Have you thought about putting a Gen III Hemi into a muscle car that has a manual transmission? Lakewood Industries (a Holley company) has developed a cast aluminum bellhousing that mates a Gen III Hemi or a small-block Mopar (273 – 360 CID) to a Mopar 3-speed (Chrysler A230, A250, A390, A745, and A903), Mopar 4-speed (Chrysler A833), or a Ford-style TKO 500/600 or a TKX transmission. Lakewood offers the bellhousing as a stand-alone unit (part no. LK7000) or with an installation kit (part no. LK7000K).

Above Left: Lakewood Industries has added a new bellhousing casting for the Gen III Hemi and small block engines. Above Right: The bellhousing is designed to work with Mopar factory 3- and 4-speeds and the Ford-style TKO and TKX manual transmissions.  

The Lakewood bellhousing mirrors the factory design. However, its compactness and increased strength, coupled with its reduced weight, make it ideal for engine swappers. The bellhousing is intended for projects that do not require an SFI rated unit.

The bellhousing will work with a 10.5-inch (maximum diameter) clutch and supports mechanical or hydraulic clutch actuation. Hays (a Holley company) offers several 23- and 26-spline clutch discs with diaphragm or Borg and Beck pressure plates.

Above Left: The Lakewood bellhousing is a compact, lightweight, and strong aluminum casting based on factory design. The casting is a cost-effective option for the street. Above Right: The bellhousing can be purchased as a single component or bought as part of a kit, including installation components such as the clutch fork boot. 

The bellhousing has left-hand starter (driver side) mounting provisions and is designed to be used with a 130-tooth flywheel (also available from Hays). Lakewood includes three alignment rings to fit the various transmissions to the bellhousing (inside diameter measurements of 4.345-, 4.807-, or 4.850-inches). With the LK7000K kit, a fork boot, dust cover, bellhousing bolt kit, and fork pivot brackets are included.

Above Left: The bellhousing dust shield and fork pivot brackets (not shown) are part of the kit. Above Right: The kit comes with all the mounting bolts to install a manual transmission to a Gen III Hemi. 

Swapping a Gen III Hemi into Mopars that did not come with the Hemi is becoming easier by the day. The Lakewood bellhousing is the latest part Holley has developed to help with a Hemi swap. So, if you want Gen III Hemi power and desire to row your own, check out Lakewood for its bellhousing, and visit Holley often for its latest Hemi swap updates.

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