[V8Vairs] Kelmark Conversion

[Bruce Tester]

> Hi Guys
> I decided to remove the Kelmark conversion parts and Buick 215 engine from  
> an old junker 4 door '65. I have questions. Can the engine be separated 
> from the  transaxle leaving the transaxle in the car long enough to move the 
> car to  another location and then removing the transaxle? It looks as though 
> the bell  housing to transaxle  bolts have to be accessed from inside the  
> bellhousing.  If the bell housing to engine bolts are removed will the  engine 
> and clutch simply slide off the the transaxle? Are there any Kelmark  
> conversion parts , other than the input shaft used inside the transaxle? I  
> noticed that there are heavy duty Kelmark aluminum covers on the outside of both  
> the transmission  and the deferential . Is the bell housing also a custom  
> Kelmark item?
>  
> Thanks
> Ron Whittington
> 



Ron,
The bell housing, input shaft, and the front and rear crossmembers are the basic components of the Kelmark conversion.  My bell housing has Kelmark cast into it.    The engine and transaxle are normally removed as a unit from under the rear of the car.  If you remove the front cross member and engine there won't be much to support the transaxle, just the crossmember at the very rear and the strut rods and axle shafts.  I suppose you could support the transaxle with a strap under the bell housing and front of the differential.   The engine and clutch assembly will come loose after removing the engine to bell housing bolts.  Be careful not to damage the input shaft which may come out also.

There may be a 4 spider gear conversion in the differential, but otherwise just the extra long input shaft.  There could possibly some reverse rotation gears inside.  Clark's did not have any replacement shafts as of a few years ago.  You can check with them, again.  The extra long shaft is needed with the 66 and later transmission.  You can use a 66-69 length shaft with the 65 transmission and Clarks has a strengthened version of that.