been looking at a few shoebox projects..up here we have these mercury shoeboxes that look like mini versions of the fullsize '49-'51 mercs'.[???].anyway..is there any engine/tranny mount kits available that makes life easier to swap a smallblock ford into a '49-'51 shoebox..whats the best advice ya can gimme on the swap..like manifolds,and clearance issues,,thanks dudes..poncho
I'm going to be putting a 289 SBF in my shoebox this summer. I too am looking for more info. I know chassis engineering makes a kit, and a few other companies that I"ll have to check at work tommorow. The only thing I know is that you need to use a different oil pan from a later truck or car to solve some clearance issues. The one kit I was looking at said you can retain the stock steering location, but others have to be modified. Hopefully someone will provide us with more useful info. Bryan
I did this conversion. The worst part at least with the kit I have is that you have to cut the floor for a C4 automatic. Space is another problem, you will have to space your radiator forward. After all was said and done it runs and drives great. I ordered my swap kit from Hot Rod & Custom Supply, now in Detroit. But I think Fatman has them and other companies, try google. Looking back I wish i'd have kept the flathead, it tore me apart to take a sawzall to my floor. For the rear a maverick 5-lug rear fits perfect with no modifications to the springs. These come in the v-8 and all the later models. Only problem is they have wimpy gears like 2.75 and 3.00. Get a drive shaft made and your golden. Oh yeah, the oil pan thing. If your motor is a late dual sump pan you got it made, if you have the early front sump pan then its gone be on like neckbone sucka cause its gotta be changed. Turns out the dual sump bronco pan everybody tells you to get is as rare as hens teeth. Get a dual sump pan from a late Mustang, the oil pump pickup, the main bolt with the little stud on it (that holds the longer pickup) and get the dipstick and tube also. On these engines the dipstick goes through a boss in the side of the block and then into the oil pan, or so i'm told. Drill hole in side of said oil pan wherever you want it, weld shortened dipstick tube into hole. Insert dipstick into tube until it bottoms into pan. Measure distance protruding from top of tube. Pull out dipstick tube cut off this much from bottom of dipstick. My 302 rebuild book said the smallblock ford holds 5 quarts of oil. So I poured in 4 quarts, etched dipstick at this line ( 1 quart low). Poured in the last quart and etched the full line. I suppose you could still use the dipstick on the front of the engine but I didn't see where you could get an accurate measurement there, even with modifications.
There is also a problem with getting the correct headers. I think the Mustang HiPo headers will work. Also the cast iron header or exhaust manifold off a 351W that points back AND down will work. I had a bunch of info on that somewhere. Then there is the option of using a Volvo power steering box, too.
Or Cavalier rack&pinion. I did this conversion a while ago with a 302/AOD out of a '91 Mustang GT converted to carb. I didn't like the Mustang oil pan, but made it work - after lying under that car analyzing it a bit, believe the late '60s-early '70s Econoline van pans are probably the way to go - these have more of a center sump, but are damn near impossible to find anymore... In the end, I did the cavalier rack&pinion to clear the pan - even that required some spacing to get it to work right..
thanks guys ..its someting i've wanted to do for a while now...still looking for that shoebox that already has a302 in it!! hahaha,,anyone else "been there,done this"?????
Jamco has everything you'll need to do the swap except the oil pan (they have them, but they're on back order). They've got good motor mounts, trans mounts, etc. Give them a call and talk to Jim - I do some artwork for them and know him pretty well - he's a good guy. http://www.jamcosuspension.com Curt
302? Yeah, damn near a bolt-in. 302 chevy, of course. Seriously, a SBC fits the shubox ford a lot better than the SBF. Here's mine:
well i havent done it myself, but my shoebox has a 289 ford w/c6 trans. the car is stubbed witha s-10. it seems to fit damn good. the motor mounts are home fabbed.
I put a 302 in a '50 coupe. It's a perfect swap. As mentioned by F-E, you do need to change the oil pan but there are quite a few options. The fox-bodied pan works ok, but I prefer the late-70's thru the mid-80's pan from the F100 pickup. Just make sure you grab the oil pickup tube and get the main stud that has the boss on it to support the pickup tube. Other than that, it's a piece of cake. The stock or volvo steering fits perfectly, no engine clearance issues if ya use rear dump manifolds or headers like the 5.0 mustangs. I used motor and tranny mounts from Fatman's and it all worked nicely. If you go with a C4, then the tranny fit is perfect. I started with the C4, but then swapped over to an AOD which causes you to redo part of the tranny tunnel on '49 and '50s. The '51 Tranny tunnel is much larger (to accommodate the new for '51 Ford automatic) and needs no mods. Other than that, the swap is about as easy as it gets.
Geez Reggie, every plan I have for my '50 you've already done! Did your AOD changes to your '50 trans tunnel extend to cutting into the firewall (my C4/housing intersection is tight to the tunnel just beneath the firewall) or was it just the housing/floor you had to modify? Not trying to hijack this topic or anything... Thanks.
no, I didn't need to cut the firewall. From what I remember, the area around the bell housing was fine. The issue was with the beefy mid-section of the AOD. I modified the old transmission tunnel/cover by widening it and making it a little taller....I think. It's been a few years.
DAMN If the 302/C4 fits in a 50 that means the previous owner had no need to do this ........These are the shots they dont show you on ebay. p.s luckily the welds are real bad and I can brake them off with a pry bar!
I helped put a 302/C4 in a 50 Ford last year. With our modified stock crossmember, and the motor set back a bit in the chassis for fan clearance, we had to raise the trans tunnel about an inch and a half.
Fan clearance can also be gained by moving the radiator in front of the radiator support. The front position is the standard mounting point for the shoeboxes equipped with the longer flathead 6-cylinder engine. Moving the radiator there will keep you from modifying the stock tunnel with a C-4.
Pickle, did you do the brake booster/master cylinder on the firewall? Just wondering what setup was used, and if there’s any additional support that has to be added for this installation? Thanks
Wouldn't be the HAMB without the Chebbrainwashed showing up- always gotta be one lol. He did NOT ask about that- seriously, if he wanted to put a bellybutton engine in it, he would have asked about that
I’ve done a couple of swaps in our 49-53 fords 289 is easy any sbc is easier in my opinion, helped do a 351 that proved to be a headache but we did it
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