could use somw help with this, tryed doing this with a magnetic base and a 1' dial indicator..
problem was there were to many pcs to fit in the opening of the bellhousing...I've looked at the different sites, any suggestions on a easier way?
double ball jointed indicator arm with tension locks and magnetic base and used it on the lakewood bell with a full size gauge. That base has made many measureing jobs infinitly easier. I would give you the name and source but it's back at home in CO and I'am gone for the winter. If memory serves I got it through ENCO and it's a japan brand name. Should be available at any machine tool supply. Mike
don't want to sound like an idiot, but can you explain to me what indexing a bell housing is? and why it is done? go easy on me guys i'm new to this stuff!
a bell housing, especially a stamped steel one like a LW
October 30 2008, 9:48 AM
will never line the transmission up into the center of the crank if you just bolt it up.
TO correctly get manual trans to have the shaft dead straight so it spins nice an smooth with out vibration or holding the clutch disk askew (causing chatter), the bell housing mounding hole is centered over the middle of the crank by using offset dowel pins. These are adjusted to get the alignment perfect, then the housing is bolted to the block.
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1967 FE 390GT engine: 416 CID 233/238* @ 0.050 Solid Lifter w/ 4 spd TL.
1968 GT/CS Mustang. 289/c4
1995 Mercedes e320 I6 DOHC, 216 HP wagon.
2003 Tundra SR5, 4.7 DOHC, 4x4.
Another Galaxie (one day.)
Oh and a Bicycle - daily driver to save gas for the 'F'un 'E'xcursions.
Well, as they say 'never say never'. I didn't need to index my Lakewood when I......
October 30 2008, 10:08 AM
.......first installed it (it was new then, early 80's) on my LR/CO block and again when I moved it to my TP/SO. It seems the older LW housing may have been truer than the present day ones. I agree it is necessary to index them in a majority of cases, Rod.
Rod, this agrees with what my engine builder mentioned. He's in his 60's and has been doing it for 40+ years. We checked 3 FE Lakewood bellhousings and they were all off by a considerable amount. He said the quality control has gone south with many of the suppliers due to cost cutting. The older ones were more accurate. Not sure if the new ones come from overseas either. Being the perfectionist he is, he welded up around the hole on mine and remachined it to blueprint specs. Yeah, I know it voids the warranty, but he had to cut away part of the flange to clear the headers anyways. Fits perfect now.
have been out that I have dialed in. For tolerance, up to .006 is within acceptable limits. Most make .007 .014 .021 offset pins to bring them back into alignment. When you check it, say if it is a total of .030 out which I have seen more often then not, you would cut that in 1/2 and us the .014 pin to bring it within .002 as an example.
68 Cougar XR7 street and strip car, 428 4-speed, 3560# of fun, new best 10.43@131.2 1.47 60 ft
Don't use the base that comes with the dial indicator
October 30 2008, 5:09 PM
I had the same problem. There was no way the base that came with the dial indicator and all it's arms was going to work. I just fabricated a piece of ridgid steel that I secured under one of the flywheel bolts. I then used a small bolt and nut to bolt the dial indicator to the other end of my homemade bracket. It worked like a charm.
Here ya go Jon. Here's a few threads addressing some of the other issues we hit the other day, i.e., bolts and cleaning up any burrs and or paint on mating surfaces. Hope this helps. Check out the last link I've posted for the part# for the bolts that'll fit the flange to block area.
