Re: 1940 160 Super 8 Bell Housing question

Posted by HH56 On 2018/11/29 10:49:24

Parts lists several rear mounts but essentially one used for seniors and another for juniors. Nothing appears to be different for the various clutch and bellhousing combos.

From what I understand transmissions used the same case and were the same overall size for all. Difference being that senior cars with the super engine had a larger diameter input shaft and clutch plate. Both were slightly smaller for junior cars.

Someone more familiar with prewar blocks will have to say if bellhousings were interchangeable between blocks but if that is the case I wonder if possibly someone had to change a transmission. If bellhousings will interchange it might be that a junior trans and clutch assy including bellhousing was all that could be found and was bolted up to the larger engine with the overall length being different.

The actual input shaft diameters are posted somewhere in other threads if you want to do a search but as I recall the senior shaft is well over an inch -- maybe about 1 1/8" and the junior is right at 1" or slightly less. If you have the trans out you might check that the proper assy is in the car.