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

I think I might just drop the 250 in for a while so I'm still on the road and then i'll rebuild either the 350 or the Pontiac to go back in. I still think the Pontiac in the Chevy would be kool, and honestly the Poncho 350 is a better made engine that the Chevy 350. (Thats coming from a Cehvy guy.)

 

When I worked at the junkard a few decades ago, we never had a used pontiac engine that we could sell as anything but a core. I dont know why. We sold a lot of Chevy 350s, most of them worked fine.

The 250 should be a bolt in if you have the right pan on it, and the right mount brackets, and if the V8 was mounted with the modern side mounts and trans mount.

Then you'll remember why we swap big blocks into old 6 cyl chevys

 

If you are killing that many sbc engines you are doing something wrong. If they are maintained well and small problems fixed before they turn into big ones they last at least as well as any other motor out there.

NYC cabs put a zillion miles on them and they are like the Energizer Bunny. If there was ever a testiment to an engine it would be in a NY cab !

You can put a 6 in there, but you aren't going to like it very much.

Don

 

With all that going on the last thing id do is a swap ….. bolt in another sbc = no changing nothing or hunting parts ………………………………...........

If you must do a swap put in a nice flathead

 

6 cyl, ok, big block, yea, pontiac, that would be wrong!

 

The SBC was supposed to be my "Temporary" engine for like the next 20 years until I got around to figuring out how to put a 401 Nailhead in there. (And figuring out how to fund it) Guess I'll just run the 6 for a while, even if it does suck squirrel nuts. I admit I do too many motor swaps but some sick twisted part of me actually likes it I think.

 

Drop a 6.5 GM Diesel into it.

Just make sure the cooling system is up to it!

 

I have no comment!!...

 

your car ,,.... with prices the way they are going ... less gas is great in my book ... well thats if you drive your car everyday or alot . If its parked 98 % of the time ...then go big block .

 

Blasphemy!

 

Dumb idea and ubnless you are "building" small blocks and they don't last long maybe you should find another "builder" to pay for the build.

If you can't make 150-200k out of a rebuilt small block and run the guts out of it everyday there is something seriously wrong and a 6 cylinder is not going to cure it.

I am just sayin'.

 

I grew up driving the old sixes and I have no fond memories of those engines.the distributors wore out and wobbled around and there was a constant battle with carb/ignition/ blowby and oil useage issues.....
Dont use a 235 in that Chevy, they are not a better engine....If anything they have more associated problems across the board than any smallblocks did.
Also any claims of increased mileage was dreaming as well.....they are definitely a step backwards....

did your SB engines you lost get a rebuild before installing or just a used engine swapped in?
Get a basic rebuild kit from Northern Auto parts and build yourself a decent SBC motor,it will definitely be better and more powerful and even cheaper to rebuild than an old stovebolt boat anchor.....

 

don't rebuild the engine yourself. It's obvious you're not very good at driving and I'm sure your engine building skills are equally inadequate. Engines should last longer than tires....30k miles on a CRATE motor indicates that YOUR driving habits are at fault. The only other item I noticed is that you indicated that your radiator is already in front of the support (the six-cylinder position). If you have no shroud and are using stock fan, then perhaps you're just not watching your gauges?

Bus passes are quite cheap these days, turn that '57 over to someone that can make it work.

dj

 

Your problems with the SBC will not go away by swapping in a 6. The problem is most likely in your driving habits and or your maintenance routine.

As most others have said the SBC is a good long living engine, I had a 305 in a 86 Pontiac that ran perfect from new till I sold the car with 685,000 Kilometers on it.

In all that time the engine ,700 R4 and rear end were never opened up and were just given regular maintenance.

You are doing something wrong.

 

about as wrong as swapping a Ford Flatty for a SBC in a shoebox Ford...............

 

forget the engine problems, i'm thinking you have a tranny problem. are you aware there is more than first gear?

 

I think he's better off finding another hobby...

 

Yes... It would be wrong; totally wrong! Don't... please don't...just DON'T DO IT! You are kidding, aren't you Its like putting a slant six in a Hemi car... its sacrilegious!

 

This is kind of a guess, but what are you using right now for motor mounts??If you are still using the 57 front mounts,and then mounting the th350 at the tail shaft housing I would bet you are taking out main bearings!Thats a long flexible span between mounts.

 

P.S. pretty sure the Pontiac starter will be right where your steering box is?

 

It looks like you have the same luck with those motors as I do since I could never get too many miles out of one even with proper maintenance and now with the 235 that is in my 37 p/u. Put a Olds rocket in it and you will look back,a 59 371 with a 4 bbl off the same year 394 is a good combination but they are a little wide but worth the effort. I had that same motor in a 53 88 2 door sedan that would out run sbc powered vehicles.

 

Why am I the only one not surprised by the number of motors you have used up? It squares with my experience of Chev v8s. One summer I swapped out 2 Target Master 350s for customers, both blew in a big way, one had 30,000 miles on it the other 20,000.

I had a neighbor who was a big Chev fan, one time he had a 72 Chev pickup and I had a 72 Dodge, he swapped out about 5 engines in 3 years, I was still on the original engine in my Dodge. But I did have to change a $3 ballast resistor.

You might have better luck with a 292 truck 6 cylinder. In stock form they have similar power to a 307 or 305 but a few changes like a cam, intake and exhaust can really wake them up. They are a tough long lasting engine even in hard working trucks so should last you a long time.

 

Now you got it wrong. A mouse motor is the best improvement one can do to a Ford.

 

"Would that be totally weird since its originally a V8"


Yes...

 

SBC's only getting 20-30K miles lifespan? Sumpin' ain't right, in either the operator, builder, or materials, dept. All those offering up different swaps, really? In a '57 of all things? I'm all for being different, but sometimes perfection isn't to be eph'd with. JMO. A reliable, stout, long living, sbc ain't rocket science, or overly expensive.

 

If it puts it on the road so u can enjoy it, go with a six! It will stand out better than a sbc also!


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Heck .. I'm putting one in a '55 Buick.. tell me THAT won't piss people off. But it'll be a daily driver and will definitely be a first.. I can always swap it out later if not happy with it, but that's the bottom line.. do what makes you happy! Worth a shot.

 

There is a guy locally that has a nice '57 with original paint that looks great and he used a V6 and a 5 speed tranny,,every thing else looks totally original,,nice car. HRP

 

Yup,Chevy V-8's only last 30,000 miles,everyone knows that.And you head it on the HAMB so it must be true.

 

Since you're determined to keep on being stupid (your word), put a 194 in it. At least you won't be able to go fast enough to wreck the body.