The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop In the AD's, is the I-6 a structural component?

You know, like the tractors. Is the stovebolt engine a structural component?

I pulled my old blown 235 (blew up, not supercharged)in my '52 GMC 3/4 ton and installed a 350 small block Chevy in it's place. Now mysteriously, my body panels are slightly out of place and I don't know how to adjust them back. It's almost like the frame is tweaked or the engine was holding the front in place. The hood doesn't close right, the front bumper is crooked, and when I look at old photos of when I first bought the truck, it's much straighter.

What the heck could have happened? If the engine was a structural member, then I can understand it. If so, how do I get my body back to straight?

no it's not structural, but the rad is, and any change in the rad support affects the whole front fit .... OTOH maybe you tweaked the frame when you installed the different mount arrangement, like a new crossmember welded in?

Bill

No, the engine just sits on the frame.

No, I didn't weld the V8 mounts in. They're bolted in.
But I did remove the radiator because it leaked real bad and I replaced it. I can't see how that radiator is structural though. The radiator support and frame, yes, but a brass radiator? Well maybe that's a clue.

The radiator frame (radiator support) and how it is mounted is not a structural component in terms of structural strength. However, the mounting of the radiator frame can have an impact on the arrangement of body panels.

in relation to the body structure, "radiator" is the assembly, not the fins n tubes - the core support is the front of the triangle that mounts and aligns the entire front .... tho that doesn't explain your bumper going limp, which could have a variety of unrelated causes, including something loose enough it 'just moved' .... did you take out the grill and remove the hood for the engine swap? .... have you inspected all the rubber involved, like under the core support and cab? considered weight change effect on the old front springs?

Bill

The 350 is a lighter engine than the 235, so there is less weight on the front springs rather than more. Perhaps that may have some effect on the panel triangulation? I don't know.

Yes I removed the grill, top of the radiator support, radiator and the hood and slid the new engine in right through the front.
So it is conceivable that when I remounted those things, I changed things enough to where they didn't line up well.

it's a sure bet you changed things just removing and reassembling - alignment of the front sheet metal requires a fair effort, not just bolting the right pieces in the right places, you'll find lots of threads here about the grief folks have had trying to get the front positioned well

it's very common to find body shims on any old vehicle, required to get as close as possible to "right" - even changing the rotation of used rubber mounts can throw things out, an eighth inch tweak in one rad mount bolt can translate to a half inch extra gap at one back corner of the hood .... and maybe one bumper mount bolt was just loose enough that someone standing on the bumper shifted it a bit

Bill

Just in case you need to adjust some of the front sheet metal, here are a few useful resources:

Adjustment of front hood and sheet metal - Shop Manual.

Hood alignment in Tech Tips.

Anything mounted through rubber bushings is not going to transmit any significant force, unless bottomed out, so no.

Wow, thanks guys. I'll check those links.
I figured it was something I did different, but couldn't figure out what. I guess I know. I'll have to do some tinkering on the weekend and see if I can get it lined up better.