Bell housing question

[IOPort51]

will the bell housing on a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l bolt to a AMC 304 V8??
I have been told it would by a gentleman with a AMC 304 for sale.
2nd opinion, anyone??:dunno:

 

[LongHorn]

will the bell housing on a AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l bolt to a AMC 304 V8??
I have been told it would by a gentleman with a AMC 304 for sale.
2nd opinion, anyone??:dunno:

I agree.

 

[BajaEdition]

I have read on the novak site that AMC bell housings are patterned the same, but between an I6 and a V8 I do not know

 

[IOPort51]

OK thats two yes and one I don't know. I guess it will be worth a road trip to look at it.
The AMC 304 is out of a 1980 it has about 50 K on it. I'm pretty much planning on putting it in the truck in front of a T-176 .

 

[Petescj]

Alot of the last 304s came with that very combination. The bell is the same.

 

[BajaEdition]

Call novak monday morning and ask

 

[IOPort51]

Too late for regrets, I own the AMC 304 . I think it will work but I will know for sure in just a bit.

 

[chevrier]

Sure it work, one of my friends do the swap.

 

[CJ]

Yep - the patters are the same from the I6 and the v8 but Transmission patterns could be different as well as the depths of the housing. Make sure you use a AMC 304 fly wheel - the balance from other V8's will most likely be wrong.

 

[IOPort51]

I have to find a fly wheel, I am planning on pulling the crank and having the crank, flywheel, and balancer balanced.

Yep - the patters are the same from the I6 and the v8 but Transmission patterns could be different as well as the depths of the housing. Make sure you use a AMC 304 fly wheel - the balance from other V8's will most likely be wrong.

 

[IOPort51]

I can understand if you say the balance will be different from any other engine but to say any other size V8? I do not understand. If the flywheel for the AMC 258 i6 / 4.2l , AMC 304 ,360 and 401 are all the same size and they would have to be if they engaged the starter with the same bell housing, why would a AMC 304 require a "AMC 304 flywheel" and why would any other flywheel from a AMC 304 be balanced to all the crank and balancers in all the AMC 304 's?

Yep - the patters are the same from the I6 and the v8 but Transmission patterns could be different as well as the depths of the housing. Make sure you use a AMC 304 fly wheel - the balance from other V8's will most likely be wrong.

 

[CJ]

I'll dig up my books - but ever other FING V8 that AMC made has has different eight combos on how the flywheel is balanced to harmonic balancer - they were such asses when they did that - They externally balanced all the engines and just FUBARED the swapping of flywheels..

Here is a great sit that list all the stupid ones that AMC had... -->> Catalog AMC & Jeep Flywheels: Bulkpart transmission parts

 

[CJ]

~~~why would a AMC 304 require a "AMC 304 flywheel" and why would any other flywheel from a AMC 304 be balanced to all the crank and balancers in all the AMC 304 's?

INCLUDING ALL V8's not just AMC 304 's... Because AMC moved the weights around on all the damn flywheels when they balanced them

Even on different years of 304s -

 

[IOPort51]

this just keeps getting better and better.

will it be possible to have an AMC flywheel, hopefully from a AMC 304 , dynamically balanced at a machine shop with the crank and balancer or is there some other Vodo involved with this?

:dunno:as always "I don't know" is a respectable answer.

 

[CJ]

this just keeps getting better and better.

will it be possible to have an AMC flywheel, hopefully from a AMC 304 , dynamically balanced at a machine shop with the crank and balancer or is there some other Vodo involved with this?

:dunno:as always "I don't know" is a respectable answer.

Yes - they should be able to - just make sure the balance the AMC 304 correctly, damn if I can remember it is internally or externally balanced)... Have you checked BullTear? I know I have read about this there before..

 

[IOPort51]

This is what I think I know. This is just an observation based primarily on the link you (CJ) gave me. http://www.bulkpart.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=2&Category_Code=FLYcatalogAMC
The major difference, between an externally and internally balanced flywheel, is the addition of a counter weight, logically. By the information from the above catalogue the AMC 401 is externally balanced, all years. The 360 is externally balanced from 1980 to 1987, all others are internally balanced. The AMC 304 is externally balanced in 1980 and 1981 all others are internally balanced.
Other than this observation I have not found what differences are involved other than the counter weight as in clutch diameter or perhaps total weight of flywheel and or weight of counter weight.
As far as I can tell my 1977 AMC 304 is internally balanced. I do think it is interesting that bulk parts.com sells the “correct” flywheel only “as available”. So naturally, the one I need is an endangered species.

The Bulltear forum seems to want to treat them as interchangeable and Bulltear sell replacements based on motor size only with no regard for year as far as I can see.

This information is still very much open for debate and I will welcome any differing information.

 

[CJ]

Yep - pretty much right on the money from what I have gathered. What year AMC 304 ? I can snap a pic of my harmonic balancer for ya and also get the # off of the fly wheel.

 

[IOPort51]

I am 99% sure it's a 77, I have not cleaned it up enough to look for block numbers yet.

Yep - pretty much right on the money from what I have gathered. What year AMC 304 ? I can snap a pic of my harmonic balancer for ya and also get the # off of the fly wheel.

 

[IOPort51]

This has been quite the education, I really had no clue about internally and externally balancing.

 

[gert]

Its fun....your I6 bellhousing will bolt directly to your AMC 304 your clutch will bolt directly to your flywheel.....You need to find out for sure what year your motor is to find out if you need the internal/external balance flywheel and balancer.