Technical V8/powerglide/torquetube

Your welcome, glad I could help

 

Actually from my experience a V8 swap was not common for the early 50s chebbys. Them and the AD trucks both had the same problem, steering clearance. There were or are some uncommon tricks (aside from headers) that were done. But it was an uncommon swap.

That said the power glide should handle a small bore SBC just fine. I am not sure about the torque tube rear though. But you could go that way and if the rear didn't hold up you could upgrade after you broke it.

 

The torque tube u-joint is attached to the trans with four 1/4-28 cap screws under the ball aka shrapnel container. The rear end is stronger than those.

 

Thanks for schooling me. I have only been playing cars and motorcycles for 60 or s0 years. I would not have ever guessed.

 

That is true, however, if those screws are tight and the locks in place, they actually carry very little load. They hold the u-joint together, and as long as those parts are tightly seated, the only load on the screws is the 'cam-out' load parallel to the screws, not rotational. I had an old long wheel base Jimmy that had that weird open shaft from the rear end to a little short torque tube adapter on the trans. That thing got abused something awful, heavy loads, stout 270, stupid driver (me at 19 or so), and no issues at all.

Not much different that every 'normal' rear u-joint attachment when you think about it.

 

Other than 5/16” straps and not 1/4” as I remember. The 270 in my 49 pick up busted a few. The pick up trans without the cut down input shaft was a lot stronger than the earthly car transmission and also the 55-up car transmissions. I guess it was cheaper to manufacture the cut down input one.

 

Ok, so engine is pulled. Going with smallblock, 56 rear, open drive.
Looks like maybe the brake level needs changed, or depends on how high the v8 mounts are. And have you guys done similar swaps that can tell me if the crossmember/gearbox mounts need swapped? I had a old powerglide in it and will now have an alu powerglide.

 

On the ones I have screwed together I use the '57 mounts front and bell housing. Dropped the bell housing mounts in the original Chevy location and built the rest of the mounts around that. That locates everything in a good place. Use a long water pump and a 3" extension on the fan then build a fan shroud to compensate for the added distance to the radiator.

I have also use the short pump because that is what I had (parts but no money LOL) and moved the radiator back toward the motor.

The original cross member is not a problem. The real problem comes from the left side exhaust manifold and clearance for the steering post. There are lots of solutions for that problem. Some more traditional than others.

 

So you Say that i dont have to change the crossmember? I was thinkin about walton engine mounts. I know about the manifold issue and i think early smallblocks have manifolds with dumps that work. But what about the brake lever? Do i need to change to a firewall mount kit? Thanks.

 

Could use mid mount brackets that bolt on the bellhousing bolts and provide the torque control and mounting. Won't be in stock bellhousing location and angle, but simple enough to connect the mid mounts to the frame. They are two pieces, and bolt under the 3 bolt heads on each side and against the bellhousing. Sorta kinda L-shaped with a flat pad. Not a plate that goes between the engine and bellhousing. I don't have a picture handy.

 

Yeah. I have looked there and Waltons.

 

We used a CE crossmember/ trans mount kit on the last one we did. Easy.

 

Ok. Engine out, rear Axle out.
Im about to order engine mounts from walton.
I think Im going to leave the stock trans crossmember.
The orginal rear Axle had some 2,5 inch lowering blocks welded in, so i need to order new ones(dont have time to make my own)
Does anybody run 3 inch blocks? I think i need those for 49-54 chevy but with later rear Axle because of the ofset. Anybody know of good wendors on those?