The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Engine Placement

This forum has always been nice for information. I need some advice. My son and I are rebuilding a 1950 1/2 Ton Chevy from the ground up. He found a 1950 frame with disc brakes, a 1976 Caddy differential, and a Mustang rack and pinion steering front end for almost nothing. He bought an 305 engine with 350 Tranny for $200. I personally wanted an inline but beggars can't be choosy.

My initial problem is the mounting and placement of the engine. We bought tubular supports for both the engine and trnasmission. We have not mounted the cab yet. It has finished being repainted. Do I mount the engine and tranny before the cab placement or mount the cab and then the engine and tranny? Where do I place the engine? Do I have to cut the tubular supports (looks like I have to shorten them)? Any help would be appreciated. THanks! :confused:

oh, I forgot....

Will the existing radiator (216 engine) be adequate for the 305 or will I have to get another or boost its efficiency?

Thanks.

Ritchie, Beggar's Performance rules!! I see that You should make a mock up, trial fit before assembling the truck. Before the work really begins, how is Your working space? and tools, do You have how to move the engine/trans combo easily? Any good way to drop the freshly painted cab over the chassis without ruining it? If You have it all, and some space to work freely around the truck, I'd work in this way: First, place some wood blocks under the engine in the chassis, then try to slide the painted cab over it all and see what goes on. If fitting is really ok, make some templates to place the tubular supports of engine and trans the right way in the chassis.
Probably You'll end up with a lot of space, as long as the mouse is much shorter than the stovebolt. I see that if the radiator is in good shape it'll handle the 305, that for sure is lighter than the 216. But do not forget two issues: You'll need a good fan shrouding to make it work properly, and also the trans cooler, 'cause probably the old radiator does not have one.

Brasilia,

I have the chassis in the back yard with plenty of room around it. So, you suggest placing the cab on the chassis and then using an engine hoist to place engine with attached tranny in chassis and adjust as needed, place tubular engine and tranny supports at appropriate spots, cut, mark holes, drill, attach supports and then install?

Also, if you think that a good approach, the next question would be getting a driveshaft made. How does one measure the distance between the yoke on the tranny to the differential?

Thanks!

Richie

Richie Before you get buried(and it happens all the time)you must put the truck back together.The reason for it is,there are 100's of free chassis laying around with mustangII stuff with rear ends, Most guys get all excited about a project and just ripe the body off.You need to put it back on along with a bed ,also the front fenders. Now stand back and look at it.Are the front tires in the wheel wells correctly?(most times that is why they are free) Make sure the rear ones also line up cause if you spend cash to get a driveshaft made and put the body on and the wheel are in the wrong place you need to move the rear and your new driveshaft is JuNk. After that its time to take the nose off and start to install the motor and trans,try to get the dist cap as close to the firewall as possable.Yep the tubular mounts are cut to fit.The raidator will not work,buy a new one when your done ,use the old one for mock up.

Ritchie, Phat is right on the target on this one. As long as there is no guaratee that the chassis is right, first thing to be done is check it all out. Assemble the truck body togheter all over the chassis. Only after You can make sure that everything is right in the correct place, the axles are in proper position, You should worry about the engine placemnet.
As for putting the engine way back is something that I do not agree completely. I always leave some room(like 2 inches of gap between the distributor housing and the firewall, so any mechanical job on it latter will easier, like removing the tranny only, just the engine or even removing the distributor) in order to avoid some future suffering. Of course that You'd be better off with a new radiator also, but it's not time to worry about it now. The driveshaft also, worry about it only when You're done in checking the chassis/body fit and after the engine/trans placement.

I understand the concern about a modified chassis. The chassis has already had a 1950 truck on it. The man sold it to buy a new after-market chassis to hold a larger engine. The front axle is the original only it uses a mustangs's steering and has disc brakes. It is not clipped. The rear axle has been swapped but sits where the original. I do not know what the width differential is between the new axle and the original. That is my only concern about wheel placement. Which begs the question......How wide is the original axle measured from where to where so I can check what the difference might be?

Now it's a li'l easy. At least You know that it should not have any diferences in the front end. Much better this way.
Did You asked the previous owner if the MustangII steering tied to the truck's stock front end showed any sings of bump steer?? You should be sure about it. And finally, about the dimensions I cannot help You much, I just do not have this info here, buddy.
But if it's not visually much different than the frond end, no problem. Just to have an idea, measure from the face where the rims lies against, on both ends and see if they are too diferent.