The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Big block in a Task Force??

Thinking about a 454 in my '58. Anyone give me some idea of how difficult the swap is?? I have a 350 in it now. How is the clearance for the steering box?? What about exhaust headers...clearance?? Distributor clearance on firewall?? Any other issues I need to be alert to? Thanks in advance..

Carl

Hy cjoe, If I remember correctly the right head hits the firewall if you leave the bellhousing in the stock location, hope that helps.

3B "if you leave the bellhousing in the stock position" ?? Are you saying the big block motor has to be mounted left from the mounting position of the 350 (the location of the original 283) ?? If so, how much to the left??

427 fits in pretty nice lifts the front wheels too

Bill

cjoe, I think he is saying it must move forward as the head will hit the firewall on the right side of the vehicle. Check the clearence you have with the small block. Is it tight already?

red58..is this yours?? Nice. 427 and 454 should be the same size, externally...right?? What tranny and what rear gearing???

Tomcoe....the heads both clear ok but my HEI distributor cap is REALLY close, not touching but very close.

Years ago I put together a 55.2 with a big block. I used a stock truck bell housing. I don't recall the firewall interference, so it must not have been much. The headers were a bigger challenge. I am not sure which headers I used, probably Camero. The rear two tubes had to be removed and reworked. It is tight, but do able.

I used the stock small block front engine mounts. I do not think all big blocks are drilled for these mounts.

If you are going to use an auto trans, then none of this is relevent. You should side mount the engine and rear mount the trans, in doing so the engine can be located so that everything clears.

AFAIK all BB's are the same outside, cjoe - that one's not mine, good friends - I forget what 4 speed it has, but the rear is the stock 3.90 - hasn't blown it yet and he does abuse it sometimes - he found some Hedman's that fit ok

the hei is too tight on any v8 in a TF - avette4me posted about the BFH method of gaining the 1/4" necessary, but doing a setup from scratch with the side mounts you can fudge it forward 1/2" or more

Bill

The only bbc that has a different dimension is the tall deck big truck engines (366/427) and the performance variants of them. I suppose you could also get in some clearance issues with tall rocker covers, too.
You could always go Gasser style and use fenderwell headers from Speedway.
Oh, and I've been meaning to post this, I found this site that has conversion axles for the '55-'62 diff. They convert to a 30 spline and later 12 bolt side gears. I had heard that the parts swap, but wasn't sure on the axles themselves. Something to keep in mind, you know. http://www.tomsdifferentials.com/catalog.asp?pg=14

Lots of BBC into TF out there. It's more of an adapation than a swap. I put one from a 72 C20 with TH400 in my 57 last year. It is a 3600 and had a 235 w/4 speed hydromatic.
1. remove everything from firewall forward, sheetmetal, engine, etc.
2. 'hang' the new engine/trans with motor mounts and manifolds on it in place on hoist as low and starboard and aft as you are comfortable. maybe 1 inch from the frame, firewall, steering gear, etc.
3. build some motor mounts from channel, or buy a universal pipe type, and a transmission mount.
4. measure and build a driveshaft. I was lucky the open shaft from the hydro mated with the output shaft from TH400 via a U-joint.
5. build/adapt a transmission selector lever. The hydro column selector made it easy.
6. build/adapt a throttle lever/cable.
7. fabricate a couple exhaust pipes that will fit.
8. carfully fit the old cooling fan to the waterpump in the inch or so you have allowed for the radiator, add a transmission cooler.
9. adapt some radiator hoses, fuel lines,
10 hook the HEI to your ignition switch and you are done.