The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine Swap- where to start? 1953 GMC 3/4 ton

I have a '53 3/4 ton that I am trying to get back on the road. I have been working through patching and cleaning up many of the body pieces, but I am about ready to transition to the drive train. It has the original 228 but zero compression. In an initial stab, I found this Small block on my local marketplace at $500 as I try to keep costs reasonable https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/2239430636455096 . I like the idea of keeping this a standard, but I would appreciate any advice on working through this next step on the build.

Chris

As you may have seen on many posts here, the V8 will present a couple of issues in the '53 frame, one being the steering gear clearance, another will be the firewall/distributor clearance. One benefit of the SBC series is the availability of inexpensive parts, the 350 in the facebook picture has been modified with a non-stock carburetor-not a deal breaker but something that will need attention. The 350/4 speed combo is ok at $500 if the engine and clutch are useable as is.

I dig V8's. It's neat to put them in old vehicles. It's what gearheads have been doing since 1932. All issues of doing that with your stock body and frame can be addressed.
A restomod is a good way to preserve the old truck's integrity and it's timeless look. Albeit it won't be stock enough for many members. That's OK, they will still help you.

That motor you show is not all that cheap. V8's are kind of near a dime a dozen still. That one is dirty, ugly , may be stored outside, no carb covering and CAN'T HEAR IT RUN. DON'T BUY A MOTOR YOU CAN'T HEAR RUN AND CHECK SMOKE AND CHECK COMPRESSION AND VACUUM, ETC. Don't do the "I can always rebuilt it" bit. Buy a good runner. I have bought whole trucks to be able to drive, hear and check motor and trans, sold the parts like a junk yard does and came out with free motor and trans, steering and other items. Not everyone has the space and time for that, I realize. Just be sure motor runs and so on.

The swap should be done with front clip off.
This universal tubular cross member for mounting Motor is a good no weld method. It allows you to attach it to the motor during mock up to see where it lands on the frame. The trans mount can be like this or other, depending on what trans is used. You will be fitting motor with carb mounting surface at level. Nested between firewall and radiator with clearance for other obstacles as mentioned. Steering box and column, exhaust, distributor, fan....... Lots of members have done all kinds of swaps to all Stovebolt years.
Get the motor and trans and then reconnoiter.

Motor Mount Example

I have a 51 - one ton and it had the 228. With the weight of my FIRETRUCK , (about 7500 lbs easy) the 228 was working hard. I thought I wanted a SBC and another 4 speed but…….

All the issues mentioned and the fact that I wanted to stay stock looking, I decided to go with the 302 straight 6.

Problems are the cost to build. They are very expensive to build the correct way. Some have mentioned building the 270 because they are more available and almost as much power as the 302 but cheaper.

I am very happy with the power of my 302 as long as my oil leaks stop! ( That’s another story)

No steering interference, stock looking and lots of power. But they are expensive to build the right way.

I am in process of building a '50 3600 with a SBC and manual transmission. While the newer engine and transmission have their advantages they are not inexpesnive by the time all is said and done. I convinced myself that is what I wanted and am not second guessing my choice but if you are looking for an inexpesive option you may find there are none, just different versions of expensive.

It's possible to get 300+ cubic inches with a 270, with some creative machining. With about 3/8 inch extra stroke, which is definitely doable, it will probably out-torque a 302. Pistons for a Japanese Diesel forklift can be used, instead of the horrendously expensive custom ones everybody thinks they need to use on a GMC buildup. There are lots of options available, for someone willing to think outside the box.
Jerry

The 228 was under powered to begin with. A 248 or a 270 will do wonders for it and they are around. A 302 will bolt right in, but you really need faster gears than the 4.56 you have now. A lot of running 248 and 270 engines are pulled by guys that want a V8. It will be a cheap bolt in and it will be very driveable.

Even back in the day when I maintained a fleet of vehicles including 50s and 60s GMCs, we were single-sourced on many parts and had to go to GMC and pay $. Macks were similarly pricey. The situation is not better 50 years on. Originality has its price and you might consider another solution that fits in your engine bay; perhaps a 63 or later Chev I6. You do have the motor mount issue to deal with but that can be addressed with the right choice of bell housing. I would avoid cutting out the cross member the back of the stock engine sits on if at all possible. It's a structural part of the frame and sits directly under the cab mounts.

In 1960,IIRC GMC replaced the 228-302 engine with a 305 and 351 V6 and even a 702 V12 all based on the same block. These were heavy, slow-turning torque monsters that sucked gas like there was no tomorrow and were horrendously expensive to overhaul. Vast numbers of them were pulled in favor of 327s and the like, even when running just fine. So, you don't have a late-model GMC option.

If you don't mind electronics a GM Atlas 6 cylinder engine would be a nice swap.

I've seen some pretty amazing Atlas builds, that's for sure. Good option, and it will clear the stock gubbins.