So after getting a 41 Chevy Special Deluxe Coupe with no engine and separately buying a 235 out of a 54 Chevy truck, I sit wondering how to adapt this for the car. so far I understand that I need to change out the mounting plate in the front (I have coming soon), find a 41-48 bell housing and a tranny that will mount. Im sure there will be a water pump pully issue too, but thats a smaller issue. The tranny that came with this engine has no mounting holes for a cross member. are there any adapters to use the 54 tranny? is the tranny too long anyway? Im assuming either way, I need the older bell housing.
You may find some useful info HERE:http://www.patricksantiquecars.com/antique-car-articles/swap-216-chevy-6-for-235.html
When I was 15 I put a 56 235 in a 39 Chevy coupe. It fit perfectly with the 39 drive train. I put 2 97’s and a split exhaust. It ran great! Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I agree with xlr8. IF you had the original '41 drive line to swap over the bell housing/trans, etc, that would be the easiest. Since you do not, the parts that came with your 235 are an asset to adapt open drive line. The pickup bell housing you have shares the transmission bolt pattern that was adopted with '55 and later passenger cars (as well as continuing with trucks). If you use a '58 thru '64 Chevy passenger car trans you will have a compatible trans that bolts to your engine AND and a rear mount on the transmission tail housing. There are other, and later, transmissions that will also work too, as well as 4 speeds if you are so inclined. There are quite a few open drive rear axle assemblies that are the correct width (and various gear ratios) that can be attached to your stock rear springs. You will, of course, need a driveshaft also. As for wheel bolt patterns, the stock '41 was 5.5" x 6 bolt. Using '49/'50 Chevy passenger cars hubs and drums, which are a bolt on, you can switch to the common GM 4.75" x 5 bolt pattern. Or a disc brake changeover kit, if you are so inclined. Ray
No, I am suggesting you use the bell housing that came with your 235 engine. Read the first paragraph again. That bell housing does have provisions for rear motor mounts, but by using the later trans I recommended, you gain the needed rear mount and do not need the bell housing mounts. You will need to use side mounts at the front or middle of the engine to properly 3 point mount the engine trans. Not so complicated as it may sound and works well. Ray
The front plate doesn't need to be changed - just drill the holes for the '41 mounts. The bellhousing to frame mount supports you make. Your new trans is a '48-'54 pickup & fits the bell & torque tube as is, and the u-joint, too. If you swap the side cover for a '49-'54 pass. car unit & do some mast jacket shaving, all the shift linkage from the knob to the trans from '49-'52 pass. is near bolt-in. A '49-'54 pass. starter will ease things.
And if you want to stay with 6 hole wheels, 1/2 ton pickups used the 6 hole pattern clear up into the 2000's, although it may take some searching to find one that is narrow enough to fit in the fenders.
The 54 and later truck bellhousings take a different mount than the 48/54. Some searching says that a 48/53 truck bellhousing will work but I haven't been able to verify that. There is a machined adapter to bolt a later Muncie pattern trans to the early bellhousing.
I don’t want to change the rear so sounds like my best bet is to look for the tranny and bell housing of a 41-48. All the linkages are still in the car.
Likely the easiest way to go to keep the original rear. Just be patient. Parts cars come up from time to time.....hulks can be pretty cheap and have what you need. Keep an eye out...and keep a tape measure. It will be worth the trip for you if someone has all of what you need 500 miles away. Too, many will remove the original driveline so those come up from time to time.
I just ran across a 216 from a 1941 Fleetline with everything attached for $350.... he says it has a vacuums assist..will the drive train work on the 41 Special deluxe?
yes.......the drive trains in '41 were all the same....body style and trim details differed, not the mechanical parts. Ray
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