Hey Stallion,
As memory serves, the starter is bolted to the engine block on the passenger side and there is a clearance hole that allows the bellhousing to go around the starter gear.
You should be able to remove the bellhousing by removing the 5 bolts that hold it onto the back of the engine block. If you can't get a wrench onto the top bolts from the topside a really long extension with a u-joint swivel on a socket wrench will remove them from underneath the car. You may also need to lower the rear of the engine to get the bolts out (due to firewall clearance) and get the bellhousing off.
Once the bellhousing is off,remove the clutch fork by sliding it off the ball stud(there is a spring clip that holds it in place)and remove the fork from the dust boot.
From there you should be able to inspect your throwout bearing and clutch pressure plate spring fingers.
When you remove the bolts that hold the pressure plate and clutch assembly together, make sure you put your pilot shaft tool into the center to hold the clutch plate in place. Unscrew the bolts a little at a time, and evenly on all bolts until the pressure is relieved from the assembly.
When the spring pressure is released, you can then remove the bolts and remove the pressure plate and the clutch plate and the throwout bearing.
Are you going to replace the whole clutch, flywheel, pressure plate, and throwout bearing? If not, there is an "X" stamped on the pressure plate that aligns up with another"X" on the flywheel. Make sure that they line up when you put everything back together.
I think you are going to find a chewed up throwout bearing that used to have the fork attached to it from your description of the original problem.
Good luck!
), but now I have another problem...the bell housing won't budge!! I realize that it hasn't been off since the factory in '77, but I can't get it off. Any ideas?
