The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop most painless install of 350/th3250 in AD

Searched the search and couldn't filter out what I was looking for.
Who can share the easiest installation of a 350/TH350 in a 1/2 ton AD. I am going with stock frame.
Pics would be very helpful.
I need to know:
Engine cross member. Who sells it?
Transmission cross member. Ditto?
What angle does the engine sit at?
Any firewall interference?
What power steering box do I need? Pittman arm?
Thank you,
Carl

Well I've done it a few times on TF. Cross members I used are the universal tubular type. Several of our venders sell. Set carb mounting surface level. Locate/mock-up the motor and tranny to fit between firewall and rad. with eye toward tranny shifter location. then find steering box and headers while still mocked-up. Take front clip off for sure. Tweak all then drill for cross member mounting. Get a drive shaft made, Lokar shifter, and etc. Better advise from an AD 350 person will come along I'm sure.

I hear you on keeping the carb mount surface level, Bart. I have seen some ADs setup with the engine at a severe downward angle front to back. I was wondering if that was due to the design of the universal cross members offered. If that is the case, I may as well make my own rather than cutting and re-welding the store-bought ones.
Carl

The Chevy 350 tranny tail is angled down at 3-4 deg when carb is level. there is some room for pinion angle mismatch. I have also made my own. You need to set engine in, meeting all the parameters and see, with a "broom stick", how the drive shaft will be. Or, of course, view a few swaps in person and take many pics and measurements and note the parts used. Once you get the motor mounted on the side mounts and leveled, you will know exactly where the tranny mount needs to be. I think it will be pretty far below frame rails. I know you know all this basic stuff, just mentioning it. You can shim the rear diff somewhat to achieve near equal and opposite pinion/tailshaft angles. Some intake manifolds have different carb surface angles, you can play with that also. Also I'm thinking you have to get the motor down low on AD to get the pinion angle. Not sure. I'm just taking up space until persons who have done it chime in. What did an internet search show? This is a common swap,yes?

I don't know if I am getting too old, lazy, or grumpy, but it seems like with each passing day, it becomes more and more difficult and tedious to find anything from search engines anymore.
That is why I spend so much time on this site. Stovebolt's got answers, man!
Carl

About 4 steering options.(depending on goals)
1. Radical: Mustang II thing, aftermarket rack and pinion.
2. Less radical: $300 power steering kit which mounts modern box on outside of rails. Then good flow Tube headers.
3. Lesser/easier: Move stock box outward on home made bracket. (enough said)
4. Easy: use 55-56 265 V8 left hand cast iron low flow exhaust manifold (or equiv.) to clear stock box.
DON'T QUOTE ME on any above, they are possibles, I have not done them.

I would do no 2. (source: CPP)
Carl, Using stock frame and using tranny made for the motor are excellent moves.

Carl, I have a 305 in my 52 panel, did all the work myself. Its not that hard. Check out my photobucket on my panel and it may explain a lot.
I did NOT use a crossmember under the engine. I purchased the set of mounts that fit into the frame rails. Made by Chassis Engineering but can be purchased from JimCarter. At the time they were cheaper from JC with my discount. The mounts come with instructions and if you follow them you should be fine. My Big distributor does not hit the firewall. The engine is not "totally level" by only a couple degree on the carb plate but I did not want to trim the toe board to raise the rear of the tranny up anymore so I left it....actually, I trimmed the toeboard about a 1/4" but you can't see it once the tranny cover is in place. It let the tranny come up just enough.
I'm using a 700R4 tranny and can send you a copy of what we use at Carolina Driveline for people to measure their driveshafts. Measure twice, and correctly, and cut once!

I used 283 ram horn exhaust manifolds which worked great. I also moved the steering box outside, and to the front of the chassis using a 1976 pickup reman power steering box a double "D" shaft that went through the inner fender. I used a kit from Classic Parts for the bracket, bushing, draglink and steering arm...and I went ahead and dropped in the upgraded tie rod ends.
I like the set up...you can see in my photobucket.

I might add that I also used a serpentine best set up and it is absolutely great. The brackets I got off a '89 S-10 V6 pickup. The brackets will bolt to the front of a small block Chevy and holds the power steering, A/C, Alternator. One belt gets it all. The back of the motor on my electric fan was a little close to the tensioner for the belt but a little adjustment made it OK.
......you may want to double check the engine you use just to be sure it has the holes in head/engine to bolt on the S-10 but I see a LOT of them in my area so it must not be a big deal.
One thing I did have to do was change the water pump. You simply order one for the V6 engine and it bolts right to the small block Chevy. You need it because it turns "backwards" when running a serpentine system. This system also beats paying out the ying yang for all those pulleys the hot rod guys want to sell you. I had my brackets powered coated a gray color.

Any questions you may have please PM me. Depending on the route you take I'd be glad to help you...or you can email or call me.

EDIT: I used a pitman arm from a 69 Buick Skylard my nephew had laying in his shop. The instructions suggest/tell you what will work. There are several. No need to pay 65 or 70 bucks for one when the scrap yard is full of them....and you can take the steering box and use it for a core on a new steering box!!

That's a nice and tidy looking engine compartment Alvin. Hoping you and Carl don't completely go behind the scenes, as others, including me, are doing the same and can watch and learn.

Thank you for your compliment, Allen. I've been trying to find a "write up" I did for someone last year. I wrote it up in detail and listed the current prices and part numbers.
I will continue to look for it but in the meantime feel free to ask questions....the "biggest" thing I like is eh serpentine system. Man its slick....and the guy who gave me mine had the power steering pump, and A/C compressor still on it. However, the ps pump could be a booger to get off so I used the old one as a core and put a new one on. They are not expensive.

....I'll keep looking for the write up I did.

I don't know if 1T frame is the same and I don't know what narrowing the cross member has to do with it? The motor is still the same width. What exhaust did you use? If it didn't hit the steering box it wasn't because you narrowed the cross member. What cross member? Motor, tranny, other? Explain please.

Youre right,figure it out yourself.

I like apples and I like oranges, and I like people who take the time to try to help, but I am asking how to install a 350 and power steering in a 1/2 ton AD with a stock 'everything else'. Far be it from me to call out "off topic", as I may well be the biggest violator of that particular rule on this site. Just trying to entice focus.
Thank you,
Carl

I think those kits for PS are the way to go. Cut off stock column and attach Borgeson Ujoint, there is a bearing for the cut off end being sold. The two cross members are about $50 each. They are nice because they rotate in their brackets and enable you to mock up any angles. They are also to be cut for proper length. Easier than building your own in my opinion. Steering box $135. With a Lokar nostalgic shifter and stock steering wheel, it's a good gig.

Thank you gentlemen, and bart.
I feel a lot more confident about jumping in and getting this done.
Bart, I like your suggestion about swiveling the drop down brackets to get whatever height you need. I don't think that I would have figured that one out by myself.
Carl

Well to be honest the swiveling is not that advantageous because it moves the motor mount or the tranny pad as it rotates. The tranny pan especially needs to stay flat. I should have said that the advantage is sliding, width cutting, price and a small amount of rotation. You actually should attach the motor mounts to the cross member and lower the motor in. Place motor in X Y and Z axis and the cross member will follow, then eventually mark, cut, drill to mount it. I usually let the tranny sit on a jack so it rolls along with the motor mock up and it can be jacked up or down for proper angle. Or it can be slung off of frame with straps. Then design or modify a cross member for it. This is of course after all parameters are examined. I just let motor hang and rest (not bolted to frame) while I contemplate everything. That takes me days of internal turmoil.

OK, gotcha Bart. I wasn't taking into consideration the configuration of the bosses for the motor mounts.
Thank you.