[6T5 Cat]

Does anyone have any photos of how they mounted the Z bar ball stud when using a Lakewood bellhousing. Looking for some ideas. Thanks

[jwcfbd]

I think I just mounted mine like stock but I don't have a picture of the Z Bar. I did have to cut the ear off the bellhousing so it would clear the clutch push rod.

[6T5 Cat]

I was thinking it would take some extensive trimming to have adequate clearance for the pushrod, obviously it does. Thanks for your reply.

[b-man]

When I bought my ‘64 GTO it came with a Lakewood or McLeod bellhousing and Doug Nash 5-speed. The z-bar ball stud screwed into the block just like a factory setup.

I’m guessing a ‘65 Cat isn’t the same.

[6T5 Cat]

Bart, the 65, 66, and 67 Catalinas are the same as the 65-67 GTOs. I assume the 68 Catalinas are too. I was eyeballing the bolt hole on the side of the engine block, but it won’t work with the factory Z bar location. I’m guessing a fabricated bracket is in my future.

[HWYSTR455]

A pic would be good.

I usually trim the whole bottom flange & plate off, because my car is slammed, need all the clearance I can get.

My last bell, McLeod, trimmed:


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[6T5 Cat]

Thanks for the pictures. That was a lot of trimming, but it is obviously worth it. The Lakewood housing has a lot of areas that can be trimmed. I looked on line and found that McLeod no longer makes a bell for Pontiacs. Did you cut the clutch inspection hole near the bottom, or did it come that way? Either way, I am planning on cutting an inspection hole in my Lakewood housing to accommodate clutch disc and air gap inspection and adjustments.

[HWYSTR455]

Yeah, I've heard McLeod no longer makes the Pontiac ones. It was pretty close when doing the alignment, would have to dig it up, but it I think was like .008 off.

I didn't want to cut up a Quick Time, but I hear a lot of people find they are really good alignment out of box. Some say no adjustment needed. When I purchased the McLeod, the Quick Time was like $250 more than the Lakewood.

The McLeod comes with the inspection hole, and the pad for a hyd actuator. Proper adjustments and measuring for are IMO critical. Many just slap together and go by feel, but believe me when I say it's better to know precisely.

I did all the trimming with a cutoff & grinding wheel, a plasma cutter would be faster, but don't have one. I recently moved, and not familiar with the services in the area yet, but will probably dig some so I don't have a pile of stuff to sweep up.


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[6T5 Cat]

Being as big a pain as they are, the explosion proof bell-housings are a blessing when compared to when I started drag racing in 1963. I ran Gassers and Modified Production classes which required flywheel shields which we called “scatter shields” that had to be fabricated out of 1/4 inch plate steel. They had to completely surround the bell housing on all sides and were required to be mounted to the frame and not the transmission. Stock pressure plates and flywheels were a no-no as well, as they had to be explosion proof aftermarket units. When Lakewood began manufacturing explosion proof bell-housings in the mid-1960s it was like a gift from the heavens above. I’m only running a Lakewood housing out of habit because it’s what I always run on my manual trans cars, even my completely stock vehicles.

[Skip Fix]

About 1970-71 a buddy with a 65 GTO with a 455 in it it grenaded his clutch and looked like an Uzi shot up his floorboard and hood-my Impala got a Lakewood the next week. I had always used "blow up proof; clutches and flywheels in it.

[6T5 Cat]

A clutch/flywheel/transmission explosion can absolutely ruin your day. I worked on the starting line of a very popular drag strip for three years from 1963 to 1965. My position on the line between the two cars was exactly in-line with the flywheel position on most cars. Not very safe! I got hit/injured 3 or 4 times by flying debris from engine or trans explosions. Thankfully, the military sent me to Asia where I only had to dodge bullets, anti-aircraft fire, and SAM missiles.