Bellhousing...Please Help!

[moose]

So, I've got a '79 Monte that i'm converting to manual with a Muncie. Based on the info from the Garage Scene: http://www.garage-scene.com/t5-into-ag- ... ousing.htm , I decide to order the Lakewood 15015. I'm on the phone with a Jegs tech and he tells me that's the wrong one, he says i need the 15000, which i'm skeptical about. The tech says i can use the 15015 but it will rotate the transmission 15 degrees. I then notice that the bellhousing info on Garage scene is for a T-5.

Does anyone out there know for sure that a Lakewood 15015 will work with a Muncie in a '79 A body? If so, what effect does the rotation of the transmission have? Is there another/better option?

 

[clean8485]

The mid "80's to early '90's GM V8 F bodies (Camaro & Firebird), used a T5 transmission that was offset 15 degrees from the vertical. If you're going to use that style of transmission, you SHOULD use the proper bellhousing to mount that transmission so that the shifter handle is oriented correctly. I've seen some people use a standard bellhousing, but then the shift lever is oriented on an angle towards the passenger side of the car, and you have to come up with a solution for that. If you're using the Muncie, you SHOULD be able to use a standard bellhousing, but keep in mind that the A/G body cars that came from the factory with a manual transmission used a clutch fork that was bent downwards to mate with the factory style clutch linkage. I believe that there are several companies that sell reproduction style manual trans conversion kits for these cars. If I'm not mistaken there is a company called The Muscle Factory that carries one such kit. I hope this helps you out.

 

[85_SS]

Looking at the pic if the 15015 on the garage scene site, it is drilled for both a straight up and canted mounting. If yours is also like this, then just mount it straight up and you are set.

 

[moose]

If you're using the Muncie, you SHOULD be able to use a standard bellhousing, but keep in mind that the A/G body cars that came from the factory with a manual transmission used a clutch fork that was bent downwards to mate with the factory style clutch linkage. I believe that there are several companies that sell reproduction style manual trans conversion kits for these cars. If I'm not mistaken there is a company called The Muscle Factory that carries one such kit. I hope this helps you out.

I'm planning on using a Muncie i've already purchased, along with the pedals and linkage I bought from muclecars.com. I also have a lakewood bellhousing i inheirited, the problem is the clutch fork. I'm sure you're aware that GM has run out of these rare forks, and when i see one on ebay they're at least $200-300.

 

[clean8485]

Does the Musclecars.com kit not come with a clutch fork? Seems to me that it should.

 

[moose]

Does the Musclecars.com kit not come with a clutch fork? Seems to me that it should.

Comes with everything but the fork and bellhousing. This is the case with all other conversion kits i've come across except for this guy: http://imageevent.com/weirtonspeedandmarine/swap

By the time I found this site, I had everything except, fork and bell. I did get a reply from a tech at lakewood today. Part number 15015 for 82-83 f-body does work with Muncie, Sagnisaw(spell?), and T-5 trannys. Only the T-5 will be offset 15 degrees. The guy at Jegs didn't know what he was talking about and was determined to sell me the wrong bellhousing, with his guarantee that it would work...*ss.