63 impala with BBC 396 4 speed

Tgpj1963

Member
Hello everyone
I am building a 63 impala I found 25 years ago. I have 396 with a muncie 4 speed to put in it. I am having trouble with the bellcrank pivot ball bolting to the block. Does anyone have a fix for this? My pivot ball is a 1/2 bolt the hole in the block is a 3/8 or 7/16.
Thank you in advance
 

wristpin

Well Known Member
Define "having trouble" please. Is holes and or threads different or threads damaged or what is the issue?
 

Tgpj1963

Member
The pivot ball is a 1/2×13 and the hole on the block is 3/8. So I am not sure if I should be looking for a different pivot ball or does the hole on the block need to drilled out and tapped. Or what the correct way to make this work.
 

wristpin

Well Known Member
It would be alot easier to find and buy another pivot ball. Drilling and tapping block isnt difficult but if a mistake is made it's another issue altogether. Perhaps transmission shop would have one in stop if auto store doesn't.
 

Tgpj1963

Member
I will double check but it is the only hole that will line up with the z bar. And it smaller than the pivot ball.
 

La Hot Rods

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
I don;t have a big block here to look at, but here are pictures of a small block that has two holes for pivot ball and a picture of a 409 with the one pivot ball hole that will work in a 63 if the frame bracket is in the correct place.
20181113_111749_LI.jpg
20181113_111607.jpg
 

La Hot Rods

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
The pivot ball is a harden piece.
I would drill and tap the hole to the 1/2 inch size. The good thing is you have a pilot hole already.
 

bobs409

 
Administrator
I think you need to mount the ball stud onto a bracket that bolts to those 2 locations. I think I made one when I converted my 66 Chevelle w/409 over to a 4 speed.

This one shown may not be exactly the one you need but basically a piece of flat bar stock that mounts to the 2 threaded holes in block and then mount the ball stud where you need it.

attachment.php
 

4speedman

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
I have never put a BBC in one of our cars but many years ago i had a friend who did when his 348 3 deuce engine droped a valve and cracked the block anyway he had to fab something on the clutch cross shaft i think a plate like the one that bob shows in his picture would work ok
 

Phil Reed

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 10
Did the big blocks have a bar like that?? Did some studs mount on the outside flange of the bellhousing?
 

La Hot Rods

Well Seasoned Member
Supporting Member 15
I had to drill it on my 502 big block, and my 400 small block doesn't have any in it.
 

Greg Reimer

Well Known Member
Before you start drilling things-- Years ago,I had a 65 Impala convertible, original 327 with a 3 speed stick. I decided to put a 340 horse 409 I acquired in it, and run a Muncie 4 speed. I parted out an absolute dog of a parts car, so the stuff I got off of it was year correct. On a 64 on back 409 car, the clutch pivot ball attached to the block on the side in front of the oil filter. Small block, same place. On the '65, however, the clutch linkage and the Z bar with the pivot bar were much closer to the firewall,and the pivot ball screwed into a threaded hole on the side of the bell housing. The hole was 7/16" NC thread if memory serves me right( it has been almost 40 years since I did this swap), but 65 was the year of the big change over on the Impala,and the Chevelle was a new car line just a few years previously.Without one in front of me to look at, I would guess that is the issue. The reason the bolt hole on the Mark IV motor isn't right is that that motor line up never came in a '63 Chevy. The factory would have had no use for it. If you are trying to put the 409 bell housing on the big block, it probably would fit the engine OK, but it probably wouldn't have the bolt hole either. I had to find a 65 396 bell housing to do my swap years ago, the 327 had the small flywheel, and the SBC 65 bell housing wouldn't go around the 14 inch 409 flywheel.
 
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