sm420 to 60° V6

I read in JP that an SM420 would bolt right up to a 60° V6 bellhousing. Can anyone confirm this?

 

Should. I can only point you to this article: http://www.jeeptech.com/convtrans/sm420yj/

 

I'm running one behind my 60-degree Shortstar. I used a bellhousing out of a 2.8L Camaro. The Camaro bellhousing has two different tranny clocking patterns. Or, at least the bellhousing I pulled outta the junkyard did. The stock Camaro tranny angles the shifter tower towards the driver. My bellhousing had the funky Camaro angle mounting holes already drilled and tapped. The other, more conventional holes that would mount the tranny shifter straight up weren't drilled, but the bosses were there so I didn't have to measure out a pattern or anything.

I drilled out the bosses and ran some 1/2-inch bolts through. I seem to recall needing to use some round Allen head bolts on the inside for clearance. I also nabbed the junkyard bellhousing-mounted slave cylinder and throw out bearing arm. It's been working like a charm for almost 8 years.

 

Good info here.
Hey Dummy, how come you didn't just drill and tap the holes in the bellhousing and run the bolts from the transmission side into the bellhousing? I know some SM-420's had threaded holes in the case and went from the bellhousing side into the transmission case but they should be able to easily be drilled out. Not criticising, I'm just curious for my own edification....
We just did this in my Power Transmission Systems class on a '71 Chev with an SM-465. Different trans but the idea is the same.

 

Just added labor. When I put the tranny on it I though that bellhousing would be just for mockup since I had already cut a big chunk out of the top to fit the V-8 Northstar engine I originally intended on using in my flattie build. It didn't seem necessary to go through the added hassle of breaking out the tap. Figured I could do that to the bellhousing I used to replace the "mock up" bell. However, once I got it rolling I put it off, thinking I'd replace the bellhousing when it cracked from the hole for the Northstar starter. And it's going on 8 years in there and it's still fine, so I think it's there to stay.

 

All good. Just curious. Nickmil