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Sirrotica · 03-14-2011, 10:31 PM

Well you have a definitive answer as to whether it interchanges with any other flexplate, it appears it is not a direct interchange. Looks like your choice is limited to find another, or repair yours.......Good luck

TheAmericanRuse · 03-14-2011, 10:46 PM

155, perhaps I miscounted twice, I could of sworn I counted 156. Haha. Ah well, yeah its definitely been a pain trying to find one...
Still hunting.
Im greatly appreciating all the input from everyone.
-RL

jusjay · 03-14-2011, 11:18 PM

Don't know if this helps but here are pictures of the 215 flexplate.

TheAmericanRuse · 03-15-2011, 12:19 AM

thanks for the pics, its way different than my 326 plate though.

Revhead · 03-15-2011, 12:34 AM

I haven't looked at the flexplate in mine recently, but is there any possibility of using something else that is 13"od or close and having it balanced the same as the pontiac. If the tooth count is wrong, maybe swaping the gear on the starter as well to match up...

Might be out there as far as a solution, but we have a ford flywheel on the back of our buick nailhead, so.. nothing is impossible.

Sirrotica · 03-15-2011, 05:50 AM

If I were to try to adapt another flywheel/flexplate I'd guess the Super Hydramatic would be the closest to start with. That is going on my 40 year old recollection though. I could be totally wrong but that's where I would start at least. The crank bolt pattern would have the best chance to be correct along with ring gear diameter. You might just have to drill holes to mount the torque converter to. Until you had both side by side you wouldn't really know though.

elefantrider · 03-15-2011, 06:15 AM

The torque converter on these cars is on the back of the engine. Ropeshaft bolts directly to crank.

The flexplate is only used to start the engine so anything with the same backspace and teeth count will probably work.

TheAmericanRuse · 03-15-2011, 01:26 PM

yeah, the flexplate bolts to the crank and the rope shaft bolts to the flexplate and crank.
The problem with trying to adapt other flexplates is the LeMans plate is not flat, is has a curve to it to space it out away from the block.

mechanickeith · 03-15-2011, 01:35 PM

Does anyone know if the bell housing demensions are the same on the manual trans cars as the automatics?? Reason I am asking, is the starter placement in the same place on each car?? If so, the manual trans flywheel should bolt up & work with the starter. You could machine most of the weight out of a flywheel & make it work. Just thinking outside the box here, may work!

TheAmericanRuse · 03-15-2011, 01:37 PM

Im not sure about that, as this is my first big step into 61-63 LeMans, and my 63 sure is whoopin' my ass right now.

mechanickeith · 03-15-2011, 02:04 PM

Dont get discouraged Guy!! These are a great little car & getting pretty hard to find. If you go to just about any car show, you will be the only one there!!! Not to worry, it will work out. If the part is out there, we will find it!! If not, we will make something work!!

JohnFromVentura · 03-15-2011, 02:11 PM

I would do a "nationwide" search on searchtempest.com under 63 Tempest parts and you could just find your part! search tempest searches all of the Craigslist areas that you select.

Sirrotica · 03-15-2011, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mechanickeith

Does anyone know if the bell housing demensions are the same on the manual trans cars as the automatics?? Reason I am asking, is the starter placement in the same place on each car?? If so, the manual trans flywheel should bolt up & work with the starter. You could machine most of the weight out of a flywheel & make it work. Just thinking outside the box here, may work!

Keith, I know that it is because I had a 63 Tempest 326, but mine was a 3 speed. I used a flywheel and bellhousing from a 61 Catalina to convert it over to a 3 speed Saginaw transmission conventional placement with a transmission hump from a 60 Ventura, and a 61 Corvette rear axle. This was over 40 years ago and my thoughts were that the starter placement was the same owing to the idea that a Super hydramatic flex plate could be used. I still think it would be possible. I never had or worked on an automatic 63 Tempest, so I didn't know of the placement of the converter for sure, although I thought I remembered some where along the line that the torque converter was rear mounted. I should have known that because the whole transaxle assy. was worked over from a Corvair, and I do know that they're rear mounted.

TheAmericanRuse · 03-15-2011, 03:11 PM

is the 4cyl flexplates or flywheels from 63' the same as the v8? I found one of each in iowa, and Im thinking about trying it.

mechanickeith · 03-15-2011, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

Keith, I know that it is because I had a 63 Tempest 326, but mine was a 3 speed. I used a flywheel and bellhousing from a 61 Catalina to convert it over to a 3 speed Saginaw transmission conventional placement with a transmission hump from a 60 Ventura, and a 61 Corvette rear axle. This was over 40 years ago and my thoughts were that the starter placement was the same owing to the idea that a Super hydramatic flex plate could be used. I still think it would be possible. I never had or worked on an automatic 63 Tempest, so I didn't know of the placement of the converter for sure, although I thought I remembered some where along the line that the torque converter was rear mounted. I should have known that because the whole transaxle assy. was worked over from a Corvair, and I do know that they're rear mounted.

Brad, let me try & clarify, Is the automatic trans 326 Tempest starter in the exact same spot as the manual trans Tempest 326 & 4 cylinders?? I belive it is. If its in the same spot & the ring gear tooth count is the same, you can use a manual trans flywheel in place of the flex plate. You can take the flywheel to any decent machine shop & have the excess weight taken off. I dont belive the 4 cyl flywheels are different between 61-62 & 63, as far as diamater. I do know that the 61-62 flywheels are 12" across & have a 150 tooth count on the ring gear. here are a couple of pics of a 61 flywheel, front & back.

c5farmer · 03-15-2011, 05:03 PM

Take a look at the following photos.
#1-326 auto flywheel (never removed from engine,13" dia.)
#2-326 flywheel showing ring gear teeth and distance from block
#3-195 auto flywheel lighter than a manual flywheel and has a 12.5" dia.
#4-326 auto bell housing showing starter position (about 5 o'clock)
#5-195 auto bell housing showing starter position (about 1 o'clock)
The differences in diameter and starter mounting would make interchange not work. I would like to see better photos of TheAmerianRuse's flywheel for comparison and evaluation. It looked like his had holes drilled in it??????

Jerry

TheAmericanRuse · 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c5farmer

Take a look at the following photos.
#1-326 auto flywheel (never removed from engine,13" dia.)
#2-326 flywheel showing ring gear teeth and distance from block
#3-195 auto flywheel lighter than a manual flywheel and has a 12.5" dia.
#4-326 auto bell housing showing starter position (about 5 o'clock)
#5-195 auto bell housing showing starter position (about 1 o'clock)
The differences in diameter and starter mounting would make interchange not work. I would like to see better photos of TheAmerianRuse's flywheel for comparison and evaluation. It looked like his had holes drilled in it??????

Jerry

My plate had one hole in it, Im not sure if it was stock drilled or not.
It could of been drilled years ago to aid in removal?

Also, Im not gonna be home for several days so Im not gonna be able to get photos of my plate for a few days to a week.

-RL

Sirrotica · 03-15-2011, 05:12 PM

Keith, I don't think they are the same. I know the big cars are the same as the 326s. I believe earlier on the OP said his 326 flexplate was 13 inches across. I really don't know because I have very little experience with 194s. I also don't believe the bellhousings are the same between the 194s and the 326s. I could be wrong, this is trying to remember 40 years ago and I can't recall all the details. I however had no experience with 194 tempests as the 63 326 was the only ropeshaft car I ever owned and I rebuilt the 3 speed as it was blown when I bought it and I promptly took second gear out again. I then converted it to a conventional driveline as I could see the ropeshaft thing wasn't going to hold up to a 17 YO with a heavy right foot and a light head, especially when I took the 2 barrel off an put Tri Power from a 64 GTO on it....LOL

My thoughts are, the V8 starters are all in the same location be it 389 in a B body or 326 in a Tempest auto or stick. It seems to me I looked at a 194 out of the car and the starter placement was different, too long ago to be sure though. If the diameter of both the 326 flexplate and the 389 super hydramatic flexplate, 13 inches, the super flexplate may be able to be used. I know it's not the same part number, but I have a suspicion that it could be made to work. All theory though as I have only fuzzy memories to work from and no actual cars or parts in front of me to look at.

Any chance Barcak has a 389 super flexplate loose that you could measure it? and maybe take a few pics of?

Sirrotica · 03-15-2011, 05:26 PM

From looking at C5s pics I think from memory that the 326 flywheel is the 389 super flywheel without the converter bolt holes drilled. That's what I have been saying all along. I could be wrong but I think that's the way to go with this problem. Find a 389 super hydramatic flywheel and I think it will work.

TheAmericanRuse · 03-15-2011, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by c5farmer

Take a look at the following photos.
#1-326 auto flywheel (never removed from engine,13" dia.)

See, I dont understand...
look at my auto flywheel, it has this hole in it thats now mangled up, also, look at where it bolts to the crank closely, it has that weird plate that I still havent figured out what its for.

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