It's possible, but difficult. You'll need a 55-up V8 bellhousing and a 54 truck middle crossmember. The torque tube length might be right, as the fore/aft position of the transmission won't change much, if any. The engine will be wound up pretty tight at highway speed due to the 4.10 rear end gear, but it won't hurt a small block V8 to run that speed. Wear earplugs! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
The other simple answer (or question actually) would be "WHY?"
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
The boss at the first shop where I worked back in high school (1962) adapted a 283 to his 41 Chevy coupe, using the original trans and rear end. The first time he went to the drag strip, wound the engine up, and popped the clutch, the cluster gear went out of the bottom of the transmission and left him sitting at the staring line. Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
That was my thought, Jerry. I once blew the tranny up on a '54 Chevy station wagon with just the 235 in it. Shucked the teeth off the cluster gear. Since it was my only transportation, I had to go get a replacement tranny. I'd hate to think how easy that would be with a V-8 in front of it.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
The SM 318 3 speed that was in your 54 wagon and also in his truck was actually used until about 64 behind some pretty healthy V8's including the 348, but nothing's bulletproof, given a sufficient amount of right foot. I got really good at swapping 3 speeds in a buddy's 55 Chevy 2 door with a 301 V8 in it (4" bore 283 that Chevy called a "302" a few years later). It's more likely that he will corkscrew a driveshaft or twist off an axle shaft. The 41 coupe had a tiny gearbox that actually had a tendency to completely wear out to the point it couldn't be rebuilt, running behind a 216! Jerry
"It is better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and eliminate all doubt!" - Abraham Lincoln Cringe and wail in fear, Eloi- - - - -we Morlocks are on the hunt! There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. - Ernest Hemingway Love your enemies and drive 'em nuts!
A friend of mine has a 327 bolted up to the original torque tube on his '51 3100. It works. It screams at highway speed, but that is what 327 engines like. Another friend of mine put a 428 Pontiac in a '50 3100. He had to find an old Buick Saginaw pattern bellhousing to mate to the original transmission. He said it worked fine. He did say that he got nervous when he put his foot into it. He said that you could see one side of the bed elevate a bunch from the frame twist.
1952 5-window - return to "as built" condition | 1950 3100 with a 235 and a T-5 transmission
Actually, my sister twisted off an axle shaft on the '54 wagon before I got it. It got passed from her to me, then to my younger sister, who crunched the left headlight against the rear wheels of a stake bed truck.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
The 1950 3600 I bought in 1999 had a SBC in front of a V8 truck bell housing on a 54 or later cross member with the original SM-420, 2-piece driveshaft and 4.57 rear end. I thought it was a nice set up.
