From: Paul D Hoffmeyer
Email: hillside@spacestar.net
Date: December 29, 2001
Daven, I am surprised that a '77 904 fit that well to a '60 block. I suspect that the automatic housings do not use the dowel pins to locate themselves, as does the manual bell housing. A couple years ago I stood in the rain to get a manual bell housing off of a 318 that came from a '72 van. I don't recall precisely how many holes lined up, but the dowel pins were not even close; at least an inch off from lining up; on each side. This, to me , is much more critical than having all the holes line up, since I am building a street rod with a manual transmission on a '60 318. Also, a few months ago on one of the truck forums, someone related getting a new crated 318 poly from Dodge dealer in about 1969 and discovered it would not bolt up to his early '60s bell housing in his big Dodge truck (D 600, I think). I have always thought that there must have been a change to the rear block pattern at the same time the crank was changed and gear reduction starter introduced. This is all I can say for sure. I know my block is a '60 as I still have the '60 Pioneer it came out of ; in the family since '67. Guess I don't have all the answers, wish someone did. Paul H
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