sm465 HD Bellhousing hydro

[crawlink5]

I am looking for a driver side hydro sm465 bellhousing that is preferably made from steel like the old blow-proof bell housings for race cars.

I was also thinking of an iron BH for manual clutch and use one of the hydro clutch bracket kits.

Friend has one cracked and I want one to use to replace my alum one between the 4bt and nv4500.

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

Cummins 4BT, NV4500, NP205, 14 bff 4.56 detroit, rear disc, D60, Shackle flip, 1 ton springs, Winch bumper, 17,500 lb winch

 

[crawlink5]

Crickets, huh? I thought for sure someone here would have a solution for the weak bh.

Were any sm465 BHs cast or steel?

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

AFAIK know the really early 465 bellhousings were iron (first five years? shot in the dark), but almost all are aluminum. They aren't a particularly failure prone piece and I don't know of an aftermarket version for "race" purposes.

Are you sure that the bellhousing was actually too weak rather than being broken by drivetrain/chassis flex differences?

 

[diesel4me]

The '71 K5 I had with a factory SM465 had a cast iron bellhousing,that also had two spots for mounts to bolt it to a crossmember casted into each side,the passenger cars back in the day used the same one I think (like a '57 Chevy,etc)...the bellhousing had a "open bottom" so you could replace the clutch without having to pull it off,that was covered with a tin cover..

I cant say if a cast iron one designed as such would be any more resistant to cracking under extreme frame flexing in off roading situations,I'd guess it wouldn't..

I dont know if a blowshield like a Lakewood would allow a SM465 to bolt up--I think the main difference is the size of the input shaft collar hole for the trans to fit into is bigger--thats the main difference between the truck bellhousings made of cast iron versus the passenger car versions..it probably could be hogged out and made to work,but you may be "stuck" with a mechanical clutch ,I dont know if a hydro one could be adapted..

 

[crawlink5]

I would have to have one machined out for the NV4500 anyway.

The other one that is broke does have an sm465 in it. It has one of the 292 straight sixes from a concrete truck (dump?) and it is in one of the old Mutual of Omaha Range Rovers. He does not offroad it that I know of so how it broke I do not know

 

[diesel4me]

If its cast iron or aluminum,both can split pretty easily if they get torqued up,like when a motor or tranny mount fails and lets the bellhousing take the twisting forces..the 292 six is a torque monster despite being only less than 200 HP,its not impossible for a bellhousing to break if someone revved it up good and dumped the clutch under a heavy load,or the truck was driven over some bad road..you said "concrete truck" so an overload was very possible too!..