Has anyone done this swap without going to a subframe and/or power steering? I would like to keep this truck simple. Just a cruiser won't ever be raced or anything. My buddy has stockpiled some 454s and offered me one. Headers and firewall clearance are my biggest concern but it looks like Sanderson makes some for these trucks. Currently has a 283 and had a manual trans. Any pics or advice would be appreciated.
"I would like to keep this truck simple". Remember that.....it will serve you well. I am 71 yrs. old.....I have owned and driven regularly every truck in the 57-59 range.....both 1/2 and 3/4 tons. None of these were hot rods......just daily drivers, farm trucks and parts chasers when we were building race cars. I do not have any advice as to the big block 454 (in my upbringing they were big blocks before they were BBC's) swap into your truck. For me personally, I would not want to add any additional weight to the front of that truck ....or.....go real crazy on front tire size/wheel offset.....or dropping the front ride height. In many years of racing, we always had to balance the smallblock vs. big block tradeoffs of weight.....cheap horsepower......front/rear weight distribution ......firewall/fitment etc......and most of all.....steering with no power assist. If it was my truck, I would upgrade in the smallblock family, keep it traditional ......drive it and have fun......your results may vary.
I put a 396 in my 59 in 1979, it has a 454 in it now, still with the stock suspension/steering/brakes/firewall/crossmembers.....yeah, it can be done. how you do it, depends what transmission you want to run. Automatic? Hedman 68-87 truck headers will clear the stock steering box, with a bit of massaging. So will the mid 70s style manifold (on the drivers side), and there are other manifolds that will fit the pass side and clear the bellhousing crossmember, if you are leaving it in place. If you are going automatic, you probably want to remove that crossmember, and install the trans dapt type crossmembers under the engine and back of the transmission.
OK good to know. The truck had a Tremec 5 speed the last time it was running with the transdapt style crossmember. There are now holes for both positions so I think I am ok there. The rear end already is a 9" Ford with Detroit Locker and 4.11s although I will probably change to a cruising gear like 3:00 or 3:25. The buddy that's offering me the motor also offered me the TH350 that was running behind it in his Nova, I figure since I won't be launching hard that should be ok after getting rebuilt and beefed up.
The added length of the 454 is from the motor mounts forward so it should bolt in on the small block mounts, just measure the depth of the pan to make sure that clears. The worst spot is going to be that steering box and also if you are running a booster/master cylinder on firewall it may get close there, depending on it's location and size of booster.
I am trying to put a 427 into a 57 3100 pickup with 79 camaro subframe, what a puzzle. I started with BBC camaro frame stands and dougs long tube d325 headers 2" primaries.. The headers forced the engine forward since one tube wraps around the lower a-arm support on drivers side. Next I learned that I needed a long water pump since short water pump configuration would present power steering pump clearance issues with the camaro steering box(I need the p/s pump on drivers side lower since I want to put a/c pump on pass side and alt on top drivers). Now I am trying to figure out what radiator and fans I can use with the limited clearance. I wanted to stay with mechanical fan, but seems like electric is the way to go. If I cannot find a fan/radiator fan combo that will fit I may be forced to return the headers and see if I can get ones that will allow the engine to move backward. I measured 6" clearance with a short water pump from pump to core support and now that I am going to use a long water pump, it is 1 1/2" longer so I now have 4 1/2" I was thinking if I get a radiator with dual fans the water pump pulley may fit in between the two, but not sure. Anyone have any recommendations for a radiator and fan(s) to go with or any other advice with this project?
Have you considered a Pontiac engine for it? The same era of GMC trucks came with Pontiac engines, might be an easier swap.
oh, it's not that difficult to put a big block in these trucks, I've done 4 of them We don't know where the subframe ended up in your truck, and that might affect how close the engine is to the firewall. Do you have stock valve covers on it? or aftermarket? the reason I ask, is that if you have aftermarket, the engine is probably sitting forward a ways, and that might limit room for a fan. With stock valve covers, almost touching the firewall, there should be room up front. A stock radiator is kind of small for a big block, unfortunately. But it should fit with a long water pump and a flex fan, with a 1.5" long fan spacer, if the engine is far enough back. If the engine is forward a bit, then you may need to use an electric fan. But you might also consider modifying the radiator support and inner fenders, to fit a cross flow radiator in there. That's what I'm planning to do to my 59, one of these days.
...if you move the core support ahead of the 6 cyl. position, you'll run into problems with hood latch/grille mounting etc....ask me how I know?
I put a side tank radiator out of a 94 Buick roadmaster in a '55 chevy truck by moving the radiator support mounts into the wheel wells and relocating the vertical supports. radiator and condenser sat all the way out to face of the support. gave me lots of room for the 2nd gen lt1 , and if your not running ac I would think you would have no problem with the big block.
Thanks for the advice, I am still working on installing the 427/TH400 into the 57 pickup with 79 camaro subframe. I talked/sent pictures to Sanderson headers and now using the chevelle headers which allowed me to move the engine back close to the firewall (about 1/2" clearance between valve covers) and seems like I have just enough room for dual electric fans and aluminum radiator. Now I have to figure out how to design a core support that I can attach the condensor and radiator to. The valve covers I have are for a 67 camaro and fit great, but are rusted/dented and having a hard time finding a new pair, hoping to find ones similar so I can leave the engine where it is.
If you run a manual trans the center cross member isnt a problem.I know a guy who did a turbo350 in one,and had a minor clearance problem that he somehow over came without firing up a torch.
I am using BBC camaro engine mounts and my th400 crossmember is very low in the back eventhough it is level, do you think I need make custom engine mounts and raise everything up?
A bit off topic but, waaaay back, around '68 or so, I helped my BIL swap a 390 Cad with auto into his 55 1/2 T. Just a couple of kids, few tools, lots of enthusiasm and it was a killer ride. The tires were definitely the weak link. I expect that a BBC should fit as easily. As noted, the Pontiac was the V8 option in GMC trucks. .
I am still running the stock Chevy frame and steering column. When I installed the 396 into the Cameo in 1971, I used the original rear cross member and an M-21 tranny. The installation used the 6 cylinder front mounts on the frame, and the front mounts on the engine were modified 6 cylinder mounts adapted for the 396. For engine clearance on the driver's side this required dimpling the firewall a little. The stock manifolds would not fit on the driver's side, because of a conflict with the steering box. I have worn out three sets of headers over the years, the last being a set of Doug Thorley headers. All required some cutting and welding of the back two pipes on the LH side, to clear the steering box. I am now running a TH400, transmission, and made a crossmember for the rear mount. One way of staying with this older setup with the original truck mounts, would be to fabricate a pair of adapters for the right and left side, that bolt onto the transmission and use the stock rear truck mounts. I don't know if it is easier to go to the more modern side front mount, or modify the rear mount. Both require some fabricating. For clearance on the left side of the engine, you could also offset it slightly to the right. I have not done this, but know of other people that have used this idea. Bob
Put a 389 Pontiac with TH400 in my '57 Suburban. It was easier to fit it in than to fit a BBC in another '58 Chev PU I did for my dad years ago.
I'm trying to figure out if I need to raise the engine and trans up, does anyone know? the trans and headers are sitting pretty low to ground I think due to the way they welded the subframe. I have the rear trans crossmember pretty low as it is and the trans needs to go even lower so the pan is level it is sitting slightly up in the back.
Bring motor and trans up till bellhousing is about 3/8" from the bottom of the firewall, set angle of motor and trans 3 deg. to 4 deg. with trans yoke being the lowest. Set rear end angle to same deg.
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