Has any one on here ever fitted a 348/409 in tri five Chev. If so how is it for fire wall clearance. Thanks in advance. Cheers Dago
Been there done that . Used a old four speed hydro with it ,the whole thing was out of a larger truck . No headers available ,steering box with stock exhaust a real problem.I don't remember any firewall problems.
I was putting one in a 56 and had to cut clearance on the oil pan to clear the steering.I ground down the exhaust and steering box for clearance but it was still very tight .No firewall problem that I recall.
I remember Sam's beautiful Black 55 Bel Aire back in '63 that had a 425 horse 409. I think Kenny Myers installed it. story was he stood on the fenders with his back to the windshield and with a 12 pound sledge hammer clearenced the firewall. how's that for OLD SCHOOL?
Hey, This from my '57 and from memory (1971). 1. Draglink interefers with th front of oil pan (notch it). 2. We used an electric fuel pump (may have been a frame clearance issue) 3. Use the radiator in the 6 cylinder location 4. You can use '57 motor mounts, you need to drill holes between the V8 and 6 frame holes. 5. We had a heater box issue... (don't rember what we did) Hope this helps, Bill
I did one in '62 for a friends shop and had issues with the lefthand stock exhaust manifold/steering box. We sent the manifold to a machine shop and had the manifold angle milled about 3/32" .
a friend of mine has a 55 chevy that used to have a 409 in it .the p***enger side of the firewall was bashed in for head and valve cover clearance.
In the late 60's there was one running around here with a 4 spd, 6 deuce manifold and Isky cam. It never did get dialed in so it was consistant. When, on the rare occasion it was "hitting on all 8", it was about the fastest thing at the drive-ins. The owner was the cl***ic Neanderthol when it came to engine swapping and a cutting torch and sledge hammer provided any needed clearance. It always ran w.o. a hood to show off the 6 deuces and was out mostly at night but to see it in the daylight would make you shudder at the "engineering" Frank
Time dissolves memory in 67 I bought a 55 parts car that was hit with a 348 tripower. I had no tools and NO skills and swapped the motor into a 56. I do not recall denting the firewall nor any other mods. It could be that the pan was already notched? I don't recall exhaust problems and I am pretty sure it had iron manifolds. The front mounts were tri 5 with a simple 3/8 flat plate welded on the back of each bracket to change the 2 bolt SBC pattern to the different 348 2 bolt pattern.
From what I've heard, it's almost exactly like putting a BBC in one. The details have already been listed.
I've done a couple, and the easiest way to avoid interference with the steering box is to move the engine over to the right.
I remember one 55 hdtp with a 348 a buddy had. He said he moved the engine over to the right. Ditto on a BB 55 I had. One guy notched the frame and moved the steering box over. Lippy
had a 55' 4dr. with 348 and it looked to be real tight on the steering box with exhaust manifold but firewall cleared fine. this car was a tire shredding machine. the car has been parked in 63' after getting beat by another 55' 4dr. that had the new "327" installed. the 348 had been installed in 59' and ruled the streets until summer of 62' when the new guy in town handed him his *** so it was parked in shame. the result was a 65' GTO 389/4spd that ruled for a few years until a tree jumped out in the road one night! at least that was the story.
Can't really tell you how much trouble it was but these guys did it in 64-65 with stock exhaust and it looked real good. The push car was a 55 wagon with a 409 in it
Hey Charlie take a look at this for starters. Easy to make. http://www.williamscl***icch***is.c...92:jnewmotormounts&catid=36:ch***is&Itemid=56
did this a couple of times. 348 into a 55 and later a 57. Minor firewall indentation. Steering centerlink hits the pan, however, I was told that the power steering idler and pitman arms lower the link a little, otherwise notch the pan. minor modification to cross member near the fuel pump. hammer works well. Use 57 exhaust pipes, for 2" exhaust, for 2 1/2" exhaust, use 62 corvette. Use 6 cylinder radiator, bigger than the 283 in front of radiator support. Will need to use a floor shift for transmission. Lower radiator hose from a 58 Chevy with 348 works well. Most of all. ENJOY this blast from the past.
Andy you have said everything I did to my 55 in 1965.Power steering pitman and idler arm move the center link enough so that it only hits pan on full turns not a problem .
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