The Stovebolt Site Forums The Parking Lot Big Bolts Chevy Small Block into a 47 1 1/2 ton

Hello, i am working on my second project truck, its a 1947 1 1/2 ton truck it was my grandpas before i found it out in the middle of a field. i decided that i would repower this old beast with a chevy 350 and that was before i learned that the frame rails narrowed. :mad:
I am asking anyone that has done this repower to a similar truck about how to mount the steering and whether or not to use the stock transmission and rearend. i already have the 350 so i cant go back because the old motor is... well lets say it had it comin'

Which series '47 is it? I've never owned a Deco but have installed a 350 in my 48 4400. I mounted a mid 70's 4X4 steering box to get around the steering issue but there's alot more things involved than that. I did retain the 48's 4 speed though,
Scott

its one of the early 47's at least i think it is. i looked it up once and it was a load master, im having the original transmission worked on so it can take the extra power.
i am also debating swaping axles. griggs had some pictures of a 1 ton pickup and he put a dana 70 from a chevy and a different front axle, he also shortened the front axle and he had a gear box i think is one like your mid 70's box might be and its power steering. i talked to one of the old truck guys in our town and he said some times the rear axle shafts crystalize and become brittle and they can break with just the stock motor turning them . is this something i should worry about because its been sitting for close to 30 years.

Loadmaster would be AD truck right, or late 47? does it look like my trucks, or older?

Original transmission will be fine with a 350 in front, the same transmission was used factory for many years with the V8, and is well respected by the 4X4 guys.

My 1 ton that had the Dana 70HD was just a test for installing them in a 2 ton. I had the 1 ton, and was not ready to start on a 2 ton quite yet, so I built the axles as the first step in my 2 ton project, and tried them out for 10,000 or so miles in the 1 ton. Both front and rear axles I had in the 1 ton are now under my 2 ton.

My gearbox is from a 78 IH Scout II, quite different from the popular Chevy 4X4 box, other than being made by the same company, Saginaw. My setup won't work with the original steering geometry. With the Scout box The drag link has to attach to the front side of the right wheel.

I would not worry so much about the axle shafts breaking, not much you can do but put another equally old one in. If one does break there is no real danger, just pull over, not like a wheel will fall off.
If you had new ones made I don't think it would be worth the money, as the old ones may never break, and used ones are cheap.

Grigg

it looks just like your trucks the advanced design truck that go from late 47 to 53, i was just at ebay and i saw very few front axles but a whole ton of dana 80's out of dodges and the matching dana 60, if i really wanted to i could go 4WD, and the drag link is some what similar... the transfer case might be exspencive but im always up for a good challenge and where i live its almost required 4WD, i live right next to moab, where the famous jeep safari is, and for most hard core wheelers an old truck with 4WD is probly the coolest thing around. on the other hand it wouldnt be very practical because of 160" wheel base but it would be an awsome farm/service truck

I just dropped my jeep off to get powder coated and now i have a little time to work on my chevy, any ideas on how i can mount the stock steering with the 350? i moved it over a coulple inches but i still need to put the exaughst manifold on, and that will require me to cut the frame rails and re-weld them...
any sugestions?

The steering box is in the way if i want to cut the frame out to make room for the exaughst manifolds, if any hydraulic steering ideas out there that use the same mounting position as the stock steering box please let meknow!

This is just about the time I would find a 71 or 72 chevy 4x4 frame and swap. You have power steering and disc brakes already on it. The most interesting thing was just moving the power assist brakes to the firewall but that is easy to if the 4x4 frames comes with a cab that has the brake and clutch pedals.

Been there, done that

On mine, they did notch out the frame rail for the exhaust. They also moved the steering box over some. In fact, the tire rubs on it when you make a hard left turn. It doesn't turn as sharp to the left.
Not an ideal set up, but my engine was put into a farm truck by a couple farmers with a welder! They were more concerned with getting it running again than they were with small details!! And since I only use it for parades and fun stuff, it's been good enough for me, too.

youngguns: do a search on the steering. I know there have been several threads about this. One simply made a plate and moved the steering box over I think about one or one and half inches and said he noticed no difference in the position of the steering wheel ect.
Another thread spoke about using a steering sector off a toyota 4x4. There is plenty on this subject as well as getting headers that will work and miss the steering box. Do a lot of reading/reseach before cutting.

http://community.webshots.com/album/563245182jnDQdH?vhost=community
i got some pictures of it finally, sorry for the big hole in the firewall its necisary for distributor cap on the 350

since i have cut the firewall out... i have decided to GO BIG! i am going for the legendary cummins motor 6bt, 5spd manual
(L6, b series, turbo) i am currently in hot pursuit of a truck that will be a great donor.

I officially have been converted to diesel. Insted of a gas guzzling freak, i will get better milage with this new motor transmission combination and it will last over 500k miles, they didnt put million mile odometers on those older trucks(89-02 i think) for no reason, they were put there with the intention of the motor being run a very LONG LONG time.

A big thanks goes to grigg for the ispiration with his 2 stroke detroit diesel(4-53T).

Sounds like a plan!
For more help with your Cummins swap go here: http://www.4btswaps.com/forum/index.php

Grigg

i know its been awhile since i wanted to do the 350 but i think i can get back on track, i have looked at the 4bt as an option but i dont like the rattle can sound of it. the really low growl of a 6bt really sounds good to me, thanks for the site though i think i might put one in my moms trail blazer! thats for later

I've been thinking about the same swap for my 47 2 ton instead of the big block i have have in there now.

i was also inspired by grigg, and I've always liked diesels better than gas anyways.

The 4BT swaps site will be a tremendous help for your 6BT.
Most everything they talk about with the 4 also applies to the 6.
They even have a section for 6BT swaps.

And also a section for "other engine swaps"
There are three current threads about 4-53's, one going in an AD 1 ton.

Grigg

ok i have been looking around the 4BT place and found a project exactly like mine! not related to the engine i was wondering how to get the weather stripping off, i got all of it off around the door until i got to the dash and i cant get the screws off because they are kinda in a corner. do i need to remove the dash if possible?

my dash has a hole to get to the screw for the weather striping

mine has a hole but there are other screws there that are still in that funny little corner.

heres a link to pictures of my 47,
little rough but getting there... i cut a hole in the firewall because i needed more room because im going with a manual. to all that think cutting the firewall is against your religion its metal i can fix metal....

http://community.webshots.com/album/563245182jnDQdH

Why does a manual transmission require more room at the firewall?

In my case I have a 3" body lift to fit the transmission, and it's a rather large one. I will also modify the firewall slightly, but only to help fit the engine.

Grigg

to bolt to the original transmission (when i was going with the 350) the more modern bellhouse needed more room and to use the original drive shaft i needed to push the v8 further and further back, it is true body mounts would solve this but i figured this was cheaper.... like i said metal is fixable..i can fix that

http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2442641620103921726gqZuyQ

take a look at this guys truck, on a dodge frame, with a huge gaping hole in the firewall

well its sunday and the deal on the guys truck, that was going to power my 47 just fell through and i no longer have a doner truck , i am looking for a 1995-1998 dodge 5.9 turbo diesel, if any one knows where one is that is close to utah, and is relativly cheap, please let me know thanks!

i found a source in st george ut, they have tons of trucks engines, axles and tranmissions just sitting around, how much bigger are the big bolt grilles? mine is a little rough, i know the fenders are bigger and also the hood/ which would also mean the grille is bigger?

That'd be me!!!!

Glad to see you're on here Young Guns... Now all you need is to join over at CumminsForum and you'll have every possible piece of information on your swap that is in existance right at your fingertips....