminum casting on the inside. Then I drilled a new hole in the lower position. I had to also mill the recess for the pivot stud and finally tapped it. It is labor intensive but yields a factory style bell housing. I might do another over the winter.

gnvair..I'm interested in your conversation of a 697 bellhousing to get the stud hole in the lower position. You said labor intensive. If you don't mind sharing, how many hours we talking about? Was it a difficult job? I don't weld but am thinking I'll get someone around here to duplicate your plan. How was the milling done? Let me ask, do you have a bellhousing worked over that you would sell? I believe the only way I'll keep the 11" clutch and get proper linkage movement in my gbody is with a bell housing that can use a curved fork which needs the pivot in the lower spot. I've seen 697s for sale, but only the ones with a high stud. The one I need, lower stud placement, is super rare. I'm getting desperate.

 

[pagrunt]

I did not know that. I guess the Buick 231 would be the only source for one of those. I used a late 60's Pontiac OHC-6 housing that I scored completely by accident at Englishtown swap meet. With a straight Firebird fork it fit the Bonnewagon perfectly. Go figure.

Besides the 301's as gnvair stated, the Olds 260 with the T50 (and any other Olds backed by a 4 speed) would have the same bellhousing/fork as the 231. There should be some 563441's still out there for the non Chevy engines.