Quick time Y-Block Bellhousing

Quick time Y-Block Bellhousing

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By Y-Block Stan - 14 Years Ago

Hello to all, I am new to the site and I hope this post saves someone some grief. I have a 55' club sedan gasser,292,4spd,9", ladderbar rear suspension, straight axle, tilt glass nose,you get the picture. I was still running the stock bellhousing and flywheel,(lots of heat cracks) so I says to myself before I loose a foot or have holes in my fiberglass nose maybe I better do something about this. I am not afraid to let the clutch fly at 6 grand so I bought a Quick time bellhousing kit and a powermaster FE block mini starter and went to work. While the trans was out, (toploader 4spd W/ Hurst inline shifter) I got a overhaul kit from David Kee to freshen it up.So I put the Quicktime block plate on, The billet steel flywheel, (Which comes with the kit) and tried to install the clutch. Damn, no bolt holes for a 10.5 "pressure plate. Off to Summit I go for a 11" Zoom plate and kevlar disc. Clutch is now in and bellhousing is on,clutch fork and t/o/brg and in goes the trans. right? WRONG! First the Adapter ring for the toploader front bearing retainer for the bellhousing is the wrong size. I'll just try the other one they sent with the kit, also wrong so I firers up the lathe and makes a new one the proper size and in goes the trans. right? Wrong again! Now the trans won't go all the way in cuz the front bearing retainer hits the clutch fork. This is where the bridgeport mill and belt sander come into play! After 2 hours on the belt sander and the mill and putting the trans in and out 4 times the trans is in, shifter back on,drive shaft is back in,All that is left is the starter,What could possibly go wrong now? Three bolts and one wire and its burnout time! So we let the lift down to install the 200.00 mini starter and the top and bottom bolt holes are dead against the block,I can thread bolts in them but not with a starter attached. So with a die grinder and a cut off wheel I had to cut a 3/8" trought in the block so the socket head bolt head has a place to live. I also had to cut a 1/4" off the bellhousing mounting ear so the bottom bolt had someplace to go. now the starter fits Right? Wrong again now the front mounting plate on the starter hits the block! ( this is all because they move the starter location closer to the block and use a FE block ring gear and Starter) So off comes the Starter nose and over to the belt sander to remove 3/16" + from the side that goes against the block.Now the starter fits and every thing works great. I now have a Y-block that sounds like an old chrysler when it starts but other then that I am very happy with the outcome.So everybody is aware I called Lakewood Ind.(they bought out Quicktime after I bought mine) And asked what clutch fork to use, they said the stock fork goes right in.BULLstuff! I also called them after this firedrill and told them what I just said here and the kid on the phone was less then interested,said he would have them call me(never did) So whenI saw lakewoods trailer at the Norwalk nats. I explained it to a real nice guy who seemed interested and said they would be in touch.Never Happened.In closing It is my opinion that if you buy these parts and think you are going to Install them without a Lathe,Mill,Beltsander,And lots of patients you are wrong.I have 35Yrs. in this business and my best friend who helped with this is a mechanial Engineer so It was'nt our first rodeo. There Is no way that they ever tried to Install these parts or they would have forseen these problems. I am not crying or looking for anything for nothing I just hope to save another y-block lover some Greif. Sorry this was so long, Good luck to all,Stan

By Y block Billy - 14 Years Ago

Welcome! and thanks for all the info.

By aussiebill - 14 Years Ago

Welcome stan, enjoyed your colorfull description, sounds like my expeirences. how about some pics of your gasser. What is your engine build, carbs etc, regards bill. Smile

By ecode ragtop - 14 Years Ago

Stan,Come join us at Columbus for the y-bloock shoot-out

By speedpro56 - 14 Years Ago

Stan, as Tom said come join us in Columbus for the Y-block shoot out, I believe you will enjoy every bit of the comaraderie with other y-blockers and enjoy all other aspects of the show as well.

By PF Arcand - 14 Years Ago

Stan: Yes, welcome here.. wow, most people would have thrown there arms up in despair with what you ran into! And probably used it as an excuse to convert to one of those unmentionable engines. Anyway, someone else on this site recently questioned the fitting of a mini starter, but I don't know if it was that brand of starter. I don't know if this has any bearing on your situation or not, but one thing that has come up re F.E. starters is, that early ones up thru 1964 engage from the back, like a Y starter. However, post 64 F.E.'s engage from the front, which is an invitation to problems with the Y ring gear, even in some cases resulting in it tearing off the fly wheel!..

By Y-Block Stan - 14 Years Ago

Howdy Folks, thanks for the welcome. Could one of you give me some info about this columbus event? When,where,what my car needs to pass tech? I would be Interested. Thanks in advance, Stan

By bird55 - 14 Years Ago

Stan, welcome. You gotta go to this event! I've been several times with a lot farther to drive than you and loved it. The yblock guys are the best you'll meet. It's in Heath, Ohio-National Trails Raceway. Wish I could go this year.

September 2-4, 2011

33rd Annual NMRA Ford Expo

National Trail Raceway – Columbus, Ohio

By LON - 14 Years Ago

Stan ,

Welcome to the site .Thanks for the heads up on the bellhousing & starter .Not sure where you live in USA ,but I have been lucky enough to have made the trip 5 times from Australia .

You will not meet a better bunch of people in 3 life times .They are the true spirit of the sport .I guarentee you will have a great time , meet real people and make some great friendships . You will fit right in if you can B/S a little and tell a good story ??? That's where I fit in .Telling stories , not the B/S part ???? You may even get to meet some folks from the Frozen North .Most of them are good ???? Have fun .Go to Columbus and " Live the Dream "

Lon

By speedpro56 - 14 Years Ago

Labor Day Weekend and the most fun for any human to endure!!!!!!!! BigGrin

By 57 ranchwagon - 14 Years Ago

Hi Stan I must say reading your post hit real close to home I went through the exact same issue with my Land Speed car. I bought a kit from a south eastern supplier complete with bellhousing, flywheel etc. Nothing but problems poor quality line up with mid plate and bellhousing (quick time issue) completely wrong flywheel and a starter that you couldn't get bolts in. Well lot of non returned calls from the supplier quit returning email 4 months lost to this project. Its all together now Quicktime when contacted directly was very helpful but never mentioned all the required block mods and started mods till after the kit was purchased. The local supplier still won't return calls and I had to purchase a new flywheel from the company quicklime recommended and it fit perfectly. Long story short nice housing but lots of trouble glad i have it done but doubt i would go that way if i could do it over. Will definatly never deal with the local supplier again. Sam Gable

By charliemccraney - 14 Years Ago

That's just ridiculous. Is it something with the sfi rating that prevents the use of stock sized flywheels and stock starter locations? I wonder if there are those same issues with their products for other engine families.

By 57 ranchwagon - 14 Years Ago

Well the really sad thing is the bellhousing is not even SFI certified any more. It is the same housing as the certified ones but due to some goofy SFI money making racket that requires the manufacture to pay annually to maintain cert. the have allowed the SFI rating to drop.( claiming not enough Y-block units sold annually to justify funds) Luckily the SCTA and ECTA having fairly level headed tech people realizing that if it passed testing previously and materials and building process haven't changed that it would still pass and let us use them. (also there are no other SFI options for the Y-blocks) I don't know why they chose to go with purpose made flywheel for the kit I am speculating that it is limited by the size bellhousing they can manufacture but the is purely a guess on my part. Just be warned like I said earlier it a nice piece but far from a bolt on install.

By 57FordPU - 14 Years Ago

Wow, can I relate to you guys. I bought a Quick Time bell quite some time ago without the kit. When the stock demension flywheel didn't fit, I was told that the designer used a 351 flywheel for internal measurements. I guess it was too late to change after production started, so a kit was put together to solve the engineering problems. If done right the first time, all Y-block parts would have fit.

An adaptor can be made to space the starter away from the block and a steel flywheel can be turned to accept the small block starter ring. I gave up on the project for now and am back to the stock pickup bell with a self fabed scattershield. It is 6" wide and 1/4" thick and SCTA likes it. Even with no sfi rating I think I would still prefer the Quick Time.

Mad scientist that I am, I still want to use all Y-block parts and I have a few ideas to make it work, just not at this time.

By Dennis K. - 14 Years Ago

xxx

Y-Block Stan (8/14/2011)

I'm looking at using a Quicktime scattershield in my 57 Ford with a 312.

Questions:

The 11" Zoom pressure plate used. was a that Long or a diaphragm style? If a Long style, did the pressure plate cover appear to have adequate clearance to the inside of the bellhousing?

From what vehicle/application was the clutch fork from that you modified?

What brand and part # if known of throw out bearing was used?

From what vehicle/application of mechanical clutch linkage (equalizer bar, rods, ...) and did you have to modify any of those components?

Was the top loader 4 speed a small (1 1/16") or large (1 3/8") input shaft? If it was a small input shaft, did it have the longer (289) or shorter (390) pilot end? If a 289 style, did you cut the end of it off to shorten it or use a different or special pilot bearing?

I assume you used the Modern Driveline #MD-LBS-Y Block flywheel? Did this flywheel have any additional front or back axial offset, or did it appear to be a stock neutral balanced Small Block Ford 164T flywheel that had the center machined to bolt to a 292/312 crank?

How much bellhousing runout was measured at the transmission pilot bore and did you have to use offset dowels, etc ... to bring it to zero/minimal runout?

You stated 3/16" was machined off the starter to achieve proper pinion depth to the ring gear. How was the pinion to ring gear center distance engagement, did it appear proper?

Thank you in advance for help to answer my questions.

If there are others that have bought a Quicktime scattershield, either a #RM-8055 for a T-5 or the #RM-8056 for a BW/toploader and would like to share their installation experiences?

Regards,

Dennis