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Installing a 1996 Lt1 chevy v/8 in a 1950 chevy 3100.What bell housing/ flywheel ? Will it bolt up to the original tranny? ,Thanks Bob Fortner

Well you have to use a flywheel appropriate to the motor. I've read that there are some differences in later motors based on the change in main seal design, but I don't know the ins and outs of that and don't want to be the one answering that part of the question.

The motor will bolt to any of the early Chevy V-8 bellhousings, so choosing a bellhousing might be more about choosing your approach to mounting the motor and setting up the clutch.

If I were doing this I'd look at changing the bellhousing crossmember to a '54/'55 1st type because that easily mounts the V-8 type bellhousing from a '55 to '59. Most guys probably just make an adapter rather than change the crossmember.

While I've not done it, I believe using a '55 to '59 truck bellhousing will both simplify the mounting and make building clutch linkage a straight forward task.

Later bellhousings up through I think '67 are similar but different ones have variations that complicate the picture. Any of them are going to bolt to your transmission.

You don't say which transmission you have. If its the SM420 4-speed that same transmission was used up through 1967 and is tough enough you are probably fine using it.

If you have a 3-speed I personally would be worried about durability.

Any V8 bellhousing 55-66 will bolt in for you. Use the flywheel correct for the engine. Clutch will likely have to be looked up by dimensions. You will probably have 1 1/8 inch 10 spline input, and either 11" or 10.4" surface. GM used both for many years, just know what you need when shopping. That should hook you up to your original tranny as well as later model open drives. That same bellhousing and clutch setup will also cover passenger car transmissions like Muncies and T10s if you're so inclined.

Devin

I forgot to consider that to mount a V8 in an AD you're going to have to offset the engine an inch or two to the passenger side for exhaust manifold clearance. I don't know if the bellhousing mounts will allow that. The other option is to move the steering box towards the left, which will offset the steering in a manner I don't care for.

Devin

55 Tractor, does the motor look completely out of place when you offset it to the left? Or is the adjustment small enough that nobody notices? Also, if you do that, wouldn't the tail of the tranny aim the wrong direction to screw up the pinion angle?

My choice would be to either move the steering box to the outside of the rail or go with IFS but not to off center the engine.

I believe the offset procedure involves moving the whole assembly, engine and trans, to one side by modifying the rear crossmember mounting points as well as fabricating new front mounts. A side-to-side movement of the engine/trans centerline doesn't have any adverse effect on the driveline alignment, it just makes the driveshaft run at a slight sideways angle. Lots of vehicles do that.
Jerry

If off setting the engine and trans causes problems then there wouldn't be any Ford vans on the road. Theirs is further to the right than Rush Limbaugh. We used to make cheap narrowed 9 inchers by using two right axles and tubes from 70's vans.