sbc into a 49 f1

[Upchuck]

anybody got any hints or tips on putting a sbc into one of them trucks? how far forward to put it, front crossmember verses seperate mounts off the sides of the frame,I was hopeing to use the stock exhaust manifolds as well from a 75 chevy truck,etc.

its gonna be bolted to a 350 auto transmission

another thing I was giving some thought to using the master cylinder and power brake booster off the 75 as well and replacing the thru the floor pedals and just using the hanging pedal assembly from the 75 to if its possible having 4 drum brakes all around useing the stock 49 brakes, is that a no no?

thanks

[Gracie]

Why? SBC = Yawn

[Upchuck]

cause I got this 75 truck for $100.00 with a good engine and transmission, plus one kids is getting braces on his teeth so I have to take the elcheapo route http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
plus I really like them sbc's, I've got all sorts of parts for them and an old weiand highrise sitting on a shelf with nothing to do but gather dust,and some nice alluminum valve covers to help it go faster http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Fat Hack]

I've never done this particular swap (and likely wouldn't, but I'd help a buddy do it!) myself, but having seen many of these trucks up close locally, I have a pretty good feel for them.

The small Chevy easily drops into these trucks, you can find swap kits and mounts just about anywhere...Speedway has them in their catalog as I'm sure do many others!

On engine swapping in general, I prefer to start with the trans. If your're going to run a TH-350, get it positioned so that it fits in the tunnel and buy your crossmember of modify your stock one as required. These trucks have lots of room, so you should be able to find a happy medium as far as the mounting position goes...I'd place it far enough forward so that you could slip your hand down behind the motor and get to the upper bellhousing bolts in the final assembly, but not so far forward that you can see the whole bellhousing or anything!

(This will help out with trans dipstick clearance and make working on the truck easier)

The typical Speedway mounts usually allow yo to slide the motor back and forth to get it right where you want it before bolting it down. If you can, do a mock-up assembly with a bare block, oil pan and empty trans case. Plastic mock-up blocks can be purchased if you want to spend the bucks...they're super light and you can bolt yor pan and exhaust to them to check for clearance. Makes a one-man operation way easier!

Be mindfull of things like steering clearance and such when deciding exactly how far forward you want your engine to sit. Once you get the engine and tranny into your chassis area, you'll see just how nicely it fits...plenty of room!

Once you have your basic motor and tranny mounted, the rest is easy...just go at your own pace and get it on the road! Good luck...hope it works out well for ya!

[Gracie]

Good thing Picasso (Dan included) didn't say... "Well, I'm gonna paint all in blue cuz I got this paint on sale and I have a lot of it lying around..." http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

[rickyracer1962]

gracie rules

[mercury Bill]

[ QUOTE ]
Why? SBC = Yawn

[/ QUOTE ]

I couldnt have said better myself. Caddy,olds,buick or or im going to say it here goes Ford power why be like all the others..Im not dogging the sbc i even have a couple my self...its just over and over and over. Damn they must have made one for every one on the planet and a spare...LOL

[Upchuck]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Why? SBC = Yawn

[/ QUOTE ]
Damn they must have made one for every one on the planet and a spare...LOL

[/ QUOTE ]

well they just made 1 more! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Upchuck]

Fat Hack thanks for the info on the bellhousing, I never would have thought about that til I had to unhook the 2 in the rig and then the cursing would have begun!

[Fat Hack]

Yeah, Upchuk...after a couple decades of doing this sorta thing, you start to think of things like "Gee, how am I ever gonna GET to this part if I need to repair/replace it?"

Ha Ha...with a little thought, you can often make things easier for yourself down the road!!

And, sure...small block Chevy swaps ARE boring...they've been done to death and I've vowed never to do another myself...but here's a guy who obviously wants to DRIVE his truck, and he has a small block Chevy on hand!

If it were ME, I'd put something else in it...but it's not my truck, so it ain't my decision. That said, I would certainly do whatever I could to help a guy get his heap on the road...even if it ain't the way I woulda done it!

Good luck, Bro...hope it goes smooth for ya! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[Upchuck]

I originally wanted to keep the flathead v8 in it but It's got a busted cam in it I found out and I don't want to spend the next years saving here and there to get it fixed up, so I got this other truck for 100.00 with a good engine and transmission + all the little goodies I'll want, this way I might be on the road by summer

I'm keeping the flathead, transmission and the original mounts and crossmembers for maybe another project like a ford 9n tractor! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

[Fat Hack]

That's the best way to build a low buck project car, Upchuck...through creative use of donor vehicles!

(You save a TON of money by using all the little incidentals...bulbs, wire, hoses, brackets, etc, etc, etc, vs buying all that stuff new!)

And, if you play your cards right, you can recoup some of your money and even make a few coins selling off and scrapping what you DON'T use!

[manyolcars]

[ QUOTE ]
Why? SBC = Yawn

[/ QUOTE ] Because it is the most sensible thing to do. Maybe YOU can afford more expensive engines (which means ALL other engines), most of us cant.

[atch]

chuck,

clarence (my '48 f-1 panel truck) has a 283/350 and aspen/volare suspension. i may be a little hazy on the recollections, 'cause it's been a looooong time since i put it together, but here goes: i'm using the original tranny crossmember. i seem to remember that i had to elongate the two holes by an eighth inch or so each. that determined where everything else goes. stock rams horn exhaust. original '48 radiator with one inlet and one outlet closed off at the radiator shop. get the engine sitting at the level you want and start making cardboard templates to connect the frame and the "engine half" of the original motor mounts. i didn't have to cut my floor. 8" ford; maybe out of a mustang, i don't remember. boneyard driveshaft. both u-joints are the same size (chevy tranny & ford rear). i measured the ideal length center to center of the driveshaft after final installation of engine/tranny/rear and went to a local boneyard that let me look through his stack of driveshafts. it was an old ford van completely stuffed to the top with driveshafts. i took every one of them out and measured the ones with the correct yoke on each end. used the one that was closest to my "ideal" measurement. i believe it was within a quarter inch or so of what i had determined. put new u-joints in both ends and installed it. can't count the miles this thing has had put on it since then, but it's never given me any trouble.

i was putting in a tilt gm column with the mopar front suspension/steering, so i can't help with interferences of stock axle/steering.

cheap? yes.

would i do it again (in present financial/marital circumstances)? no.

would i recommend you do it given what you said above? yes.

am i happy with what i did and the 13 summers i've driven it? extremely.

tip (i'm sure you already knew): take the front sheetmetal off before you start swapping the engine. it only takes about 15 minutes to take it off and you'll save tens of hours in the long run.

[Upchuck]

thanks for the tips you guys I appreciate it!

[Upchuck]

out comes the flathead http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

[TINGLER]

Upchuck,

Don't worry about putting that Chevy engine in there. JUST DO IT.
Once I blow this 235 of mine to hell, I plan on putting a 350 in my '58 Chevy.....

......'course I did consider buying a 351w Ford engine for it.... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

It all comes down to what I can get that's cheapest and most reliable.

[McGrath]

"Because it is the most sensible thing to do. Maybe YOU can afford more expensive engines (which means ALL other engines), most of us cant. "


Exactly. Cheap horsepower, reliable, and you can get parts for it anywhere.

This is the 350 in my '65 F100. I used '69 Chevy Truck motor mounts and it set right down on the Ford frame towers. I even used the ford alternator and solonoid, so there was no re-wiring involved, other than running 12v to the HEI.

[Gracie]

I have never gone broke building small block fords... who started the rumor that building them was expensive? I've had them since I was 15 and never had to eat dog food to build them. Manyoldcars... I know you know that I know that you know fords are not expensive! And believe me, I'm not rich.... I'm the daughter of a steel worker, and total blue collar through and through... and now I make "girl wages" which is always less than you boys! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[McGrath]

Its not just the money.

There is such a thing as a Die-Hard Chevy fan. Nailheads and Hemis are cool, but I have always had SBC's, and I probably always will. I did own one pure Ford once, an '82 Mustang GT. I considered putting a SBC in it just to piss off the Ford Fans. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Upchuck]

if I got the patients I'll take pics as I go and if it all turns out for the good I'll post them up if anyone is interested, I can't get started for a day or 2 the better 1/2 ain't to happy with the amount of vehicles I dragged home in the last 3 days so its time to appease her with a little clean up outside http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[Gracie]

The thing of it is, bftwcs, that YOU are like me... you would NEVER say that you are building an SBC because its cheaper or easier or whatever... you build them because you love them, just like me and my SBFs!

[Upchuck]

Gracie,
I am a diehard sbc fan and honestly can't see myself ever using anything else! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

your a ford fan and I wouldn't even try to argue good and bad points on either engine with you http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif