Z Bar pivot ball bracket

[rsavage]

I am restoring a 69 4X4 Blazer with a sm465 4speed and a Dana TC. It has a bracket for the clutch z bar pivot ball that bolts to a head bolt and the original hole that the ball would thread into. It moves the ball 5" forward. The engine sits where it should with the distributor very near the firewall. My 71 4X4 Blazer, which I no longer have was a TH350 so photos of that are no help. My 70 shortbed K10 ( which I also no longer have) was a 4 spd. stick but I can't remember if it had this same bracket. My 70 Burb was a stick 2WD, which I also sold, and I can't remember that having a bracket - I think the ball just threaded into the block. I pulled that drivetrain and put a 200 4r in it.
So, do all 4X4's whose engine's sit back to clear the axle use the bracket?

[A1971Blazer]

I have a '71 K5 4speed parts truck.....the ball is threaded into the block near the oil filter ...

[68panelman]

My 70 with 350 4spd & Dana 20 also threads in the cyl head. I only remember my 70 2wd Jimmy having a pivot bracket.

[6768chevylover]

Mine is the same as A1971blazer...

[rsavage]

Thanks for the responses. The Blazer frame and tub are at the body/paint shop so I can't look at the frame. It was an original 6 cyl stick Blazer. When I bought it, it came with a 305 which is being replaced by a 350 I'm currently building. The 305 sat close to the firewall where it should sit in a 4X4. The bracket moves the ball forward 5". Clutch linkage lined up and worked before I stripped the truck. I will have to look when I get the truck back in a couple of months on whether the frame z bar bracket could be moved back and still have linkage work. Would 6 cylinder mount towers, if left on whenever the 6 was replaced make a 5 " difference necessitating the bracket?

[richard2717]

Rick,
I have 2 72's here. One is original 307 and the ball screws into the block. The other one was originally 250 6 cyl. and has the ball on the strap bracket. Seems to me the bracket was needed for attaching to the 6 cyl. but it did swap over to the 350 and line up when i put that motor in back in the 90's. Back then I never did find a set of headers that would fit this setup so I took a set of hookers cut them and made them fit using EMT conduit. I don't recall having to adjust the motor mounts between engines either other than removing the 6 cyl. "spacers" in the mounts. I attached a picture of the 72 with the 6 to 8 cyl swap. you can just see the attaching bracket for the ball. It was hard to see down in there but I do believe the bracket bolts to the block and not the head

Richard

[rsavage]

Thanks Richard. I guess I'll just have to use the bracket. I can't move the motor forward because my crossmember, drive shafts etc. wouldn't work. When I get it back I will check to see if the z bar frame bracket can be moved back so that the ball stud could be screwed in the block. First year Blazer maybe had some quirks of its own?
PS - I finally used up the last of those shop rags you gave me when I bought the 2nd Gen Blazer seats from you. That Blazer, by the way, is in Louisiana now. Regards