wide block r 154 bellhousing option

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Sep 15, 2009 10:39 am

I bought a d 50 trans from a starion and chopped off the front end of it, then i sloted the sides

I had a spacer casted for the r 154 trans and I milled it flat to size and entered it in the Starion trans

then I re sized all the engine mounting bolts out by 2%

then I resized the flywheel opening by 2%

i bored out the R 154 spacer out to size and finished the facing square to the bellhousing on the bridgeport

I made sure to use all the mounts and openings to re use the exact same clutch controls that come with the Starion, so there is no need to change anything but the bellhousing a direct fit
then I filled all the panels in, one at a time with 1/8 aluminum material

then next I will mold it all in , smooth it all out and make sure the wall sides are the thickness I want before casting

77amc · Post by **77amc** » Thu Sep 17, 2009 7:53 pm

Amazing as usual Bill. With all that heat, did it warp any?

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sat Sep 19, 2009 11:05 am

no it didnt warp, I built it one panel at a time on opposite sides and milled it after the weld

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Fri Nov 06, 2009 7:56 pm

This is the continued work on the R 154 for the g54b wide block option, I am furthur along then this but I been too busy to write it up

the only clutch part needed is the Toyota Supra turbo disc for about $45.00 bucks and a pilot bearing

the Toyota disc is exactly the same as the mits disc

with this system iwill be using the mits starter/flywheel/ and pressure plate so there is no need for custom parts

the R 154 centered up nicly on the bellhousing, I am working with the depth here, the bellhousing has to be built with a 1% shrinkage factored in after casting so it has to be built abut 1/4 inch longer in this pattern

i built my own throw out bearing holder to fit the r 154 collar but I re used all the Satrion clutch control parts as in the clutch fork, pivot ball and slave cylinder

you can just make out the 1/8 in plate that was added in between the engine and bellhousing , thats for shrinkage in the casting

I always place a heat vent at the top of the bellhousing,the wall thickness has been added but not shown here and the pattern is being molded to final shape, i wanted to be in casting this week but I need 2 or 3 more days

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Wed Nov 18, 2009 7:06 am

Thanks Smog, the guys at SCQ are more intrested in B/S then cars.
Its done, I just gotta get motivated and build a couple. I will post pics this week, I want to build a good shifter with the R 154 too

Arktis · Post by **Arktis** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 1:14 am

Craaaaaaaap.

An R154 just went up for sale near me, too.

Incredible work, Bill. You don't cease to amaze me thus far.

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Thu Nov 19, 2009 11:33 am

this takes hours to fine tune and adjust, sanding and adding material in a way the will draft in the casting proscess while allowing for the 1% shrink and keeping the wall thickness thick where I want it and thin where its not needed

I test for accuracy in where everything locates every time I get to a stopping point

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Wed Dec 02, 2009 12:40 pm

i have the pattern in casting now, iknow its hard to see any improvement in this pattern but the holes are filled in and it is correct

i didnt primer the pattern this time, I wanted keep the features a little sharper

I will have 5 of them in hand the begining of next week and then tet them out to see if they are good

77amc · Post by **77amc** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 6:39 pm

Great work as usual Bill,

This will only fit the 154 right?

E

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sat Dec 05, 2009 8:02 pm

I gotta get an after 96 R 151 and test fit it, but they ought to fit this too, I may have to add a 1/4 plate to do it

77amc · Post by **77amc** » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:43 pm

OK, How close is the bolt pattern (from the back of the housing to the body of the trans) from this one to a W58?
Or would that be a whole new housing?

In otherwords, will this work on a wideblock--W58 drivetrain?
(I already have a w58..)

E

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 10:46 am

the W 58 input shaft is 1 inch shorter then the R 5154/151 I would have to build a new unit, but I dodnt think the W 58 is the way to go on the wide block, the t 5 would be better

Verdad · Post by **Verdad** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:45 am

ill try to get the bellhousing out this week bill, been a really shitty last couple of weeks for me. i'll also take some pics of the T5 besides the stock d50 tranny for size references.

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Dec 08, 2009 11:50 am

there is no reason to marc, i will be placing both bolt patterns in the bellhousing for the T 5 I have everything I need here, I only have to find the most popular length input shaft

I been working pretty hard on the pattern for the W55/59 pre '96 R 151/R150 trans with EVO,narrow block first and second gen bolt pattern ,that can be cut for either the FWD or the AWD flywheel ,bellhousing

this outta be neet .;o)

77amc · Post by **77amc** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 1:16 pm

I just can't afford a T5 (or another trans for that matter).
I don't intend on beating on these drivetrains to the point of breakage, since I just don't have the tme or money to rebuild engines and have a vehicle down for months.

Another Question, Your T5 adapter is from a Ford or Chevy? Is the bolt pattern different to the body of the trans between the two?
I don't know much about the T5's and thought that GM used them in the camaro and firebird..

I was just hoping to use an adapter for this truck 2.4 (wide block) in my Hornet.
I may just use that 4g61t with your W58 housing in it. At least it SHOULD get a little better mileage and still be around 275hp.

It's just amazing what you have accomplished in just under a couple years for the aftermarket world-wide..

Errol

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Thu Dec 10, 2009 11:45 pm

this is just the first wide block bellhousing I did, I will be expanding into the other transmissions , but I was asked to do this one first, now with this bellhousing , you should be able to use the after '96 R151 which is found on all v-6 toyota trucks, tyhey dont cost a lot of money like the R 154 does but they should be stronger then the w 55

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:35 pm

I have 5 raw castings for the wide block G 54b done and I am testing fit/finish and machinabilty now

i

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Dec 14, 2009 11:56 am

because of how the pattern shrinks, I keep testing for fit, I only have 2mm all around the flywheel to work with, plus I need to have enough depth for the clutch, so I keep cutting,testing, assembling and re testing, everything is located correctly at this point, I will be cutting the trans facing next

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Wed Dec 16, 2009 10:34 am

i like to check my centers as I move along in the machining process

the transmission facing matched the bellhousing perfectly

a lot of effort was made to clear all the internals with only minor machine time

the bellhousing bolt holes line up to the block perfectly, the input shaft is properly centered and indexed, everything has worked out as planned

the starter is the OEM Mits starter put right back in its original place

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 7:34 am

I had to make sure of the clutch control placement so I started by putting in the side wall slot and drilling the pivot ball in place, remember, I re used all the parts from the original Starquest

I built this jig to give me my centers and hiegth adjustments for each application

I have to square the landing for the slave cylinder

and I re-used the Starion slave cylinder right back where it should be

I had a suggestion from a buyer for a window to check out the internals, so I am building this inspecton opening in all my bellhousings

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 12:58 pm

I wanted to build a complete swap to the Starion so I installed the R 154 and checked my fit, this is using the stock motor mounts and the G54b engine wide block

there is an inner/outer sheetmetal arringement in the tunnel, I just removed a bit of the outter skin

The original rear crossmember still fits but I will be making something else here to include a drive shaft safety loop

Its a tight fit , but doable .;o)

the shifter location is perefect, dead center

the transmission is completely up in the chassis, I will be doing the driveshaft next and that will dictate the rear crossmember mount hieght

mr.andaya · Post by **mr.andaya** » Sun Dec 27, 2009 10:20 pm

wow, it looks really good bill... if i had the cash for a r154 and a bell housing id put it in my starion =)

keep up the good work
-joe

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:47 am

It seems like a lot guys are just as concerned with how to build the driveshaft as they are with the bellhousing
I found a yoke that accepts the 1310 u-joint which is a common, servicable u-joint

1310 is a dana spicer number for a u joint commonly found on light duty domestic cars

then I just cut the neck off the Starion driveshaft

then I just matched itto a common source weld flange and cut it down to fit into the existing Starion drive shaft tube

i know there are many ways to build the shaft , but this is a quick easy way for a guy on a budget to get himself rolling

now i can get the proper angle for the rear trans mount, nothin eats horsepower like a misaligned driveshaft

there is no need to stuff the yoke up in the trans, the splined section of the trans output shaft is off set about an inch away from the tailshaft

screemin eagle · Post by **screemin eagle** » Mon Jan 11, 2010 9:44 pm

how much of the trans tunnel did you cut out?

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:49 am

I need to take a little more out yet dave, the car I am using will be a test mule, so I will be putting all my stuff in there and i dont want to cut it up too badly, but I want to document each trans and find out what exactly is required ( driveshaft length, engine position, motor mounts )

from what I know the problem is re using the G54b engine mounts to install the 4G63, the 4G sets back too far, so that will change how much tunnel work is needed

my next project will be to mount the engine where i want it, there is no reason to beat the tunnel up, cut a hole for the CAS and open up the shifter hole.
i want to build the correct motor mounts, set the engine in its correct position and find what I need to build the swap cheaper, easier and stronger, for each of the bellhousings/transmission combination i build

screemin eagle · Post by **screemin eagle** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 6:35 pm

also it looks like it about lines up the same on a narrow 4g63 moved foward 2". i have my crossmemeber bolted in the same holes. the way you have it apears to be tucked up into the tunnel very nicely

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:17 pm

I placed the pilot bearing in the flywheel and the flywheel had an extra 1/2 step in it so the bellhousing is about 2 inches longer then the one I built for the 4G, if you moved your engine forward 2 inches, that makes a4 inch difference, the rear crossmember in mine is only on by the last two bolt holes, and the trans must go up in the tunnel a little more so a new rear trans mount will be placed to accept all my bellhousings

AND OH BYE THE WAY

the web site I gave you for the 1310 yoke also list a 1330 yoke I just found it this week while looking for something stronger

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Jan 26, 2010 10:02 am

I needed to finish out the rear trans mount before i tore down the build for another project, I wanted to include a driveshaft loop to build strength in the system while improving the safety of the build

I placed a couple small slices in the floor board and tucked my safety loop inside of the front seat supports

from the inside you can not tell the safety loops were added, they are sandwiched under the seat support

then I had to fab a couple of floor suports for the side of the trans tunnel to relocate the rear trans mount

the rear Toyota Supra trans mount was used and had to be attached to the original Mits rear crossmember

Then the rear crossmember was located to the side tunnel supports

the shifter just cant line up any better

77amc · Post by **77amc** » Fri Jan 29, 2010 12:43 pm

Just great as usual Bill. I haven't been here in a while. MAN

What does a 151 go for $$ ?

My driveshaft didn't turn out to bad (for a first try) Just need a slight balance adjustment.

Errol

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Fri May 07, 2010 11:19 am

here I am again, sanding and sanding and correcting
I subtracted 1/4 off the back and added 7/16 inch on the front to back away from the clutch and flywheel so you can add any clutch you want, plus I moved the throw out bearing folcrom back 1/2 so I had more travel in the throw out bearing body

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 3:44 pm

this is the second gen casting of the wide block R154, it fits much better and the thickness is adjusted in all the right places

I have the throw out bodies built at the casting shop now , they are lighter and much easier to build

screemin eagle · Post by **screemin eagle** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 7:51 pm

do you get any feedback from people who actually get thier car running with you bell setup? im curious becuase you dont here of all that many swaps completed.

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Jun 07, 2010 10:20 pm

no, not really, new ideas attract different kinda folks, I learned that from Honda.
When Honda first built a car, they attracted 'adventure' kinda people, they try the latest, greatest stuff, its like a test market.
Then 'if' the product is any good, the 'adventure' people tell thier friends that are timid about new ideas, and then the 'main stream' folks tend to kick in
So I am entering into my 4th year, I built 8 housings a 4 years ago, last year I built 150 housings, now I am hitting stride with mainstream folks
I got a call on my cell phone last week while I was walking my dog at the park from south Africa >;o)

I am sure I would hear about it if it didnt work >;o)

cali · Post by **cali** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 2:06 am

great work bill as usual; i haven't been on the boards lately and the starion has been pretty much collecting dust.

haven't had the cash needed to keep working on it and i've been pretty busy lately with life in general.

anyways, do you have anymore close up pics of how much you cut up the tunnel? my setup is currently sitting two in. forward but seeing your post it makes me want to push it back; i still haven't modified my shifter housing and would like to avoid doing so.

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Tue Aug 17, 2010 8:11 am

I will measure something up this week, I been building the Subaru 4wd Toyota adaptor
http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/sho ... p?t=111709

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Sun Jan 08, 2012 7:36 pm

tonyg64 · Post by **tonyg64** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 2:52 am

Hey Bill I still need the gm adapter plate if youre bored mate

Tony

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 7:53 am

is that for the wide block Tony? I built and have it on the shelf, I been looking for who ordered it, I get 10 E mails a day

its here

tonyg64 · Post by **tonyg64** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 8:01 am

Its for my 4g64 which is the same as evo 8. If you remember im putting a C4 on the back possibly using the bell housing from ultra bell to convert from gm to ford.You were going to mail me with something but i guess you been busy.

Tony

Bill Hincher · Post by **Bill Hincher** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 9:07 am

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah, now I remember

yeah I said I would be building the proper bellhousing for that

tonyg64 · Post by **tonyg64** » Mon Jan 09, 2012 4:32 pm

Bill Hincher wrote:ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah, now I remember

yeah I said I would be building the proper bellhousing for that

Thats the one

My issue in race trim will be the need for SFI approved gear mainly flex plate and bell (i may get around the bell issue with a sfi sheild but defo need the sfi flex plate)

Ive replied to the other thread and e mail just to make it confusing lol.

My aim is to make the 4g based engine the fastest in the qtr as i can, and sub 8 seconds is on the cards

Tony