Ford - unidentified bolt hole

1700 Views 25 Replies 13 Participants Last post by xntrik, Feb 18, 2007

Irelands child

Discussion Starter · Feb 9, 2007

I may have asked this before but without pictures. I have a 7/16 socket head bolt stuck in a hole at the bell housing circle of my project car engine. I have no idea what it is there for - possible a bracket, but....This hole, when probed with a piece of wire is deep, possibly in the flex plate area. I called the Ford performance number and they had no idea what I was talking about, but they didn't have the benefit of a picture.

The engine is a late (1999 manufacture) Ford 5.0L crate motor.

Are ther any Fordnatics that can make a guess? My plan is to put a socket head set screw there and forget it if there is no valid reason for it to be open.

Sorry about the picture quality - the batteries are dying in my wifes little P&S camera (and are charging for my SLR)

Dave

See less See more

2

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

powerrodsmike

· #2 · Feb 9, 2007

bellcrank pivot hole for a right hand drive cabover truck.

Just kidding.

Knock sensor?

Alien probe hole?

Dipstick tube bracket?

Can you tell I'm guessing?

Later, mikey

See less See more

DoubleVision

· #3 · Feb 9, 2007

I don`t think you have any worry really, small block chevy`s have a hole similiar to that as do my 4.3 liter V6 blocks, it`s just a open hole, I`ve seen them used for spark plug wire dividers on past small blocks. You should be able to tell it goes into the open bellhousing, your flywheel is likely directly under it. If the hole bothers you, install a short pipe plug.

Henry Highrise

· #4 · Feb 9, 2007

I see or know of no valid reason for it to be open...I would just do as you suggested and plug it. Gee Mikey disappointed me...I don't believe it.

nitro_baller4692

· #5 · Feb 9, 2007

how about a crank angle sensor?

FordMan1951

· #6 · Feb 9, 2007

powerrodsmike said:
Dipstick tube bracket?

It does line up with where the Tans dip goes on some narrow engine compartment cars. My 1969 302 PU has a lot of room for it beside the valve cover and uses a bell housing bolt. That location shows a lug on the housing but no bolt. Maybe!!!

powerrodsmike

· #7 · Feb 9, 2007

Ok henry, I went and looked at some of the blocks I have around here.

1981 302 out of a lincoln,
1977 351 w from a van,
72 351 cleveland from a torino,
67 289 in a mustang and a
1970 351 cleveland from a mustang
and my 1972 F100 with a 302.

Every one of those blocks has a hole in the exact same place, spotfaced, drilled and tapped 7/16 14.. The later ones are through holes.

The lincoln motor still has a piece of the dipstick tube bracket bolted to it.

I say dipstick tube bracket. as there was no such thing as a knock sensor or crank position sensor in 1970.

Have I redeemed myself?

Later, mikey

See less See more

johnsongrass1

· #8 · Feb 9, 2007

Plug it..... that's where the gremlins live.

poncho62

· #9 · Feb 9, 2007

Maybe, they use it for transporting the engine in the Ford plant......

LiftFlat

· #10 · Feb 9, 2007

I just pulled a 5.0 out of a '93 Cougar, it too has the hole there...unused.

FordMan1951

· #11 · Feb 9, 2007

powerrodsmike said:
...
1981 302 out of a lincoln, ...
The lincoln motor still has a piece of the dipstick tube bracket bolted to it.

Thanks Mikey. I was right.

Irelands child

Discussion Starter · #12 · Feb 9, 2007

The multi-use hole is now history. The gremlins, knock sensors, pivot brackets, or what ever other dipstick item it supported is GONE as far as I'm concerned. Your 'original' answers have been cataloged for future reference on future posts

:nono:

The local library had a surplus sale today and now I'm going to try to watch my new VHS $1.00 copy of "Rebel Without a Cause" and forget about strange holes

.

Dave

See less See more

Henry Highrise

· #13 · Feb 9, 2007

Somehow I knew that if anybody could figure out a strange hole.....that Mikey could do it.

FordMan1951

· #14 · Feb 9, 2007

Henry Highrise said:
Somehow I knew that if anybody could figure out a strange hole.....that Mikey could do it.

What??? I don't get no credit?

Irelands child

Discussion Starter · #15 · Feb 9, 2007

Henry Highrise said:
Somehow I knew that if anybody could figure out a strange hole.....that Mikey could do it.

Strange holes and some folks just seem to go together :nono:

Henry Highrise

· #16 · Feb 9, 2007

FordMan1951 said:
What??? I don't get no credit?

OK...you can have some credit.....He Mikey....I think this means your going to have to share those strange holes.

powerrodsmike

· #17 · Feb 9, 2007

Isn't there another thread about strange holes in the lounge?

Mikey

xntrik

· #18 · Feb 11, 2007

Kids. Ya, gotta be an old timer to understand what it is.
You just don't get it, do you?

That is a 50/50 hole.

Used by numerous manufacturers on several product lines.

(From 50 feet away at 50 mph, nobody will notice it.)

scrimshaw

· #19 · Feb 16, 2007

I vaguely remember hearing that some bell-housings pressurize themselves when the engine is running, is it possible that this hole is there to relieve pressure?

powerrodsmike

· #20 · Feb 16, 2007

scrimshaw said:
I vaguely remember hearing that some bell-housings pressurize themselves when the engine is running, is it possible that this hole is there to relieve pressure?

Most all of the holes I have looked at are blind. Most transmissions have vents, and the bellhousings on standard transmissions have smoke vent holes. I still think that it is for a dipstick tube bracket.
Not all dipstick tubes need to use it though. On all the blocks I looked at, there was nothing in the hole at all. Many of the blocks were installed in the original cars.

Later,

Mikey

1 - 20 of 26 Posts

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.