I have a 1961 Chevy C10 Apache Suburban that came from a military base near Huntsville Alabama. It had a 235 straight 6 with 3 speed manual trans. It had the “U” motor mount at front of engine and bell housing mounts for trans. It has the torsion bar front suspension. I want to install a sbc 350 and an automatic trans. I have motor mounts from a 66 C10. I know I will have to fab a trans tail shaft cross-member. There are the 3 holes on each frame where a tranny cross-member would go. There are NO holes or indication on frame or front cross-member of where to place the motor mounts. When I place the engine and trans in truck, with motor mounts and towers attached to engine, with trans tail shaft up as high as possible, engine seems on too much of an angle. If I put 1” blocks between frame and towers, engine sits high. Without blocks, I have issues with oil pan clearance and firewall clearances. Any help would be appreciated.
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
1962 C10 with a 235 6cyl -- all of the drive train seems to be original. Some of this story is in the Side Lot Some people like a new truck. I liked the old ones.
That truck was available with a small block V8 from the factory. Why not use the OEM mounts instead of trying to reinvent the wheel? It had a hydraulic clutch setup, with a bellhousing with the window for the throwout fork on the passenger's side of the vehicle. That bellhousing is a little difficult to find, but not impossible. It will bolt onto the same crossmsmber in the firewall area where the current 6 cylinder bell mounts and it will solve your angle and height problems. I believe there was a bracket in the front that moved the horse shoe mount back to meet the shorter V8 engine, or there was a different horse shoe mount for the V8. 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!
1962 C10 with a 235 6cyl -- all of the drive train seems to be original. Some of this story is in the Side Lot Some people like a new truck. I liked the old ones.
He's going to have to modify the firewall area crossmember, which will compromise the torsion bar mount. Good luck! 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!
I removed the crossmember for the bellhousing mounts. The truck has a "low" hump trans tunnel, do I need to replace that with a "high" hump tunnel? Will try to get pics.
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
Assume you are using side motor mounts. Show us what you are using and what you are calling towers. Probably what I call V8 perches. On the trans you would use a universal tubular crossmember cut to fit. Please read the questions asked.. you did not answer what trans you are using. TH350? The whole process is all about mocking up until it's all good. Motor should nest between frame. Carb mounting surfice needs to be level. The motor with trans is designed to give a 4 deg down pinion angle.
THIS guy has a bunch of videos on V8 to 61 truck. This video I linked shows the motor mounts he used. There are other blogs doing V8 swap to early 60's trucks.
Members here have done V8 to 60-66 and will join in. The basics are all the same. Mock up, decide how to mount and check all clearances.
would a low profile oil pan help get the front of the engine down enough? I don't understand, when I was a teenager, me and friends would swap engines from one vehicle to another all the time. The most thought was what to use to lift the engine. We even used the swing set at the local elementary school as a gantry once. So I wouldn't think putting a SBC into a 1961 pickup would be so hard! If anyone could give some advice I would surely appreciate it. This is quickly becoming not very fun. Dale PS: Sorry for venting.
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
Sorry "B", I didn't see your post. Thankyou. I have TH350 attached to engine. Will most likely swap to a 200-4R trans. I have to pull the engine/trans out to remove mechanical throttle linkage, it's in the way. Going to go with a cable setup. May swap trans at that time. I've had the engine/trans in and out a couple times. My gantry setup is pretty good.
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
I put a HiPo 350 w/700r4 transmission in my ‘62 C-10 a few years back. Very easy install using aftermarket front motor mounts (Speedway I think) and a aftermarket transmission mount (also Speedway). Set the engine where I wanted it to live and bolted the mounts to the engine. Marked the location on the frame, lifted the engine back out. Drilled holes for the mounts and bolted them in. Set the engine back in place and bolted it in place. Cut out the crossmember that used to mount the tranny. Installed the 700r4 on the engine and fabricated in the new transmission mount. Installed the high transmission hump along with a Lokar floor shift. Measure for the driveshaft, hookup electrics and accelerator and your there. Good luck.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Moved this thread as it will get better responses in this forum.
Phil Moderator, The Engine Shop, Interiors and Project Journals
1952 Chevrolet 3100, Three on the Tree, 4:11 torque tube Updated to: ‘59 235 w/hydraulic lifters, 12v w/alternator, HEI, PCV and Power front Disc Brakes Project Journals Stovebolt Gallery Forum
Hey Martin "Justhorsenround". did you have a low trans hump and put in a high hump? I thought I would most likely have to do that, I think when these trucks came with an auto trans they had a high hump trans tunnel. Any mods to the firewall? Do you remember what year of motor mounts you used? Thanks Dale
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
Yes I had the low hump and installed the high hump. There was a bit of cutting required but it was not complicated at all. Sorry I don’t remember ordering a specific year mount. I think it was a universal GM small block mount.
Martin '62 Chevy C-10 Stepside Shortbed (Restomod in progress) '47 Chevy 3100 5 Window (long term project) ‘65 Chevy Biscayne (Emily) ‘39 Dodge Business Coupe (Clarence) “I fought the law and the law won" now I are a retired one! Support those brave men/women who stand the "Thin Blue Line"! Hug a cop! USAF 1965-1969 Weather Observation Tech (I got paid to look at the clouds)
Tried to post some pics. Somehow I got 2 pics of my gantry setup to work. Not sure what happened to my previous post. Working on it. In my previous post are 4 pics. One of engine angle, one each of engine mounts. One shows trans tail-shaft
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
Do you have a pic of the oilpan making contact with the crossmember ?
1962 C10 with a 235 6cyl -- all of the drive train seems to be original. Some of this story is in the Side Lot Some people like a new truck. I liked the old ones.
Tried to post some pics. Somehow I got 2 pics of my gantry setup to work. Not sure what happened to my previous post. Working on it. In my previous post are 4 pics. One of engine angle, one each of engine mounts. One shows trans tail-shaft
Unless you post a bit of text, the photos won't display properly even if you use the attachment manager. It's another photo attachment glitch in the software. I fixed it for you.
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.
PreSUV, I've always taken off the front clip to do motor swaps.
My comments/questions: 1. Do you have a question?... or are you just posting progress? 2. What is the plan for tail mounting trans? I see that the torsion bar system is near. 3. Perches/side motor mounts/towers, whatever..... may need a spacer at top, as you know. Perches will need a bottom support I think. 4. Do you understand that a carb motor needs to have it's carb mounting surface level? 5. I would jack up and support truck, then use gantry to suspend motor to create good crawl/working space.
I generally prefer to take the hood and grille off, but leave the fenders on so I can gauge clearance.
It looks like you need to bring the front of the engine down using a different motor mount setup. The universal one from speedway has been recommended above, I have done custom ones as well.
If you take the mounts you have all the way off, can you get the engine low enough? If so, figure out the height and spacing and make a set of mounts (or buy some universals).
You will likely also need to modify the floor of the cab to get the high hump. If you can't bring the engine down far enough as-is, you will need to do that first.
fattboyzz. I do not have a pic of oil pan hitting crossmember.
klhansen, Thanks I will try posting text next time I post pics.
bartamos; 1) My question, 1 of many, how do I get a sbc and auto trans into a 1961 C10? The truck was originally available with this combo, so it shouldn't be hard to do. 2) Since no one makes a trans crossmember (or engine mounts) for This truck, I will either fab one or buy one and modify it. The mount on the trans closely lines up with the mounting holes on frame. 3) If you look at the pics of the motor mounts, they are sitting on 1" blocks. But they aren't lined up. 4) I do understand that. That's why the engine angle worries me. 5) We are thinking the same thing. I've pulled the motor/trans back out of the truck and will put the truck on jack stands. 2 under rear axle, and 2 under frame near the front of the truck. Thanks for your thoughts.
fibonachu; I took hood off, front grill not much of an issue.
I was going to look into a universal one, Speedway or Summit.
I have the engine/trans out of the truck. I will pull the mounts off and see where I can get it to fit,
Right now the "hump" is not an issue. I'm not touching the hump. I took engine/trans out so I could remove throttle linkage. To move engine back. Maybe the firewall will be an issue then. The trans tail shaft is about as high as it can go, so I need to lower engine. Lookig for a shallow oil pan as well.
Thank you all for your input.
Going to go out and put this truck on jack stands.
Remember, for every mile of road, there's two miles of ditch! If you fall on your face, you're still moving forward.
