The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Help installing 350 in a 59 GMC 1/2 ton

I am putting a 350 in my 59 GMC. However, I am not sure on the distance from the firewall and radiator. I am using the tube type engine and tranny mounts. I need any diretion on how to or a good reading source. Thank you!!

If you are useing a manual trans. with the stock crossmember, A v-8 bell houseing will set on it & locate the engine for you. It puts the dist close to the firewall so if you use a big HEI you need to bash in the firewall a little. You will have a lot of space to the radiator so you have to use fan spacer, &/or shroud.

OK, 2 schools of thought from the factory.

GMC trucks that had a V8 from the factory had engine close to the radiator. No fan shroud was used. The bellhousing crossmember was also located 4 inches forward of a chevy crossmember, or even a six cylinder crossmember.

Chevy trucks with the 8 used the same rear crossmember as the six cylinder trucks. This caused the V8 to sit to far back to effectively pull air through the radiator. A fan shroud was used to overcome the distance.

My 59 gmc had the factory pontiac based v8. I don't believe pics of my engine bay will help much, as My engine is mounted like the stock GMC V8, with a cushion mount under the front timing cover, and the two bellhousing mounts in the rear.

You don't say what type of transmission you are using but it sounds like it must be an automatic since you plan to use the aftermarket front and rear mounts. You will have to mock up the mount locations as GM autos have a wide range of rear mount configurations. If it was a 6 cyl truck you have plenty of room to work with. Set the front mount in place to provide adequate spacing for the distributor and hang the engine to get your spacing right. You can then measure from the rear of the engine where the bellhousing mounts up to get the spacing for the trans rear mount.
Fred

My bad folks.....I am using a TH-350 automatic tranny with the tubular engine and tranny mounts.

More info please!

As far as 55 to 57 there was no fan shroud used. The radiator support was moved back and a spacer plate installed between the hood latch and the support.

Why not use the factory motor mount and use tubular tranny mount?

Normally the original bellhousing crossmember is removed when a late trans is installed. This facilitates the need for after market crossmembers which use the engine center mounts and the transmission rear mount. If you use the stock V-8 mounts and the trans rear mount there is too much distance in the center which is not supported by anything. I have fixed several cars & trucks that were done that way. On one of them the only thing holding the engine and the trans in the vehicle was the exhaust system as both front and rear mounts were broken from all the movement.
Fred