Bellhousing alignment dowel missing...What to do?

[Grubby]

Not a Cobra question, but close enough.

I am helping a friend put a clutch in his old truck. It is a FE. One of the alignment dowels in the back of the block is missing and the hole has been drilled to the point it will not hold a replacement dowel.

There is not room to get a straight shot with a drill to try and drill a straight hole. I see we have two options to fix this truck;
1. put in the new clutch and attempt to use a dial indicator to center the bellhousing, then tighten everything up. I am not sure if it will move due to the engine torque or not.

2. Remove the engine, braze the hole shot and have a machine shop redrill the hole. Obviously removing the engine is a hassle.

What do you engine experts say? Barry, Keith and others?

John

[redmt]

Try a longer dowel all the way to the bottom of the hole and/or try a shouldered bolt or two either side of the dowel. With one of the dowels still in place you shouldnt have too much trouble finding a happy sweet spot.

[cobrakiwi]

Can you fit a shorten drill bit in a right angle adapter on the end of the drill? If you have room for that then I would make sure the bell is center, tighten all the bell bolts and drill the dowel hole the next size up to clean and make a good straight hole. Then have a new dowel made up and tap it home. Can you loosen the engine mounts a little so the engine can hang down a little at the back to give a better angle at the dowel hole?
Good luck.

[Excaliber]

...old truck

Thats the key word, them old Ford trucks never die. Just "go with it", dowels are over rated. Line 'er up as best you can (here, hold my beer) and then tighten down the bell housing bolts real good.

[Bill Bess]

Don't the bellhousing bolts line up the housing? If it's made it this long without the dowel pins..its most likely OK.
I got your beer...but I'm going to drink it while your tightening those bolts.

[Barry_R]

I'm with Excal on this one. Line it up, check if its close, and go driving. The longer dowel/shouldered bolt idea ain't a bad one. I would not get too awfully stressed out.

[vector1]

no expert but makes me wonder what made the dowel disappear in the first place. i would get it as close as possible then bolt it together, if there was a concern about movement and possible you could put a roll pin in somewhere. check the pilot bearing.

[Chaplain]

I would measure the current size of the dowel pin hole then buy a reamer just large enough to clean it up. Then I would make a new dowel pin to tap into the block and use the same reamer to size the hole in the bell housing as well. You might find a drill where the shank is just the right diameter you're looking for. Don't do a half assed job. I've spent the last two years correcting dumb stuff the guy I bought my car from. It takes just as much time and only a few more dollars to do things right.

[stengun]

Originally Posted by Excaliber

Thats the key word, them old Ford trucks never die. Just "go with it", dowels are over rated. Line 'er up as best you can (here, hold my beer) and then tighten down the bell housing bolts real good.

+1. Too funny

Paul

[RICK LAKE]

Grubby Time sert the hole and use a new bolt to screw into it. Cut the head off and you have a new dowel pin. Make sure you check the bellhousing to be centered on the back of the block and crank. Yes I have done this before, work fine. Rick L. P.s Use the bell housing as a guide to drill the hole out.