is my Hydramatic compatible

so I have a 55 chevy 3100 truck 1st series with the original 235 and hydramatic transmission. I was wondering if I could match that with a 350 engine block?? not sure if I want to stray from the originality of the drivetrain but I heard its as easy as buying a new bell housing so It got me thinking.
anybody have any experience bolting up a hydramatic tranny to a v8 or any input is welcomed! thanks

 

No the bolt pattern is different just use turbo 350.

 

call this guy http://www.tsiracing.com/ he knows hydramatics inside and out and can answer your question

 

That's a scarce setup in that truck.

But to put a Chevy V8 on that trans you'd need the adapter for one, which is also scarce. Would be easier to run an early Olds, Caddy or Pontiac V8 in there. Which, a '59 or '60 389 block wouldn't be bad to build and could be bolted up.

But it would probably be cheaper and easier to go to a newer transmission as well.

 

A couple of thoughts -

Putting a Hydro behind a small block requires a special starter; at least it did in the old days using GM parts. They were hard to find back then; I don't know if there are newer adapters/bellhousings available today that eliminate the need for a special starter.

The 235/Hydro combination is rare - would you consider building the 235 rather than going the V-8 route? Yes I know you won't get the performance but the 'WOW!' factor would be there.

 

The Wow factor??? More like the Why?? factor.
If you can find it, they bell housing from an early Chevy truck with the Hydro should work. I know the GMC's had the Pontiac engine it them, so it would not work.
All of the bell housing will fit the trans. I had a 54 ( maybe 56) Lincoln trans behind my Cadillac back in the middle 60's. The Lincoln used the Hydro due to a transmission plant fire that year.
I hear that the hydros are very expensive to have built and not many people know anything about them. I see someone recommended a good source.

 

That's the one that needs a special starter

 

You'll need the stock factory Chevrolet V-8 bell housing, flywheel, starter, and torus assembly. All very hard to find parts. You'll also have to have the crankshaft face of the flywheel machined to fit the 350 crankshaft balance pad.IF you can find a B & M adapter bell housing, you can use the more common manual shift/Powerglide starter, they are built with a recessed starter pad that allows this. Be aware the transmission also uses a pilot bushing, just like a manual transmission uses, and everything from the flywheel, to the torus assembly, to where the transmission bolts to the bell housing has to be sealed. The kick-down/throttle pressure linkage is critical, so you need that linkage also. Since you already have the stock truck, why not use a Chevrolet 261, or a GMC 302 engine to start with, and build them? Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

What is wrong with the 235?

 

I probably have the bellhousing, torus, and torus bowl to fit Chevy V8. But not the starter or the flywheel.

 

A TH 200-4R or a TH 700-R4 with overdrive would be a better choice. Your truck has a low geared rear end. Good for scoot at the red light but not all that highway friendly.

 

Hydros come with oil pans that are slanted and flat. I perfer the slant pan.. Kits to rebuild are very hard to find and expensive.. Then the problem of finding some one to work on them The last around my area is in his early 80s and gets a premium price. If changing to a V 8 I would go along with Bib Overall suggestion of a overdrive automatic transmission.. In late 1955 a man in the small community where I was raised had lost his left leg in WW2. He purchased a new 55 second series truck and was very happy to be able to drive a truck again.

 

No nothings wrong with the 235, it's perfect but while I really love the rare 235 Hydramatic match up, really wanna be able to do more with the truck. More reliable, more highway friendly, more speed, more mean! I'm not sure if that outweighs the nostalgic originality of the truck??... I don't know which setup has higher value? But I'd like to enjoy my ride drive wherever without question of whether it'll make it Haha

 

Please dont be a 350-t350 faggot, just get the parts and do it right, and while your at it go a 327, same price, same motor, just cooler

The big benifit of a hydro is you have a bulletproof auto with i super low 1st that shifts hard in stock trim, good shit for rod truck!

 

The parts are still out there, just need to look! Ansen made a bell housing that adapted the Olds and Pontiac slant pan hydros to the SBC's. Biggest issue there was adapting the big flywheel of the Olds and Pontiacs to the crank.

If you are interested in the use of the hydro, you may want to go with a Pontiac slant pan hydro, as the 2nd and 3rd ratios are closer to each other, therefore less drop in RPMS. With the truck rear end ratio, you might be ok as is for the 2 to 3 shift.

 

I never understand this "more reliable" stuff. When those things were new people drove them 100,000 miles with basic maintenance and got where they needed to go.

 

I would just change the rear end, to something with a little more favorable ratio, and trick-out the 235.

 

The military used a 283 with a four speed hydro in the M-114 back in around 1966. might check around on some of the military vehicle collector sites for that set up.