Found a t frame that has a WBC mount set up. Will a 1950 331 caddy motor line up with it without mods? Asking before I pick it up
What is a "WBC" ? Big block chevy? Anyway the Cad's chances of fitting whats there unless WBC is a Cad of some flavor are slim to none.
Sorry Fat fingers, small keyboard. SBC. And my welding skills suck. Working on them but I dont trust em for anything on the frame yet... Thanks
sorry guys. had someone walk me thru it. I ask lots of dumb ???? so I don't make a lot of costly mistakes...
Questions are fine, that is what the HAMB is for, more or less. Maybe work on your welding skills and definately work on your typing skills. Your title says ABC mounts your post says WBC mounts and what you meant is SBC mounts. Your 331 will have front mounts from the factory and a Hurst style mounts is going to be your best and or only option. You will need to ad mid mounts @ the bell housing. If you had a frame with a Stude engine in it or Stude V-8 mounts the 331 would be a bolt in (or close to it) by the way. Just usless info that has nothing to do with anything.
Think the abc was auto corrected and the WBC was fat fingers. Working on better welding skills. Just don't trust them on something that could get someone hurt... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Motor mounts are not as critical as say suicide axle mounts. If you have a friend to help that is a good welder motor mounts are probably a good place to start. you have to weld something some time just to get your feet wet. I helped one of the fellas develope his welding skills on his T frame about 7 or 8 years ago. I remember purposley cobbling up a weld on his rear kick up and watching him shake his head, grind the weld out and make it right. I knew at that point that he was good enough to leave to his own devices. Made me proud to watch him recognize the bad weld, and then repair it without any un-necessary drama.
By WBC I just thought you meant "W" block Chevy. You know, 348-409. Oh yeah, as PNB mentioned, the mounts arene't even close.
Wish I could but a few years ago I lost the wife,job,parts I'd been collecting, then the house. I fought like hell to keep 50 percent of my kid. Got remarried and bought a new home Now I work away from home 18-20 days a month out of town. So when I'm home it's hard for me to go someplace and put the time in to learn. I'm doing it on my own when I can. Haven't had something fun on the road for a long time so having a few basic things made to get something running now then I can put the time in on what I really want. The t's not the first choice, but I can afford it and can start learning more as I go. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I just want to say that I completely understand your situation. It's not easy working that much away from home. It kicks your ass and you still need to have time for the new bride and all the home stuff that needs to be done. That doesn't leave much time and energy for anything else. I get it. I personally love the old 331 Caddys and the cool factor in your T will be way up there in my book. What I don't understand is why you are putting the limited time you have into something you don't really have a passion for. A T with an early OHV Caddy can be cool as hell, but if that doesn't do it for you find something that does. It will be a lot more fun and you will be more motivated to get it done. As far as the mounts, postion the motor between the frame rails where it needs to be and build your mounts from the frame to the motor. If you don't have the skills for that yet, try to find a car buddy that does. Oh yeah, make sure that your frame is beefed up enough to handle that V8. Also, I'll bet there is some kind of aftermarket mount that can be trimmed to fit. Whatever you do, enjoy life as much as you can. None of us get out of here alive.
The Cad is a great motor for a T bucket (ask Norm Grabowski ha ha). It is about the same size weight and HP as a small block Chev (well maybe a little heavier, about 75 lbs). Motor mounts are not very complicated or hard to weld to a frame. Especially if you can make them yourself or cut out the pieces, a welder should be able to weld them together and weld them to the frame in less than 1 hour. This should not cost very much.
Of course it would be easier and cheaper just to buy a Chev engine. Unless you happen to have a built Caddy sitting around and really want a Cad powered T bucket.
Uh, not quite. A 331" Cad weighs between 699-720 pounds depending on what stuff is on it. That is MORE than a Big Block Chevy! A SBC weighs about 575.
Ha . I worked a summer welding up steel and foam boat docks. Sometimes on the lake when we got good and wet it was an interesting proposition. He may have been thinking late model ( 472/500") I think they weight about 70 lbs more then an optioned SBC.
All the old hot rod magazines gave the weight of the early Cad as 625lbs and the Chev 283 as 540lbs. This seemed a little low to me on the Cad especially as they claimed the Studebaker V8 weighed the same. While the Stude was like a 3/4 scale model of the Cad.
Sometimes I feel a little tingley, holding the electrode on a damp concrete floor. The early V-8 blocks had plenty of 'cast' in them, fer sure.
The 472-500's weigh about 625, or about 50 more than a Chevy SB. Of course the lightweight king of POPULAR motors is that small block Ford at 440-450. It you want to really go light wioth a V8, the 215 aluminum Buick is your huckleberry - 315 lbs The porker's are the 331-392 Hemi at 740 and 426 Hemi at 765 or so, followed closely by the 460 Ford at 720 then again an Allison V12 is 1546 pounds
Position the engine/trans in the frame. Build the crossmember and mounts with tack welds only. Pull the engine/trans. Have an experienced welder finish the welds. Either take the frame to a shop, or have a mobile welder drop by. But I'd think you could weld those suckers in, no problem. Correct heat settings, correct wire or rod, good penetration.
Little Detroit Diesel I'm using in my truck, 318 cu. in. 225 hp. 1600 lbs. Don't need wheelie bars with this one. LOL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rve2Z3xZ02A
Bring what you have up to the shop in Anza and we can have you rolling before you get Back home in 18 days! Have a plan,parts and cash!
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