Bell housing dowel needed

[nbtone]

There are two dowels about 2” long on the back of a 6.9 that keep the transmission lined up with the crankshaft. One of mine broke off and I need one if anyone knows where to find one.

 

[tradergem]

If you can't find one and need it right away, maybe you could make one out of a cut down drill shank or grade 8 bolt that is the same diameter.

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

I can tell you that the ones between my 7.3 and my zf-5 were exactly 0.5 inches in diameter and 1 inch long. I’m betting that yours are 1/2 inch dowels too, but the lengths are probably different depending on the transmission. They should be available on Amazon and elsewhere, but probably not locally. If you’re in a rush you might get away with buying 1/2” cold rolled steel rod at Home Depot and cutting it down. It probably wont be a perfect 0.500” but if it’s oversized you can spin it in a drill chuck against sandpaper or a file to get it closer.

EDIT: I measured the wrong dowel, see later posts!

 

[XOLATEM]

I would like to add to the good advice from above to be sure to grind chamfers at both ends to make it easier to work with...

 

[nbtone]

Thanks! I never thought of using something different. I was going to drill out the one in the 7.3 I’m replacing with the 6.9 if i couldn't find one.

 

[nbtone]

I just measured. They are .335” diameter.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

An 11/32 drill bit is 0.34375. That's about as close as your going to get in anything fractional.

Could possibly get closer with metrics but I know nothing about them so you would have to do some research to figure that out.

James

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I’m betting that yours are 1/2 inch dowels too, but the lengths are probably different depending on the transmission.

I thought that 1/2" was on the big and I see that it is. They are all the same for Ford applications. The transmission makes no difference because they all use the same adapter plates. The only different ones are in Internationals. Those are shorter because they don't use adapter plates.

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

I thought that 1/2" was on the big and I see that it is. They are all the same for Ford applications. The transmission makes no difference because they all use the same adapter plates. The only different ones are in Internationals. Those are shorter because they don't use adapter plates.

I thought the one I went and measured came from a truck engine, but it must have come from that 7.3 IDI I got out of a boat (no adapter plate) Sorry for the confusion!

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

Ok I figured out why I was confused. The dowel I measured did come from the ZF-5 in my truck, but that’s because my ZF-5 was originally behind a 460 gas engine. So your useless fact for the day is that zf-5s behind 460s use 1/2” dowels, and diesels use 0.335 dowels!

 

[IDIBRONCO]

I thought the one I went and measured came from a truck engine, but it must have come from that 7.3 IDI I got out of a boat (no adapter plate) Sorry for the confusion!

Well that sure is one application that I had never considered before.

 

[tradergem]

Try looking on McMasterCar catalogue for .335 dowl.

 

[nbtone]

I went out to the hardware store and bought a 5/16” dowel. It doesn’t fit. I remeasured and it looks like 3/8” is the right size. The dial caliper has a step on its jaws I didn’t notice the first time.

 

[Rdnck84_03]

5/16 is only .3125. The 3/8 is going to measure .375 so it will be too big if the previously posted .335 is what you need.

looking at our chart at work, a 21/64 drill bit measures .3281. A size Q bit is .3320 and size R is .3390. The letter bits are pretty much impossible to find unless you have a good machinist supply store near by though.

James

 

[nbtone]

Like i said i measured wrong. The 5/16” dowel was way too small. I measured again, and .375 is the right measurement. I paid $1.70 for the 5/16” dowel, but the hardware store is 60 miles away now. I bought four 3/8” dowels on ebay for $10.