Cutting the Lakewood Bellhousing

priobe · #1 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 12:57 PM

I am thinking of cutting my bellhousing. The tranny sits in the frame well. I am able to remove the tranny from the bottom with the bellhousing attached.

The ground clearance will give me a maybe a 1 in or so.

Why is it that some people cut the housing?

Also, what do you use to cut the housing.

blykins · #2 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 12:58 PM

A lot of Cobra owners cut the Lakewoods for extra ground clearance.

Keep in mind that it voids the SFI rating.

Quicktime makes bellhousings without the bottom flange specifically for this reason.

Just use a cutoff wheel....mark a line and go at it.

Excaliber · #3 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:13 PM

I went to Walmart and bought a 110 volt hand held right angle grinder. Then I bought some cutting/grinding wheels (thin) for metal work. It went surprisingly well. Use a straight and a good marking pen to get as straight a cut as you can.

WOW! I love that extra inch. I can go over most any speed bump now. I actually broke my rear trans mount from hitting speed bumps before, so it's a great and needed modification.

I did mine laying under the car with it jacked up, plenty sparks.

priobe · #4 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:22 PM

Wow, this sounds like a needed mod.

Are there anyone that did not do this mod?

Excaliber · #5 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:25 PM

Lot's of people, thats where I got the idea! Right here on Club Cobra. Funny thing was, I was searching for information about clutch chatter when I came across this reference about broken tranny mounts. Which in turn referenced cutting the bell housing!

When I went to cut the bell housing THATS when I discovered the broken tranny mount and then realized THAT was what was causing my clutch chatter!

Is this forum great or what?

priobe · #6 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:28 PM

I gues I might do the mod, so that I dont regret it later.

Damn, right when you think your done!

Excaliber · #7 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Damn, right when you think your done!

Man I HEAR that!!! Four years and thousands of miles later I'm STILL getting things dialed in!

Dwight · #8 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:42 PM

I used a Portable band saw. No sparks

Dwight

Excaliber · #9 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:44 PM

...must have been hell rigging up that band saw under the car sitting on jack stands.

priobe · #10 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:48 PM

Would this do the trick?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47840

DAVID GAGNARD · #11 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by priobe

Would this do the trick?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=47840

With the bellhousing off, it should, installed in the car, I dunno.......

This will, I bought one years ago when they were 19.95 for a project, thinking afterwards if it died, I would have gotten my money's worth and thrown it away. Now 4 or 5 years later and many projects and 3 boxes of grinding/cutting disc/wheels it is still going strong...................

Power Tools
91222-0VGA

$27.99 at Harbor Freight

David

Excaliber · #12 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:53 PM

The grinder I bought (PLENTY SPARKS) was about $50. The portable band saw thingy does look a little unwieldy depending on if you have a lift, etc. Might want to buy a second blade as well, possible binding could lead to breakage of the band?

priobe · #13 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 01:56 PM

Well the tranny is out of the car, I am freshing it up.

So I have the bell in hand. I just would have to remove the flywheel to get to the back plate

Dwight · #14 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:01 PM

I have a drive on stand that is 13" high. We have cut 4 or 5 bellhousing with the Portable band saw. Very easy, takes maybe 10 to 15 minutes max.

Dwight

Excaliber · #15 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:13 PM

I really like my little grinder! It's been SO handy for so many other little projects. I think the band saw is a good idea, but not doesn't serve as many varied projects as a small grinder would.

What the heck, buy both, we know you get more money next month so your not fooling us.

Thats what my wife used to tell me, "Were not broke, you know we get more money next month."

Dwight · #16 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:16 PM

The two power tools that I use the most in my shop are the 4" grinder and the bandsaw. Next would be the mig welder.
Could not do with out them.

Dwight

Argess · #17 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:24 PM

II used a mini-grinder with a cut-off wheel. Did it from under the car. It was a long time ago, but if I remember right, at points, I had to angle the grinder slightly. A mini-bandsaw would be hard to handle from underneath.

Used a grinding wheel on the mini-grinder after that to smooth things out.

Wear a full face shield if under the car. Safety glasses don't always work well when you can't point your nose directly at the source of sparks, eetc.

fkemmerer · #18 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by priobe

I am thinking of cutting my bellhousing. The tranny sits in the frame well. I am able to remove the tranny from the bottom with the bellhousing attached.

The ground clearance will give me a maybe a 1 in or so.

Why is it that some people cut the housing?

Also, what do you use to cut the housing.

Reason to cut the housing is for ground clearance. The bottom flange on the housing and the blow plate are usually the lowest point on the bottom of these cars. The metal is very hard but it cab be cut with a cutoff wheel. If you do this, you need to be patient. It took me about an hour to modify the Lakewood bellhousing for my ERA cobra.

- Fred

CCX 33239 · #19 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 03:09 PM

If I drag the bottom of my bellhousing, I'll have a lot worse problems than a broken transmission mount.

Bob

elmariachi · #20 (**permalink**) 10-06-2009, 03:43 PM

I took mine to a machine shop and asked them to remove the bottom edge up to the curve. They were so enamored with it going on a Cobra they took me back, strapped it and the blockplate down on the mill and removed the material while we stood around and talked cars. Cost me $0, looks clean and its perfectly straight.