1949 Ford engine swap with a twist (updated w/pics)

I have a 49 ford coupe that i have owned since 2003. It had an amature restoration done on it a few years before. Since I've owned it, the flathead has been a lemon; alway over heating no matter what I did to correct it. The last time I attempted a fix, I discovered it was burning water in 7 of 8 cylinders.
I don't want to put much more money in the car so building a good flathead is out of budget.
The car is equiped with the overdrive tranny which is actually geared very nice to drive at highway speed. I'm not into automatics, and don't want to lose some of the original charm with the 3 on the tree by going to a T5.

So this is the plan: Keep the original tranny and column shift.
Install an early 5 bolt 289 so the original transmission will bolt up. The clutch, linkage, and original transmission mount will remain intact.

I have Jamco small block ford engine mounts on order, but i know they will have to be modified. The engine will sit back about 3/4" further than a typical small block install to keep the transmission in the original spot.

Has anyone done this?

I'll post some pics as I go along.

 

Cool, Wheres the pics......

 

I like the idea . I agree ... post pics .

 

This is what I started with.







Now the 289 is sitting in with the transmission bolted to the original x-member.



The valve cover is up against the firewall and the shifter linkage hits the valve cover and head. I'll have to modify both.

 

I have had the car back on the road since June. i am faster at working on cars than i am posting updates. Here goes the update.

Firewall clearance made and I decided to clean up and paint engine bay area.



I used Jamco engine mounts but had to modify them.







My little boy helped to assemble the 64 289 after i got it back from the machine shop.


49 3spd w/ OD bolted to the 289.







Last picture.. Day of the test drive.



I've put about 1500 miles on it since June. Made the trip to DesMoines goodguys, KKOA salina, and i drive it all over the KC area. While i had the engine out i pulled the steering column and box and and had Baxter Ford show me how to properly adjust it. It drives nice. I am pleased with how it turned out. I think it has more character than a 302/c4 or AOD or T5 and no comparison to a 350 combo.

 

What a nice ride! What happened to dem beautiful chrome wheels?

 

the chrome wheels are on my '55 vicky. The back spacing was wrong for this car, the tires rubbed the fenders. These are originals now. I'm running '49 olds hubcaps now.

 

Great looking car. But i'm partial.

 

Cool swap! I had no idea that trans. would bolt up to an early 289. Thanks for the update. Looks like you used a 90 degree oil filter adapter? I had to use one on my Model A Roadster, too.



Malcolm

 

Great car! But I'm kinda partial, too.

 

awesome! I love that you kept the column shift.

 

nice job, kinda went through a lot of the same putting my 302 in my 51 made my own motor mounts very similar, just notched the left hand mount to clear the oil filter. Mine was originally an automatic, kept the column shift, running an AOD. Simply extented the shift lever on the tranny, and linkage worked perfect.

 

Very nice. Looks like it always belonged there. How did you get the shift levers to clear, shorten them?
It would be nice to see a picture of the finished project showing how the linkage cleared.

 

Shortened and bent them to clear. It changed the throw a little, but everything shifts fine.

Thanks for all the complements.

 

I like it. But then I like 49's. And seeing how I was born in the back seat of one, I supose that's appropriate.
Nice job of keeping the original transmission and column shift too!

 

Very well done conversion on a very nice car!

 

Nice car. I like what you have done!

 

Nice job, what oil pan are you using? I have one that looks like it but don't know what it came from.
Rich

 

what exhaust manifolds are those?

 

Oil pan is an '80s bronco. It worked out perfect. The steering arms fit between the sump and the bellhousing.

 

Great looking car. I'm guessing that your little helper enjoyed working with Dad.

 

Very nice!

 

nice swap man!!! kinda doing the same thing except mines getting a 283 chevy stuck in it with the non o.d. ford 3on the tree

 

exhaust manifold source?

 

Specialty Engine Parts. They sell on ebay. Nice part but expensive, i looked for good originals but never found any.

 

Nice looking car!

Kinda surprised that the lubrication police haven't jumped all over you for using that Fram oil filter.......

 

Fram was to check out clearance only, the engine was never ran with a fram.

 

ooops; i meant to ask what the application for those manifolds was... are they passenger car, truck?

 

Beautiful car. I like the grease pen marks on the firewall.

 

The manifolds in the photo are for a pickup, but i did not end up using those. Not enough to clearance around the steering box. I ended up using replacement manifolds for an early mustang.