bell housing swap

[fast90mini]

We are changing our bellhousing on a 2.3 motor, been running a 2.0 bellhousing and had alot of starter issues with grinding, so I pulled the 2.0 bellhousing out and measured it laying it flat on the ground with the tranny side up and it measures 6 1/2 inches and the 2.3 measures 7 1/4 to tranny bolt up, we are using a 196 pinto trans and want to know how do you fix this? Was thinking about taking it to a machine shop and having it milled some on the motor side and the tranny side, just don't know what is the correct way to fix it will be, someone told me to get a pilot bearing from a chevy s-10 and let it stick out of the crank more than a stock ford does, the two bellhousing are about 3/4 of an inch different, anybody have any ideas on this??? thanks in advance.

[return to dirt]

1st, i don't think a pinto 2.0 bell will bolt to a 2.3 but i won't swear to it as i have never tried it. you have a pinto 2.3 bell and a mustang bell. you use the shorter bell with a pinto trans that uses a threaded shifter. the longer bell is used with a mustang trans that uses a bolt in shifter. if you are having grinding problems then make sure you are using the plate between the engine and the bell. another way to tell the difference is the pintos bells top bolt holes are lower then the mustangs.

olin

[fast90mini]

The bellhousing is from a 2.0 german motor because that is what we were running and pulled out the 2.0 and put in a 2.3 engine. We have the spacer plate between the motor and the bellhousing and it still won't start like it should, so I bought a 2.3 bellhousing and the bolt holes are taller like you said and it is also longer from where it mounts to the engine and where the tranny mounts up, we are using the 196 with the screw in shifter and can't find one with a bolt in shifter, everyone I find with a bolt on shifter is a 214, what about changing the piolt bearing to a longer one so the input shaft on the tranny will reach and be stable? any ideas on that???

[car62]

just go buy a Pinto 2.3 bellhousing and your problem will be solved.

[ATOYOTA]

+1
2.0 bell bolts right on a 2300. You can't use a pinto trans with a mustang bellhousing and visa-versa

[TM 44]

We have always used the Mustang bell housing, with 197 Pinto and with the Mustang 214. I use it because it has the hole for the clutch cable and there for the cable cannot slip out. You cannot use the Pinto bell housing with the Mustang 214 because the front shaft on the transmission will hit the back of the crank and knock out the thrust bearing.