Need some help...Olds engine in a 33/34 Ford???

Your are 100% correct...but I just like "older" style cars better. Pre- 9" and 4 speed. More like "I took this 303 out of a brand new wrecked 1949 Olds 88"...so to me the trans/rear are too new. I know we don't see eye to eye on that, but thats just what I like.

Lancatser is correct as well. An Olds rear and LaSalle would be super *****in and fit the era, but would cost me a fortune as well. Something I don't have.


So, a 9" would probably work IF I GO THAT ROUTE. They came out in 1957 and thats probably as new as I would want to go.
I do have a friend with a top loader Packard trans...been thinking hard on that.
Then again, I do have an open driveline Ford three speed.


I think what it'll boil down to is this:

If I go with the olds I will probably do more late 50's build. Throw some bulletproof parts under it and have fun. JJ, Trust me I like the banjo/three speed as much as the most ******** guy...but I do wanna drive this car and don't want to spend a lot of time repairing stuff if it breaks. PLUS, not that I'm lazy, but if I gotta shove the trans back and shorten the torquetube that would just blow. Might as well just go open driveline by then IMO.

If I stick with the flathead and everything else I have to go with it, then this ol' 303 will have to wait for something else to go in.

 

I'm with ya man.....I "get it"....

Psstt....I know a guy with a LaSalle trans FS if interested. Maybe even the adapter if needed.
And I have a NOS Sheifer aluminum flywheel for Olds.

Let's get ya going in a car you won't have to trailer to the shows on this side of the hill....

 

Exactly what I was thinkin'....

I wish I had a Lasalle trans... I do have 2 303's and 2 Hydros though...And a 394 and a Slim Jim!!! Slim Jims ****....

Why not find a Lasalle trans? That would be way cool...

 

Chis,

The best way to achieve a good looking and stock looking firewall is to find a donor 35, 36 pick up firewall. It has the same X pattern as the stock 33-34 and with a little work they look right at home. The 35, 36 "shelf" is not as long as the 33, 34 and the truck still has the stock distributor pocket which leaves plenty of room.

Ill try and post a few close ups of mine tonight for you.

Pete-

 

Just pulled out the 56 Olds out of my 34 I put in it in 58 using Offy stuff, Olds to early Ford adaptor w/pilot bushing adaptor, starter relocater, oil filter block off plate, stock Olds stick flywhell redrilled to accept the ford 11in truck PP and disc. Made home built mounts useing cutting torch and stick welder, basically, Hurst style that used 34 Biscuts with spacers under them. Did have to notch the firewell with a piece of trimmed exhaust tubing welded in (clears the SBC dist fine now too). Used stock left hand exhaust manifold that cleared the steering and left hand on the right to get the down flow exit, cleared starter fine. Now to problem, FAN CLEARANCE, with the slant of the radiator, it barely cleared the wp pump shaft, I shortened the shaft (ground off) about 3/8 of an in to get about 1/4in clearance. A wp mounted fan was just out of the question without moving the engine/trans back. Drove it very carefully for years to avoid overheating, stuck in traffic was a *****!! Would just shut it off usually. Other than that it was great except you needed a good stockpile of trans and axles unless you never got on it which would defeat the whole purpose!!! LOL. I ran 5:60-15s up front and 8:20/ 9:00-15s in back. With the 11in clutch and big tires, something had to give and it did!!! LOL That was back when there were trans/rearends around like SBC drive train parts are today, in everyones backyard, behind the barns and at every service station, let alone the rows of them at the local wrecking yards. I used to buy the cluster gear for about $11 and the low reverse slider for about $7 and every parts house had them by the dozens, Republic was the brand I think, prob still have a box or two somewhere. I had the trans in and out so many times, I/we could do it blindfolded in less than an hour. Good Luck with your endeavor!! Dave

 

Chris,

Here are the pics. You will notice the measurement on the "shelf", much shallower than the 33-34. There are a few close ups of the filler pieces that fill the gaps on the inside of the cowl sides. This was the only major modification I made to the firewall. I am however using a cragar adapter and a 67 Ford 4 speed top-loader.

Pete-

 

Thanks Pete, I just read the article in Hop Up again last night on your car looking at how you did your set up.
Just so happens my Ol Man has a junked out 35/36 pickup in his backyard. Hmmmmm

 

Great story!
So I'm guessin you did not have to move the trans back?
This thread is going WAY better than I thought it would! Thanks so far everyone, lets keep this ball rolling

 

Thanks so much Pete, this helps A LOT! Any pics of how it's mounted up front? Running a stock radiator?

So, all in all, how do you like your setup in that car? Anything that you'd change or steer clear of? I am only about 1 week deep into Olds engines, before that it was simply flatheads

 

Back in the day (56,57) I had an olds in a 34' sedan. Trans was a side shift cad/lasalle adapted to the stock torque tube and rear end. I sure dont remember cutting the firewall but could have (crs disease). I know I ran a stock fan and radiator. Seems like the radiator was moved forward some.
Never any problems with axles or rear end but did shear a few axle keys till we learned about making them from screw driver shafts.

 

Here are a few Olds friendly transmissions. The long red one is the Lasalle which bolts to the 50-only Olds bell, as well as some years of the early OHV Caddy bells. These bells usually cost more.

The shorty trans with the add on side shifter is the 50-only olds. Shown with an Eelco Quick Shift shifter that has a tower to resemble a top shift trans. Uses the above mentioned bell for the LaSalle.

The other top shift trans is the seldom seen "37 Buick bigger series" trans case fitted with 51-55 Olds gears & shafts from the Selector type trans. The case & tower would be hard to locate, but this is one sweet trans. This takes the less expensive Selector bolt pattern bell which is easier to find. The Selector donor guts should be cheap. I have enough pics to do a tech on the swap.

When buying any of these trans...try to get the small parts nobody mentions, like TOB tube/front bearing collar thing, the fork, as well as trans output flange or yoke. Most trans I see on ebay or hamb are missing these hard to find parts.

 

Chris, to answer your question about whether the trans is moved back and the torque tube shortened in my Cad powered 33 coupe, the answer is no to the first and yes to the second. The engine is mounted with Hurst mounts on Ford biscuits, all set on pads I made that bolt to the inside of the frame.

 

Thanks a lot guys! I have a couple lines on both Packard ******s and LaSalle ******s and adapters to the Olds engines...so I'm pretty sure either one of those ******s will go in. Rear end is undecided as of yet.

Great info so far, anyone have anymore pics of Model 40's with Olds engines??

 

Thanks a lot Jrblack30, thats a pretty slick way of doin it!

 

Another period trans, not yet inflated too much...BW T-85, the trans that was later made into the basis of the T-10. Common source is '49-51 Lincoln, usually with OD so you can use that 4.56 Olds rear. I think it had prewar applications, and later was the HD trans for Ford police cars.
By the way, look at '49 Olds suspension...I think it might be very transplantable, with lighter coils.

 

Right on Bruce. Perfect traditional late 50's Hot Rod.

 

So today I mocked the engine in there just to see how it would fit. I can see why the firewall has to be cut, things tight! Looks great in the engine bay. Also looks like everything should fit right. Engine does need to go back a couple inches in the end.

 

One of the previous owners of my 3 window ran an Olds adapted to a 39 trans. He said his father owned a salvage yard, so he had acquired a stockpile of 39 transmissions, which he could swap out in a couple of hours. The torque of the olds would just explode the ford transmissions.

That engine mocked in your car really looks good. My vote would be some type of open drive trans. Welcome to the dark side...

Dave

 

I know the one from further back is a flatty, but just to show you what car it was in. I'm guessing the olds came 2nd. look at the hood.

 

I have a line on a Packard top shift trans, and am now thinking 9" Ford axles in a banjo rear.
Thanks!

 

Thanks Corey, I think that bubble is to clear the exhaust manifold. The inner fenders bubble out factory, but this car looks like they just extended the hood down meaning it would be flat and probably quite narrow up front.