alright so i got the panel wagon home finally and looking at the frame its in really good shape, minus it has a five lug straight axle under the front...but i think i can even run with that for now. the question i have is can anyone show me some pics or give me info on mounting an engine in the stock locations on this? does it go to this front cross member here? it just seems awfully far forward.. but i dont have much for reference at this point. let me know if im on the right track or way off i would like to use the front style mounts and a second set of mounts at the transmission bellhousing. ill also add some pics of what i was looking at. thanks in advance for your help guys!
No V8 came in these. It was an inline-6. It had one front mount, under the damper/pulley, on the cross member, and a side mount on each side of the bell housing. The transmission tail was in free-air, attached via a swivel ball with a u-joint inside, to a rigid torque tube, that ran to the rear axle, like a big swing arm. If you are installing a V8, you will need to obtain, or make, totally new mounts, including a rear cross member for the transmission. While the original, with its Iron case could self-support, any and all aluminum cased transmissions, and/or aluminum bellhousings will be promptly broken without this support.
Something like this: https://www.performanceonline.com/1...and-Transmission-Crossmember-Kit-with-Mounts/ You will have to get creative with the exhaust, by the steering box. The crossmember in the middle will need to get modified, or get removed.
You have to come up with new front mounts if you run a V8. If you run a stick you can get by with modifying the crossmember under a bit or changing it to a 54 crossmember and using a cast iron 55/59 Truck V8 bellhousing. That is what I have in mine. The V8 mounts don't quite fit on the 47/53 crossmember without a bit of m***age on the crossmember though. Lots of guys do use those tube crossmembers and they make things easy. Be aware if you cut the crossmember under the bellhousing totally out an don't reinforce the frame the weight of the cab will eventually twist the frame rails until the bottom of the cab is laying on the top of the frame rails. That is why you see a lot of AD trucks that have been swapped to V8 automatic look bent at where the hood meets the cowl. The steering box / exhaust interferance issue is one that we all fight. The normal fix is to space the steering box out about an inch and a half to the outside. Not a great fix but that is the norm. I've been wanting to figure out a simple fix for the past 45 years and haven't got it figured out yet.
thanks for the replies guys! sorry its been a few days since i posted on here, i have still just been so confused and searching... So the engine i want to use unfortunatly doesnt have the side mount bolt holes...i was hoping to be able to make something work with the front mounts.I ***ume theres no way to add side mounts to an engine that doesnt have the bolt holes (seems like an obvious answer to me, but maybe theres something im not thinking of) i also dont mind adding the bellhousing and the transmission mount. to help hold everything in place..i was just really wanting to use this engine with the front mounts instead of finding another block with the bolt holes for side mounts. ive been doing some measuring and i think i could make some of the front mounts fit somehow, by either welding to the frame or possibly using the ones that are basically straight down off of the front of the block and just drilling new holes on the stock crossmember. im just not certain on either..just trying to make sure before i go ordering anything. i did find some pictures of a single horseshoe mount for the front that looks like it would possibly work in the stock l6 location but i cant find a lot of information on it, or even a place to buy one. thanks again for your time and help guys! sorry for my confusing posts, sometimes i struggle to put my thoughts into words.
Check out the Stovebolt forum site, lots of info to keep your head and eyeballs spinning for months. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
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