Building a custom 51 studebaker pickup and will be dropping a Chrysler 400 in it (might even stroke it to a 451 like my other car) and need some advise as far as making motor mounts and squaring it up between the frame rails and how level it needs to be front to back and all that good stuff. Any and all advise and constructive criticism is most welcome! Thanks in advance! [/URL][/IMG] [/URL][/IMG]
If you can't get the carb mounting surface level front to back you can install a small wedge to keep the carb level. Mounts should be easy, plenty of oem pieces to choose from over the years including the pickup jobs. Just a note at this point...use three individual bolts for the ears...do not use one long bolt as it is possible to break an ear. Pics as you go, please. .
Awesome - that 400 can run hard without a 440 crank - just get the compression up to 9:1 and put a good cam in it. What these guys said for mounts, just line it up and build them.
For my non-standard Chrysler BB install I used this style (Maybe E-Body?) for the engine side: And this from Speedway for the frame side (You'll have to add a washer or 2 to adjust the length of the tube). What I did is cost effective if you can get the engine side parts at the junkyard. If you can't get them cheap you might as well do this: http://www.summitracing.com/parts/tmf-109505/overview/make/dodge
There are probably a few companies out there making "elephant ears" for a custom install. If all else fails.
Ya I agree...the truck is so light that a good rebuild with some compression, cam, intake, and headers shall be plenty for a screamer. Thank you
It looks like I have scrounged the correct engine side parts so ill look at those speedway frame side mounts or make some myself...better dust off the ole plasma cutter. Thank you all so much! I promise I'll get organized soon and start a build thread here soon!
Also, the tail shaft cross brace I need to build, when making the mounting system to bolt to the frame, should I have them bolt to the top and bottom of the channeled frame or flat to the sides of the vertical part of the frame? (With some triangulation for strength of course.) Thanks again for all the input!
Awesome, I had a '52 Stude pickup back in the '70s - '80s. Dropped a '56 322 Buick Nailhead in it, a very easy install, but sold the thing before I finished it up & have been kicking myself ever since! Wish I could find another one cheap! Those trucks are so simple, easy to work on & plenty of room in the engine compartment. Good luck!
It'a all custom so there are going to be many ways to do the same thing and some hurdles to think through . Don't finish weld anything yet, just tacks. I start by getting the engine with trans attached hanging in the spot where it will sit using a engine hoist and jack or wood blocks holding up the trans tail section. Check to see how much stuff wants to be in the same place at the same time - cross members and oil pans, headers and frame rails, etc. With the truck frame at the same angle it will be in at ride height, level the carb mount and see where the trans mount will have to be and get some cross member ideas figured out. Sanity check the pinion angles - no more than 5 degrees, 3 is what I shoot for. Check to see if you can get the diff input and trans output in line in the vertical plane. Make sure the steering box/rack and headers/manifolds are in place when doing this. Figure out motor mounts. Check the steering shaft and steering box/rack. Something will always be in the way. Figure it out using U joints. Make sure the radiator will still fit with room for a fan and fix any problems. Fab everything up and recheck everything. Finish weld it all up and bolt it all in.
Also I have heard that the angle of the shaft coming from the transmission needs to be roughly the same as the angle of the shaft into the rear end. On my 28 I can see they are a little different and it's fine, so not super particular but I wouldn't ignore it. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
A simple engine swap is easy-peasy. You can use cut-up 2x3 box tubing to make the mounts on both the engine and frame and use NAPA flathead mounts as insulators. Transmission crossmember just as easy. I prefer the small 1969 Chevy Chevelle ****** mount as it's compact and easy to use. Optionally: Find a 1973-1979 Cordoba/Charger parts car. The ****** crossmember and front crossmember are suspended on rubber bushings and the torsion bars connect the two. Mount the above parts onto the Studebaker truck frame in a similar fashion as originally done on the Cordoba/Charger. The engine is a bolt-in, you gain a nice riding, low truck with disc brakes and power steering. The rearend should swap in as well with relocated spring pads. I believe the Studebaker wheels are 5 x 4.5" so you could reuse the original wheels and caps ***uming the center register is larger enough. Just food for thought.
Cool truck! My dad had an early '50s Stude pickup with a Dodge Red Ram hemi in it. They even swapped in the push ****on shifter! Look forward to updates on this one. It should absolutely fly with that big block in it!
Dane, very well put and articulated. Sounds like you are we'll versed in the ways of customs. Thank you all again very much for the great input!
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