Would it be totally wrong to use a 6cyl in a V8 '57?

Just wanted to get some opinions on this subject. I'm sick of building and buying new small blocks for my '57. I drive my car daily and have had 3 motors in it in the last 6 years. The SBC thats in it now was a new GM crate like 4 years ago and just started knocking on the bottom end last night. I'm thinking of yanking it out and running a 194 or 250 straight 6. Would that be totally weird since its originally a V8 car? (I'm going to shave the Vee emblems anyway.)

 

You will need to alter the radiator, as any 6 will not fit whilst the radiator is BEHIND the support panel.

Originally a 6 cylinder car had the radiator in front of the support panel

 

Not sure what problem you're having, we've run small blocks as much as.. well, just sold a beater pickup with 310,000 miles on the original engine that ran as good as ever. Would it be wierd? A little. If that's what you're happy with, go for it. But I'm not sure it will solve the underlying problem.

 

Drop a gm 4.3 in it. 99% of the folks looking wouldn't even notice.

 

Yep, hard to tell if you don't look close.

if you have lost 3 engines at around 30 K each I'd have to wonder about your driving or maintenance habits more than the quality of the engines to begin with.
The 79 350 in my daily driver 71 GMC had way over 100K on it when I pulled it out of my son's totaled Elkie and a quick rering and valve job six years ago has resulted in about 80K fairly trouble free miles. It gets driven to work daily and tows my sailboat when called upon to do that.

 

I already have the radiator in the 6cyl position. I'm not sure what the underlying problem is. I've had a built 327 and th350, a built 350 marine, and now it's a GM crate with a rebuilt th350. It must be the way I drive or something because I cant keep a small block in good shape in my car. And I change the oil a lot and run zinc additives so that shouldn't be an issue.

 

I only put about 1500 mi. on oil changes, but it did sit all winter and I didn't chance the oil until yesterday so I'm thinking it might have something to do with that. The 327 was worn out because I used it as a daily driver back and fourth to Wyoming and as a daily in Laramie while I was there. (ridiculously cold winters.)

 

Only if it has GMC on the Valve cover. Buy a Tach and drive to that. You'll save alot of grief.



Tim

 

Put a big block in it.

The six would not be wrong, but it will be kind of wimpy compared to the v8. My wife's late model truck has the 4.3 v6 and it's hard to get used to how little passing power it has, etc.

I'd think a few times before doing it.

 

I think I might drop the 6 in a drive it until I have the time and money to rebuild the small block. Also have a 383 stroker but I think it needs a new top end, and a pontiac 389 but an adapter to go to the th350 is like $900. I'm not worried about the inliner being weak on power, I just cruise anyway.

 

Until it snaps the starter bolts.

 

sell the six and put a 283 truck engine in it. They run forever


sell the six and buy an earlier 60's 283 truck engine. They run forever.

 

I have a worn out 283 out of an old truck.....they don't run forever.

 

Where are you located in Missouri? I have a good friend that is rich in Pontiac's I'm sure he would have a tranny for that 389 for reasonable.

 

What is it, a 59-63 389? Price the adapter to run a BOP case trans with it, it just needs to hold the starter in place.

 

I thought I saw Speedway listing an BOP to chevy adapter plate for like $50 ???

I think a Poncho motor would be tits!

 

I'm in Rolla.

 

Here
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Chevy-to-BOP-Transmission-Adapter-Plate,3281.html

 

Damn, just map quested it. Your roughly 8hrs away. But I can still P.M. is info if your interested.

 

Not sure of the year but I think the motor is late 50's/ early 60's. I'll look into it.

 

Dude, just sell the car before you ruin it. 3 mouse motors in 6 years?? It ain't the motor that's the problem.

 

I am a fan of inline sixes and consider the later 250 & 292 to be points of departure for serious six banger performance. That said, my Dad had a '57 Chevy with a Sick Six in it (235) with the slushbox slide glide, and brother, it wouldn't get out of it's own way. For a grown man to ask about replacing a V8 with a 6 in a '57 Chevy can only mean that you just don't get it. I have run junk yard small blocks built with minimal machining and go-fast parts and don't see the logic of your argument in the least. Instead of using some of your 'old' parts, you're talking about a 'start up' enterprise that requires a complete engine --- money that could be used to 'overhaul' a junk motor that when done you could drive with common sense further than any six, that we both know will be stressed to keep up with today's traffic no matter how much you 'wish' otherwise. Stick with a known and refine it. Obviously if you're building lemon motors, or getting them built you need to change machinists, vendors, or go back to basics and figure out what errors and omissions caused the catastrophic failure in the first place. You will never master something by changing your tactics, you need to change your strategy. Have you blue-printed your engines? Did you have them static and dynamically balanced? Were the parts compatible? Go back and think this one out before you miss out on the opportunity of lifetime, and learn to master something instead of letting it master you.

 

I don't know what your doing to those small block chevys, I would be pretty mad if I only got 30,000 miles out of a new motor unless I was beating the crap out of it.

You know time is as important with oil changes as mileage is, right? The oil is supposed to be changed every 6 months, or every 3,000 miles, whichever comes first. Short trips, cold (or hot) temperatures, and dirty/dusty conditions kill motor oil.

If your oil change procedures remain the same, the 6 will be dead in 30k miles as well.

Another thing that tends to kill motors early is high RPM, especially on a cold motor. Until a motor reaches operating temperature (160 degrees to 180 degrees) 2500 RPM is about the most it should be turning. Anything over about 5,000 RPM on the street is considered abuse and shorter life should be expected.

Maybe if your treating your engines properly and they are still dieing an early death, maybe you are using the wrong brand of engine for you. I had a cousin that kept breaking the sbc engines in his Chevy truck (he beat them to death). One time I was giving him a bunch of crap and told him he just needed a good motor in his truck. I told him he would not be able to break a 318 Mopar. He called me on it, and we wedged a 318 into his truck. He wrecked everything on the truck trying to kill that 318! I mean he was doing flat stupid stuff. Finally after 5 years of abuse with the 318 in the truck, the truck died, but the 318 still running strong. I know that motor was unusual, but I sure have fun reminding him of how tough that 318 was, to this day. Maybe you need a 318? Gene

 

If I remember correctly Pontiac changes the block between 64-65. Not by much, I think it was only the starter mounting. On the block one year, on the tranny the next.

 

Don't think you would be satisfied with the Six performance after having the V-8s.
Also, probably wouldn't get more than 30,000 miles on it either, for whatever reasons
your having with the others.
Maybe you should try a Ford engine.
.

 

A 250 isn't going to last any longer than a a 283 or a 350, It might help to know what went wrong with the other engines.

What trans are you running?

 

389 pont, 318 dodge, ford......I am laughing! I'm with Squirrel put a BB in that bad boy! peace

 

I'm pretty intrigued by the Pontiac thing though, and it will piss off a lot of people so thats fun. I've always wanted a nailhead in a '57. I donno, it's a lot of bullshit to think about since i'm remodeling my house too and me and my wife split up like a month ago and I haven't heard from her since. Kinda getting sick of my head spinning, just waiting for the next barrage of bullshit to come my way.

 

The late style six from the 194-215-230-250-292 family will bolt to your existing bellhousing, or automatic trans. There are commercially made motor mounts available for these engine swaps. These sixes have seven main bearings, so the bottom end strength is there. Hei conversion using factory distributor. Clifford even makes headers to fit these engines and your chassis. They also make several different intake manifolds. The late style six is slightly longer than the stovebolt style, so the radiatormay have to go even farther forward; easy enough to do. I'd go with the truck 292 six; tell people it's a 292, without opening the hood, and they'll think you have a .060 over 283. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Bolt pattern is more or less the same with minor changes from 59-up, but they went to a block mount starter beginning in 1965 and 64-up blocks have the ear for it - but not all '64 engines have bolt holes, and not all with the holes are tapped for the bolts. Before that the starter mounts with bolts from front to back; auto trans cars had an iron adapter they bolted into between that and the trans case itself.

I can't imagine why they'd want $700 for a steel ring with an ear to hold a new style starter on it.

A Pontiac in a Chevy may require a bit of offset or monkey works with the left manifold to clear the steering box, they do even in a Pontiac - the stock '57 Pontiac manifolds actually dump at the front and connect around the other side.


IIRC a 250 six will bolt right in there, a 292 will need one mount moved a few inches.