FE Toploader/Clutch Fork Questions

[68stang289]

I'm still trying to fully sort out my drivetrain that was kind of mashed together in my 70 by the previous owner. It's a 70 Mach with a 428 SCJ and a 4 speed toploader. The toploader in the car is a HEH-BW (66 Mustang 289, wide, 28-spline). I believe what is correct for the car should be a RUG-AZ (70 Mustang 428CJ/SCJ, close, 31-spline). The clutch fork however is a different style than what the 70 428 cars would have come from the factory with (there is no hole through the clutch fork for the lower clutch rod to fit through). Instead it has the dimple style like you would find on a 66 289 4 speed car. I didn't have the opportunity to look for any numbers or anything on the clutch fork before it was reinstalled in the car because my dad went ahead with the install without me so I don't know off hand what the numbers are. Here are my questions:

1. Is there going to be a difference in size (length wise) or a different pivot angle using this unknown clutch fork? What are the potential problems associated with a wrongly paired clutch fork?

2. Would a small block (figure a 351 since that's what the car was before the 428 was transplanted) clutch fork theoretically fit the FE bellhousing?

3. Is it possible to swap a big input shaft into a small input shaft toploader? Any potential issues with doing that other than needing to switch out the pilot bushing? Would I also need to switch out the tailshaft?

Please forgive the ignorance of any of my questions. This car has just been a giant cluster of mashed together parts and sorting out the right way to get stuff done has been a giant headache :hs

 

[gtscode]

First off the case number doesn't mean much at this point. The insides could be from anything. Do you know for sure you have a 28 spline? What clutch did you use?

I wouldn't expect all this to work as you say but it must.

Do you have a pic of the bell housing or clutch fork?

There are 289 parts, 390 parts and 428 parts all different.

 

[68stang289]

First off the case number doesn't mean much at this point. The insides could be from anything. Do you know for sure you have a 28 spline? What clutch did you use?

I wouldn't expect all this to work as you say but it must.

Do you have a pic of the bell housing or clutch fork?

There are 289 parts, 390 parts and 428 parts all different.

The car ran downright fantastic before I started tearing her apart for the restoration which is why I was absolutely shocked at how messed up this conversion to the 428 was. The Z-bar was a modified 351 bar. The lower clutch rod was a mixture of 65-66 and 70. The upper clutch rod was a 67 style that they bent and then welded on a metal sleeve to reinforce. As you can tell, it has been a mess trying to get everything straightened out.

I'm fairly certain that it is a 28-spline. I had crawled under the car at the storage place a few months back and tried to count and kept getting between 26 and 29 (I hadn't been drinking...yet) which leads me to think it's a 28 spline.

The clutch was a RAM clutch as I recall, the same one that the previous owner had used because it was practically brand new when I got the car. I couldn't tell you anything more than that though as I don't have the receipt book handy that the PO gave me.

I thought I did have pictures on my laptop but it turns out I don't. I will have my dad run down to the storage shed and snap some pictures when he gets a chance and post them up.