I could use some good reference pics. I’m back to work on the 39 Pontiac. It’s a Series 25, which is basically a 39 Chevrolet coupe body with a Pontiac firewall, frame and fenders. While attempting to fit an SBC , I’m having fits along the drivers side. The car was originally a 6 cylinder. The SBC is obviously wider creating a squeeze along the left rail where there is so much stuff going on; exhaust, steering column modified with universals and 605 power steering box, the oil filter and the engine mount. I’m also attempting to keep the original front suspension ( and rear end). Surfing the net I see SBCs stuffed in a variety of pinch frame, fat fender cars, but can’t really SEE how they navigated the maze. As a side note, what I do see is the SBCs are located very close to the firewall. With the SBC being two cylinders shorter than the original 6 cylinder it poses issues getting the fan close enough to the radiator. Moving it forward isn’t an issue (is it?). I’ve experimented with the obvious solutions like using a forward saddle engine mount to create room / using an electric fan to fill in that space up front / various header or exhaust options. Regardless of the chosen options, she’s still gonna be a squeeze. So all that being said, can we see some clear examples of engine placement in fat fender cars? I need some good pics and a kick in the pants to get me moving forward. Thanks
I have a 41 chevy with a sbc. Agree its kinda difficult. I have 2.5" exhaust too! Easiest thing to avoid the congestion is to run the driver side exhaust forwards and around the pan and join it up with the passenger side. MII front end, ssshhh! I run a single pipe backwards and over the axle, then split into 2 for tailpipes. Work well, sounds great! I can get you any pics you want, but my son is out in it at the moment and the fan wiring has fried and he's in heavy traffic, so not sure when he'll be back. Chris
Cant help much with your 605 style box but here was mine i just sold..39 with A stang 2 front.. Built 25 years ago before we got it.. hope it can help ya some!!!
How about a CE forward offset left mount and Chev truck exhaust manifold to get the around the front of the steering like is done on Fords. Maybe there is a reason for it; but if you got rid of the rag joint on the steering box and hooked the U-joint on directly; the joint angles would be a whole lot better and there would be no need for that Heim end shaft hanger.
Now we’re thinking I like the RH rams horn on the LH side.. hmmm. And the offset mount is a good idea also.
Mount to front of block instead of the side's?, brakes in floor ,eliminate rag joint, this is how we did a a 40 Ply
Built a '39 Chev about 25 years ago. Of course it had the MII c/w R&P. Block hugger headers and I recall having to ffset the engine/trans to the passenger side some. I'll look to see if I have any photos (they'll be old school...in a paper photo album...yeah, that long ago and I'm a slow adopter).
I also did a 39 Chevy with MII and a small block almost 30 years ago. I used rams horn manifolds and mounts similar to Chassis Engineering. I think I used one heim joint as a brace on the steering shaft. No sideways offset needed.
289-302 sbf would have been a viable swap. There around 4” narrower the a sbc. You’re almost there though good luck!
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