i have the 61 buick with the dynaflow, i am told i can't put the 400 in it because the crank is different, and there is no flywheel for it. this is an x frame torque tube car. i know very little about manual trans parts or seting one up. i want a 4 speed and the best i can get. if i get a belhousing from any pre 61 nailhead will it work, are all flex plates the same so i can use a 61 and prior flex plate, and with the bell housing and flex plate taken care off wont any manual trans bolt up. also are all clutch pedels from the 60's pretty much the same and would fit my car? last what parts will i need what are the best ones to get? where do i find them? anyone selling what i'll need? this car will hopefull be over 400 horse and over 500 foot pounds of torque when i'm done.
You need a flywheel, not a flexplate. A flexplate is totally different and is used with automatic transmissions. A flywheel has more substance and provides a surface for the pressure plate to engage the engine. If flywheels aren't available, you may be out of luck.
Unless you hearse is subsantially different underneath than my wagon, which by the way was a GM outsourced job to a hearse maker. You have an Open drivetrain that simply runs through a tunnel with a carrier bearing in the middle. Your dynaflow can be replaced by a Chevy pattern transmission, ie TH350, TH400, TH700R4... with an adapter kit from a number of places, or you can modify the crank slightly to make an SP400 fit. All tranny swaps will require the alteration of your transmission mount and crossmember and driveshaft. NW speed offers Bellhousings and I believe TA has flywheels. Also in 1961 Buick didn't build any full sized car with a stick, I don't know how many 62-64's they made with a stick but you would probably want to convert to a hydrallic throwout bearing with a master cylinder on the clutch pedal. Also 61 Impalas are very simular so you might be able to use stick parts from them.
4 speed coversion ok i guess your right, i didn't know what a torque tube was, someone mentioned it before, and i see my driveshaft in a tube or tunel. i do have a regular rear end with a u joint connecting the driveshaft to the rear end. i guess my focus now is to find a bellhousing i reather find a vintage aftermarket but i dont think it will be an easy find, i'll also need to find a flywheel that will work on my 61 401 motor. once i get them i can get any trans i want a t-10 or a m-22 ect. but the hard part is where do i find these parts, and a clutch pedal setup?
NW Speed has a large inventory of used nailhead stuff, try them. I don't know who makes flywheels for early nailheads. Pedals... ain't going to be factory for a 61 Buick since they didn't make any. I don't know how interchangable a 62-64 Wildcat setup would be that would the best place to start otherwise be prepared to fabricate up your pedals either from something modern or a reproduction 61 Impala setup. I still don't get why you don't want overdrive? A M-22 isn't cheap, you can probably get a TKO II 5-speed or a T-56 6-speed from Keisler for about the same amount.
61 buick 4 speed conversion nothing aginst the modern stuff, i'm just trying to keep this car all vintage as far as parts go. i want it to look and feel like an old hot rod that some kids in the 60's put together. i know some people like the look of the old and the luxery of the new ( best of both worlds) i'm just not in that crowd. i would use new internal componets like the roller tip rockers and stuff like that, but i just want the bulk of my car to vintage.
You are wrong about 61 Buicks not having sticks in there big cars. 3 speeds were standard in all but the Electra. But not meany were mad.
