Dowel pin

I did. Just tap it out with a long drift.

If you get new ones, ge the moroso ones, they come with a small allen set screw, you simply drill the block, tap it and then use the set screw to lock the dowel in place. The dowels are also machined with a groove so they can easily be turned with a large flat blade screwdriver.
 
They can rust in place and may need some persuation. If you have the pins already I'd still drill the block for set screws, align the whole deal, drill the hole with the dowels in place, remove them, tap the holes and with a slightly larger drill make an indentation in the dowel, now put them back the way they went in and tighten the set screws, this should keep them from moving when removing the bellhousing at a later dat and having to re do the whole alingment thing again
 
Try this first.

Who actually changed the dowel pins for the bellhouse to get proper alignment? How did you remove the one next to the oil filter?

I went through this nonsense with my SB and before I went to the trouble of removing and installing offset dowls I tried this and it worked. The stock dowls are set fairly deep, not a lot of dowl is protruding. I noticed there was very little engagement of the dowl in the shield. The addition of the block plate did not help. So, I moved the factory dowls out a little, cleaned then with a wire brush, dusted the holes in the shield with some sand paper as well as the hole for the trans, then checked it again, dead nuts:):)

Installing offset dowls is a large pain in the a$$.
 
They came out pretty easy with some clamp jaws. I installed the new dowl pins. Can't say I was impressed with the quality of the lakewood, some rust before opening the package. They looked a bit rough. Why isn't there an high point indication on it!!

I had to force the pins in the engine a bit. The bell house was an easy install with the old once, with the new I had to use the bolts to get it on. Next thing recheck with the dial. keep you posted.
 
I been following this thread, and I wonder why all the effort over these locating pins/dowels...never did have a issue one way or another with them....just slip the tranny/bellhousing in place and bolt it down.....

why the issue?? I would think the factory has that located pretty good when they spotted the tranny and engine....NO???

so why???

or is it to cover over for aftermarket crap messups?? something I would wonder how in hell to ever check for in a home garage with typical tools....

I would imagine it all has to be within a very few mills to start with....:bonkers:
 
What kind of tranny do you have? Old 4 speeds with sloppy input bearings are much more tolerable towards the input shaft being off center, may be the reason for no probm. ..... or do you have a slush box?
 
This goes back for all kinds of cars, tranny swaps, etc....I never had a issue....but I don't recall any aftermarket bellhousings in the mix....

the stickshifts range from Muncies to ZF's.... the autos from old two coupling hydromatics back in the last century to 700-200 4r and some others in there....

so my question is that this thread is in response to some situation doing with aftermarket parts, I have to assume....and the next logical comment as to why they have a problem as GM has never been a issue....
 
"Mrvette" Keisler requested / recommended it and for a 20 dollar part I'm not taking any risk.

OK, fine, not a issue, but I gotta know just how you supposed to verify any of this within some mills or whatever is tolerance in your garage/workshop, unless you have a machine shop and a bunch of gear the typical guy like ME don't have???

:drink::gurney:
 
I been following this thread, and I wonder why all the effort over these locating pins/dowels...never did have a issue one way or another with them....just slip the tranny/bellhousing in place and bolt it down.....

why the issue?? I would think the factory has that located pretty good when they spotted the tranny and engine....NO???

so why???

or is it to cover over for aftermarket crap messups?? something I would wonder how in hell to ever check for in a home garage with typical tools....

I would imagine it all has to be within a very few mills to start with....:bonkers:

Gene, I wondered this for many years too. GM made billions of bellhousings - they all seemed to line up ok, why can't lakewood etc. I now understand that Muncies etc had one input shaft bearing so the shaft slopped around a bit. Quite a bit actually. Worked out to be self alighning. Now the Richmonds, TKO's etc have 2 front bearings for "strength", so they have to be dead on alighned. Appears to be a case of fixing something that ain't broke. The Muncie's, B/W's, Saginaws all had no input bearing longevity problems...
 
I been following this thread, and I wonder why all the effort over these locating pins/dowels...never did have a issue one way or another with them....just slip the tranny/bellhousing in place and bolt it down.....

why the issue?? I would think the factory has that located pretty good when they spotted the tranny and engine....NO???

so why???

or is it to cover over for aftermarket crap messups?? something I would wonder how in hell to ever check for in a home garage with typical tools....

I would imagine it all has to be within a very few mills to start with....:bonkers:

Gene, I wondered this for many years too. GM made billions of bellhousings - they all seemed to line up ok, why can't lakewood etc. I now understand that Muncies etc had one input shaft bearing so the shaft slopped around a bit. Quite a bit actually. Worked out to be self alighning. Now the Richmonds, TKO's etc have 2 front bearings for "strength", so they have to be dead on alighned. Appears to be a case of fixing something that ain't broke. The Muncie's, B/W's, Saginaws all had no input bearing longevity problems...

MY thought process also, I willing to read/learn WTF is so special about whatever is causing the problem.....

:nuts:
 
one other thing that i did when doing this and i think it is the right thing to make sure it is as close as it can be is to take a flat file and dress the bellhousing mating surface so there is nothing to make it rock or sit cockeyed. i did that and when i installed it on the motor it was spot on.
 
one other thing that i did when doing this and i think it is the right thing to make sure it is as close as it can be is to take a flat file and dress the bellhousing mating surface so there is nothing to make it rock or sit cockeyed. i did that and when i installed it on the motor it was spot on.

Isn't that something that would be closely machined when the housings or trannies were made??? and a easy spot for those pins/dowels too....

what am I missing????

:crylol:
 
well the bell housings, like the lake wood, are pressed steel and when i took a flat file across it there is highs and lows.
 
:hissyfit: Lakewood s..t

I came about aligning my bellhouse this week. Need the help of my next door neighbor, he has the measuring clocks, but even less time then me. Those Lakewood dowel pins are beyond sucking. How can you rotate them they are too tight in the engine. Even with this mofo huge screwdriver they did not rotate. :hissyfit:

I want to ordered some new ones from http://robbmcperformance.com/products/dowels.html. Unfortunate robb did not come down on the shipping (25 usd), for an oversize cardboard box with 2 tiny dowel pins.

BUT!!

When I came home yesterday my neighbor had a surprise for me.

bussenbas.jpg

He arranged for 2 drill bits, a M6 Tab, some long screws and nuts and 2 drill bit guides. So cool. The lakewood dowel pins have this slit on top and you can't center the drill bit, the guides should stop the drill bit from running away.

Now that is a good neighbor (thanks Bas)
 
I just went through the same thing a while ago. I got a Mcleod bellhousing and it is shit. The dowel holes were too big and had so much slop the offset dowels could rotate fully without moving the bell. I ended up getting the Lakewood kit that has the weld on washers and just got the bell to dial in perfectly then welded on the washers. The offset lakewood dowels I got before getting the washer kit had 2 flats instead of a screwdriver slot so I could use a wrench to rotate them. They also had a set screw that locked them in place when you got them dialed in right. I am still pretty pissed at the quality of the Mcleod bellhousing and would not suggest to anyone to ever get one.
 
Being Dutch I found a solution for the shipping cost. I had rob send it to my friend in the USA and have him ship it to the NL. Total cost 6 for the US and 2 for an envelope bringing it to the NL.
They just came in. Hopefully I can find some time next week to get hem installed and the bellhouse dialed in.
 
Last Sunday I took some time to remove the 0.007" offset pins I bough. Went like a dream, used the aluminum center thingy (by lack of a technical term) drilled the hole and tapped some thread, put the bold and nut, with some washers through a socket and started turning the nut. Pulled it right out!!

The new dowel pins are a big improvement, they where slightly to long, but nothing my angle grinder couldn't fix. Turning is so much easier with a wrench instead of a always to small screw driver.

dowels.jpg

So for those of you who need to align the bell house, buy these!!!
 
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