5bolt bellhousings? 289 Ford

Tongue Pirate · #1 (**permalink**) 03-25-2001, 06:07 AM

David or anyone with that elusive answer,

I recently purchased a 64' 289 shorblock. I would like to find a High Performance 5-bolt bellhousing for it. Does anyone make an aftermarket piece? I cannot find any listings for such an animal anywhere? I am told that there are some original Cobra housings out there with usually high price tags. I am not into purity to an extent beyond my means. What I'm trying to say is that I would like to keep my legs if something is to go wrong down there between the trans & the motor but I would like to reasonally be able to afford it.

Thanks!

David Kee · #2 (**permalink**) 03-25-2001, 08:46 AM

I have not seen anything except for the high price original items. Most of the guys that use the five bolt blocks use the stock bellhousing and hope for the best. Not Me.

Tongue Pirate · #3 (**permalink**) 03-26-2001, 03:59 PM

David,
For a high performance street car would a stock housing be really unsafe? I don't plan on doing any track time. My main objective is to get the car registered in California as a 1964 to avoid the smog police forever & to have a 64' titled Cobra.

Thanks...

David Kee · #4 (**permalink**) 03-26-2001, 07:14 PM

If you do use a factory bellhousing try to use SFI approved clutch components including the flywheel. They will stay together much better than rebuilt clutches.
I have some pictures on my desk of a friends car that exploded a clutch I need to add to my website. He used a cast iron flywheel, rebuilt clutch and parts store disc. Thank god he had a Lakewood bellhousing. When it let loose it wasted the hat on the pressure plate, shattered the cast pressure ring, cracked the flywheel, knocked the ring gear off, cracked the block (427 SO), and ruined the Lakewood bellhousing. All of this happened at about 5000 RPM between first and second.
He told me he wanted to go ahead and use these parts to try and save a little money.

Tongue Pirate · #5 (**permalink**) 03-27-2001, 12:55 AM

Thank you for the info!

Tongue Pirate · #6 (**permalink**) 11-06-2001, 01:43 PM

What about one of these guards? Are they helpful? What about using a a safety blanket? Or fabricating some form of scatter shield?

David Kee · #7 (**permalink**) 11-08-2001, 09:08 AM

I have seen them used typically for automatics. It is a ring gear shield. It will not contain the pressure ring or disc if one of them scatters. I guess a blanket would be better than nothing. I imagine it would be difficult to manufacture one custom bellhousing.

CobraEd · #8 (**permalink**) 11-08-2001, 09:22 AM

Interesting to note that the good scattershields also have a steel plate between the flywheel and the block to protect the block as well as the people.

Ed

csx700? · #9 (**permalink**) 04-29-2003, 07:16 PM

you might want to try a"RAM"or a "ilton"multiple plate clutch assmbly.the diameters of these units are around 6 inches and have a low rotating mass,they also use a flexplate rather than a flywheel (it's used for the ring gear only).the clutch assembly bolts directly to the crank shaft flange.there are a number of vintage racers that use this setup.if you go to www.ramclutches.com and look up their "assault weapon" system .

NeedAntiVenom · #10 (**permalink**) 04-30-2003, 05:52 AM

Hyde,

FWIW, take Davids advice - use a Lakewood. Also keep in mind that the Lakewood must be modified (cut on the bottom a little) to fit the FIA. In most cars the flywheel/clutch rotation plane is ahead of you - if it blows there is not much risk of injury. In a cobra it is set very far back.

Peter, a.k.a. "the pied piper of cash" can sort it out for you. I overshot my budget for a Cobra by a "little" too.

DarkHorse has a 5 bolt adapter that may work.

http://www.darkhorseperformance.com/...___Clutch.html

Who is doing your engine?

Regards,

Jim

Tongue Pirate · #11 (**permalink**) 04-30-2003, 11:40 AM

I have a short block already built. I'll probably just finish it off & do any mods myself. I haven't really decided yet though. Maybe when I get to that part financially

V8er · #12 (**permalink**) 10-21-2014, 04:06 PM

Anyone know the part# or casting# on the 5-bolt steel "COBRA" bellhousing, have pics of one, OR know of one available? You can email or PM, if you'd rather. THANKS!

*13* · #13 (**permalink**) 10-21-2014, 04:21 PM

They pop up on ebay, every once in a while. Saw two, this last year. Ansen also made one, mine is this.

V8er · #14 (**permalink**) 10-21-2014, 06:31 PM

Thanks, 13!

bl5211a · #15 (**permalink**) 12-09-2020, 03:59 PM

I believe quick time bell housings makes a 289 5 bolt housing for the top loader .
Luke

incoming · #16 (**permalink**) 12-14-2020, 04:51 PM

Wow, twenty years old.

A drill and a grinder. Mine has the bottom ground off.

Mark IV · #17 (**permalink**) 12-14-2020, 05:32 PM

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/q...ford/year/1963

Not all Quicktime bells are SFI rated but the construction is the same, our understanding they do not want to pay the costs of SFI ratings on low volume housings. A QT is ALWAYS more "true" than a Lakewood......made by the same people! Go figure.................

CompClassics · #18 (**permalink**) 12-14-2020, 08:43 PM

Google QuickTime clutch explosion, their bell housings could hardly come close to a hydro- formed Lakewood bell housing.

blykins · #19 (**permalink**) 12-15-2020, 10:19 AM

They most certainly will and then some.

There is no comparison between a Lakewood and a QT in terms of quality and manufacturing.

FWIW, even the non-SFI QT bells will pass testing, but in order to be SFI approved, they have to be bolted around the perimeter.