Hey there I'm putting a 283 with a 2 speed powerglide out of a 63 impala in my 54 chevy 210 this car had a 235 with a powerglide now to do this swap I change the motor mounts, remove the fins on the firewall and the E brake correct? Now for the trans since they are both powerglide will the newer one bolt in to the stock crossmember or no? Also what company makes fenderwell headers for this application?
the orig trans should have had side trans mounts and didnt use a trans crossmember with a trans mount attached at the tailshaft,it is a cast-iron trans and a newer glide is aluminum and uses a tailshaft mount,you can buy a side mount adapter kit for the later trans,or use a trans crossmember with a mount(speedway motors sells both kinds)you will need side mount engine mounts to install later model engines in early cars,(speedway also,as well as others)
i have never installed a sbc in a `54 chevy, but if i was going to i would be looking at the mounts offered by Walton Fabrication. Rod & Custom recently did an article on using them http://www.waltonfabrication.com
I used the cheaper Ch***is Engineering ones and made my own trans mount. Not all Powerglides are created equal. I have a ram horn p*** side, and a early 305 rear dump driver side manifold. 1990 2wd chevy truck ds manifold will work with plugged air ports.
You can keep the original E-brake by moving the handle over a few inches and flipping over the curved piece at the end of the brake rod. I did that on one 20 years ago and it still is working fine.
Interesting..can you post up some pictures? or Pm me? I still have all my e-brake shtuff and would like to do this to mine.
GBchev, sent you a P.M. Just finished doing this swap, and I can offer a few pointers. Butch/56sedandelivery. I don't know of any vendor that makes fenderwell headers for 49-54 Chevrolets with V-8 power. There are some fairly cheap and practical alternatives. There is a set on that auction site we all know and love, look under "G***er". I think 55-57 fenderwell headers would work (?). Butch/56sedandelivery.
You don't have to get rid of the firewall fins. I moved mine ove a little and kept them. ****y picture I know....
Actually, they DID use a crossmember mounted trans mount also, on top of the front/side mounts and bellhousing mounts. One of those stock 3-speed trans mounts runs about $75.00 from The Filling Station, and they have a "limited" supply of NOS mounts; the Powerglide is $90.00! It's design ties the trans/torquetube to the crossmember. And the reason for the "heavy duty K-member" trans cross member is also related to the stress imposed on it by the torque tube. Butch/56sedandel;ivery.
A number of years ago I fitted a SBC and al 'glide into my 54 more-door. It was a glide with a rear pump in it. I put a plate onto the gearbox mount - drilled new holes for the V8 gearbox mount, then fabbed the engine mounts, using the original ones whch were modified. Yes the left firewall rib was trimmed, and used a rear exit exhaust manifold to clear the steering box (right side out here)
Is that the style that comes down from the ports and dumps at the very back? Some guys are using mid-1990s LT1 manifolds that actually come up and dump towards the back. There's a couple of truck manifolds, one used in vans on the left and right both dump at the very back, one used in Suburbans (square bodies) dumps ahead of the rear port. It's been a while since I looked under the hood of a round-body 88-up pickup to see which one of those they use.
Call Walton Fabrications....have your ride running in a weekend...I couldn't wait so that's what i did, and it's awesome. Bolt-on with minor welding, no guess work involved. Had my ride on the ground in no time. It's a universal Trans-bracket, universal meaning all the GM automatic trans...
Looked in an old Petersen engine swaps book from the '70s - looked like reprints of Hot Rod articles collected in one softcover book - and they used '64 Malibu manifolds to get a 327 into a '53 Chevy. Only had to m***age one of the firewall ribs, they said, too. So probably 64-67 would work, if you can find them.
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