You're right Marty, but you skipped a beat in the middle and flipped back to flathead. We gotta stay focused on Y-Block Engine not flathead.

And here's where you are right:

If he can find a 48-52 Bell housing (clutch cover, flywheel cover combo) that will bolt up to his Y-block, that would work fine regarding putting a transmission on it - as long as he could align the clutch actuating shaft up with the new engine/bell housing forward or back. Remember with the rotating shaft you don't have any adjustment as you do with the fork type and long hook bolt.

Where you skipped a beat, is you reverted back to flathead engine with your picture - and of course you can put a 48-52 "Bell Housing" (actually a clutch cover and flywheel cover - which is the "Adaptor" you are refering to) on a flathead and put all different l kinds of transmissions on it. And, you can put a modern fork actuated later type bell housing on the flathead as is on the 53 Effie. And I think you and Kevin did the same thing - you guys keep flipping back to flathead engine. It all works with a flathead - both types of "bell housings" were made for Flatheads - not with a Y-block. So you are 100% correct IF you can get a 48-52 "Bell housing" (53 Flathead bell housing will not work - it has the modern fork type actuator) to bolt to a Y-block.

But he's wanting to install a Y-block not a flathead - he's got a flathead already. So, as you said what he would need is a Clutch cover/Flywheel cover off a 48-52 TRUCK that would bolt to a Y-block.

After you get that accomplished, trannys are a snap when it comes to bolting up to the engine.

But, Transmission Crossmember in the 48-52 is a different matter there though - as Ross pointed out.

But again, will the 48-52 Clutch parts in that rotating shaft bell housing fit on the Y-block flywheel - or do you use the flathead flywheel the clutch fits on? Will that bolts to the Y-block? And of course then you are asking if the flathead flywheel/Y-block starter bolt up will match - use a flathead starter. Will the flathead bell housing starter bolt up position work on the Y-block? Will the Y-block exhaust interfere with the starter on the flathead bell housing. Will he be able to exhaust out the drivers side with the Y-block and it's motor mounts and the Bonus Built steering box. It's the domino effect of impacts all the way down the line. The Big Picture......You can see where I'm going. Easier to just pu tin a hydraulic clutch and firewall mounted brake pedal, cut out the transmission cross member and put in this Y-block with the clutch and overdrive transmission. If you are going to do that, then you coul dput ANY engine transmission combination in your Bonus Built. If you want to do it with a Y-block, hey, whatever turns you on. From a "level of effort" standpoint it would be almost exactly the same as putting in a Big Block, FE or Pony Motor.

But here's an interesting picture that supports what you are saying about transmissions bolting up. It's a Flathead - definately out of a truck (or a Mercury - see the water pump motor mounts); it has the Bonus Built Truck Bell housing (for a 3 spd HD or 4 spd - not the flywheel cover that mated to the 3 spd with built on clutch cover) and clutch actuating rod - not a fork, so it's out of a 48-52 Bonus Built, but it has an overdrive transmission on the back which was never offered on Bonus Built trucks.

 

the 48-52 bellhousings seem to be all over the place . now the late model ones like my 53 uses , for the light duty or the heavy 4 like in mine are a whole 'nother animal . dain hard to find !! so are adaptors as you point out julie . i have t5 for my truck and so far flathead jack is the only one with one for my bellhousing . everyone else want's you to switch to the much more common 48-52 unit . so i cant see that being an issue with his proposed swap . the trans x member . well it's not the first time or last someone would have to fab one up . isn't that hard . i have to make one up for the t5 in mine . i don't have too , but it's like with the t98 in there now i can't deal with the idea of 145-170 pounds of trans hanging off just 4 bolts ..... the two piece unit is what was on the y block i had from stu . thats how he got it in the bonus built { the p.o before stu } . so in short a fabbed trans xmember and a cut driveshaft . in this crazed world of old stuff that's not much , and if you dont hack things up , and use another donor shaft it would be easy enough to reverse . just send that worn out flatty to me when your done . as long as it's the late block ........

 

So Kevin what you are saying is the 292 engine you got from Stu is bolted up to a Bonus Built Flywheel Cover and Clutch Cover that has the rotating clutch actuator for a Bonus Built.

OK well maybe the flywheel covers and bell housings between the flathead and y-block are interchangeable, and the starter and flywheel stuff all fits. I guess that's not impossible but I'm skeptical.

Or is it possible that that actually IS an adaptor ring between the clutch cover and the Y-block.

Hey if that's the case then, I'd be callin' Stu since he's actually done what you are talking about wanting to do, and get a plan from him with all the lessons learned.

Bob, Stu is: "truckdog62563" here at FTE.

 

Julie, the picture is just an example and the focus should not be on the FH but the adapter and bellhousings which I believe should fit on the Y-block. The adapter I used has the 48-52 style clutch. Pair them up then the next issue is the front motor mounts.

 

OK, I have to ask about the thro out bearing and how it works on the 48-52 style. I know it has a shaft going into the bell,

The reason I ask is the 53-56 style pedals are thru the floor and the linkage connected to the clutch fork PULLS the fork to the rear. The 57-60 style with the hydraulic slave pushes the fork to the rear

I really dont see a big problem with that part

I'm a fan of the Y blocks so good luck, I believe you'll be happier with a Y over a small block ford

Kevin

 

I tried to edit my post, but that didnt work. I see the differences and I still think it could be done. Go for the Y!

 

Wow, what a wealth of info here. I really appreciate all the input.
As a consequence, I have decided again the Y Block.
In searching for an answer I ran across a rebuilt flathead with a C4 automatic attached and I am now leaning in that direction.
It would bolt right in and I would just have to get a rear crossmember. Speedway has one for a 53 pickup that I could probably modify. Modify the driveahaft and solve all the problems that I haven't thought of, and I should be on my way.

 

As I went back through the posts and the picture of the overdrive connected to the flathead, coule it be that that overdrive came from early Lincoln?
I am still impressed with all the input you guys have displayed here.
Thanks again.
I think you saved me a lot of headaches.
Here is the flathead I found and am going to get this week.

 

Can a floor actuated post 53 pedal assembly be adapted to our pre52 frame? that would solve our clutch actuation issue. Then just about any bell housing / engine setup will work....

bob

 

Gorgeous engine!! Are those truck water pumps?

Personal opinion, if you're going to take a saw to the crossmember, anything is possible now. A C4 needs less cutting than a T5, I believe, but leaves you with a worse gear situation unless you change the rear axle to something like a 3.50. If you have the flathead-to-C4 adapter, I believe you can use the same adapter to go AOD. Then you don't need to mess with the rear axle...

 

Well, I guess anything is possible Bob. As Kevin pointed out the direction of actuation is different The 48-52 is rotational (with the shaft pivoting front to back on it's axis, the 53-56 is pulled (the fork pivots on a fulcrum in the bell housing) and the 57+ is hydraulic and pushed (and again the fork pivots on the fulcrum).

The pedals could be mounted I guess (get a big enough hammer) but there are a lot of unknowns: Steering box clearance, shifter clearance, The frame width is narrower on a Bonus built. The clutch pedal on the Effies has a bracket that bolts to frame and transmission and that distance (drive train centerline to frame rail) is less than in a bonus built.

Honestly, I would think it would be mush easier to fit a hydraulic set up (which does not require linear clearances) than adapting the later pedals.

Bob, I'd be real interested in seeing the other side of that engine if you have another pucture - to see what the clutch set up looks like.

Also, Mercury Car Flatheads mounted via the water pumps same as our truck engines (different from their Ford Car counterparts) In semi-answer to Ross' question, I have to wonder if the Lincoln engines didn't as well - with the motor mounts cast into the water pumps?

Here's a few pictures I have collected with overdrive transmissions (Also see the one above):
You can see the "Effie" clutch pedal arrangement and bracket I was talking about in the upper picture.

The bottom Overdrive transmission is a completely different type - I believe it is an earlier Lincoln Overdrive, but may be wrong.

 

Something like would also work to convert a bonus built rotational(truck) clutch actuation to the "normal" car style. Next time I'm at the junk yard I'll have to look. I have 3 manual trannys here that need a vehicle.


this cable setup is slick....

 

sweet lookign truck Id go with another flathead insted of the y block

 

I have made the decision and I am going to FLorida this week to get the yellow flathead.
Now all I have to do is figure out how to make my hood open wide alligator style so I can pull the engine. The hinges are supposed to do this without taking the hood off. I am going out to the shop today to see if I can figure it out.
Thanks for all the help and the info posted here can surely help others with their decisions.
THat cable for the clutch set-up is worth the post.
thanks again.

 

With all the stuff you'll be doing, you'll be time ahead taking the whole front end off. Not that hard. The way you get the hood to open further is to unbolt the spring assembly at the firewall; then the hinges have nothing to stop them from opening further. You'll have to figure out how to keep it open, tho.

It would seem like you'll have to pull the cab to do some of the trans mods you're considering.