The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop 270 motor in 51 AD

Has any one out there put a 270 in a chevy?
I found a nice one with aluminum intake and exhaust. Will it bolt up to a 235 bell houseing? Is there a horror story I should here? I talked to some one that ran one and was told it's a great motor.
Thank you.

there may be other ways to do it but this is what i was told to make it happen. you need to find a doner gmc front crossmember and swap it out. the gmc engines are 1.5" longer than the chevy's. then you need to move the radiator forward. it will bolt to the bell housing. i was going to put one in my dump and opted to find a later 235 to keep it simple and a bolt in. the 270 is a good engine. i have one in my 51 and will be putting one in my 40 that i have torn down when funds permit.

Thank you. The one I'm looking at is a side motor mount and I have a cross member after market for a 6-8 I can use. Thanks again.
I'm going to run the numbers to make sure but I think it's a late 270.

I would stick to a stock crossmember... keeps it easier. With the sidemount 270 (1956-1959) Do you have the horseshoe mount? If you do, you may be able to drill a hole in the chevy crossmember for it, or bolt a plate to the crossmember for the horseshoe mount to go through.

If it were me, I would change the front xmember to the gmc one, and change the front timing plate so it would simply bolt in like stock. The front timing plate from the 216 will interchange with the 270.

Big Bad Swing Daddy, I don,t mean to sound stupid but here goes What is a horse shoe mount please. If it's the tranny mount I have the two early and two 55+ mounts. I have a spare 216 and 57- 40s frames. Thank you all.

The horseshoe mount is the mount that bolts to the front sides, like a horseshoe hung upright as not to let the luck run out. This mount has a single 1/2 or 5/8 bolt on the bottom that bolts through the x-member. The rubber cushions for this type of mount were never reproduced, and are extremely difficult to find.

I believe swapping out the timing plate to be an eazier instalation. The older chevy and gmc 6 cylinders had a timing plate that was bent on the bottom and had 2 studs coming down that bolted through the motor mounts and the crossmember. These motor mounts are readily available.

Big Bad Swing Daddy, once again thank you. I was more afraid I was looking at a bell housing challenge due to a 270 being GMC. So I have the parts to put it in the truck less the front cross member from a GMC frame. I'm going to pick up the motor any way and see if I can find parts. I'll be saving it from the bone yard and some one will be looking for parts some day if I don't use it. I do have a 235 I can put in the truck. I'm just thinking about a newer motor for ease of repair parts. Thank you.

Well, the bellhousing end isn't a done deal yet. True the bellhousing will interchange and mount to the frame just like stock. The Monkey wrench is the Flywheel. The GMC flywheel does not interchange with the chevy flywheel. This brings up a starter issue, as the 6 volt starter you have won't work with the 12 volt flywheel the 270 has. You may have to convert the truck to 12 volts and run a 12 volt starter. If you are lucky, and the planets align just right, you might be able to find a 54-55 gmc 6 volt, 6 bolt flywheel from a gmc 248 that will keep your truck a 6 volt truck.

Big Bad Swing Daddy,
I do have the 57 starter 12 volt. I also have the 57 bell housing, 51 bell housing 40s something bell housing 250 bell housing. And none of the parts will go from fan to differential cover. Did I say AAHHHG yet? Thank you very much by the way.

57 starter will work on 51 bellhousing, just have to convert to 12 volt, as the flywheel has a different tooth count depending on weather it is for a 6 or 12 volt starter. Confused yet?

Big Bad Swing Daddy, Almost crazy but Here's another shot before I call it a night. I think I will shop for an exhaust manifold for the 235 and use the 57 3/4 ton running gear. But I will save the 270 from the bone yard and put it in a dry place with the 216 and 250. Some day it will find a good home. I can use it as a weight bench to stack stuff on in the mean while. Thank you.

john ive been waiting for that to happen to me for two years now with no luck.

Even though it is a hassle to do it, I'd go for the 270 over the 235. The GMC is better built and stronger.

As mentioned above, you'll want to do the old cam cover trick.

I had a 270 engine I put in a '39. Everything on the back bolted right up, the front mounts were an easy fix. Hate to admit I used F**d parts but front shackles from a buggy spring front end were 1 1/2" long and bolted right up to the stock mounts and to the engine front plate. It was the easiest engine swap I have ever done and I have done dozens of them. What a difference, great torque stock, and when I built it up it was really fast, but I used 5 carburetors, roller cam, ported head etc. Ran almost 100 M.P.H. at 1/4 mi. drags way back in 1951, there wasn't a flathead around that could touch it.

Guys,
Dont Know if I,m right here but why change to a 12 volt starter when I think you can just change out the Bendix drive to get the right tooth count.
I,m sure the corrections will come Flying in.
Regards,
Steve Sr.

Not that easy. the bendix doesn's swap that easily. I am sure it could be machined to work, but it would be a chore. There is no problem running a 6 volt starter on 12 volts. The flip can not be said. A 12 volt starter needs the 12 volts and will not function on 6 volts.