New here so if this is the wrong place to post I apologize. I have a stock 1954 Chevy truck, the old 235 is locked up and in pretty bad shape. I was thinking of swapping it for a 350 and making it a good daily driver and something me and the wife and kids can take out and enjoy. First question is there a particular 350 and transmission combo that works better in these trucks and what hang ups am I looking at with fitment, hoping not to have to cut the firewall or floors if possible.
Check and make sure your truck is indeed a 1954. Many 1955 1st’s are tagged and titled as ‘54s. If your truck has a conventional driveshaft it’s a 1955 1st. If it has the solid torque tube, it’s a 1954. It is possible to bolt a SBC to the 1954 and earlier transmission. It’s possible to do this. To go to a later SBC and later open drive transmission will require a new rear end and driveshaft. It will be close on the firewall with the distributor but this has been done many times. One big issue is the drivers side exhaust interference with the steering gear. If it’s a ‘54 the “easy button” is replacing or rebuilding the inline 6.
It's a 54 for sure. Hate to replace the motor because it's the original. Yes it does have the torque tube.
We don’t do original here. Bout the only issue is steering box and exhaust manifold clearance. Theres a good bit of info here. The rear needs swapped to an open rear end A 55 to mid 60s rear will keep the 6 lug Will have to modify spring mounts. No big deal Simple bolt in engine and trans crossmembers are out there cheap
Like F-ONE said the easy/quick way to get it back on the road is rebuild the engine with a few upgrades, like dual carbs and exhaust, and go through the brakes etc. and make it safe....
Only helped do this engine swap once long ago. Seems we moved the V8 engine trans to the right one inch. Used 265 exhaust. I think a 56 Chevy pickup rear. 54 power glide shifter.
Any SBC can fit easily. You are better off to swap to open drive rearend. If you get a 5-bolt rear, the easy front match is just a disc conversion on stock spindles. Any transmission can fit, within reason. The issue is the stock steering box clearance as mentioned. Many people have done the V8 conversion. Several ways from minimum to maximum amount of work. Depends what you want the final result to be. Or find a good running used full pressure 235, likely from someone doing a V8 swap in their vehicle, and swap that engine for your locked up 235. Thats the near bolt in easy button method to get your truck back on the road.
Yep. I’ve seen 235s cheap That would get ya cruising fast. Plus ya get to teach the kids to drive a manual
Where are you located? You could go the swap route or the replace the 6 route fairly easily. I know where there is a running 6 coming out of a 51 Styleline and I”m sure others can point you to just about anything you need.
Stick with doing the V8 and an overdrive automatic, late 80's pickups are great donor vehicles, swap the rear and be cruising at hiway speeds with plenty of power to pass those 6 cylinder slugs stuck in the slow lane.
The main two issues are steering box clearance and the fact that a 54 3100 has a closed driveshaft aka torque tube and you have to swap that out. These questions always bring out the bullshit artists who like to throw out lame ideas. The big issue with the swap has always been clearance between the steering box and the left hand exhaust manifold. We as AD truck guys have fought that since the first V8 got put in one. Radiator clearance is tight, I'm going to suggest if you get a new radiator get one for a 54 GMC pickup rather than Chevy, the mount brackets on the GMC radiator move the radiator core an inch or so forward of the Chevy bracket location. You may have to slightly modify the top cross piece of the core support to clear or put spacers between the bracket to move it back enough but that is a valuable inch. The power steering kit that uses a later model Chevy truck steering box mounted to the side of the frame horn is a bit of love it or leave it as some feel that it causes more bump steer than you might want with the short drag link but it is the simple way when you stay with a solid axle and leaf springs. When you remove the crossmember under the bellhousing to put in an automatic behind a V8 it takes the reinforcement out of the frame rails that keeps the cab from pushing down on the brackets and twisting the frame rails causing a "my hood doesn't fit what the heck do I do" situation. That is why you see older AD builds running around that look a little bent at the cowl in a straight on side shot. The front of the cab sagged down to the frame rails. Boxing the rails would help or a second mount on top of the frame rail under the brace that runs out to the regular mount might be the simple fix. This is a 54 that a guy 180 miles from me has for sale that has a 350 with a 5 speed installed and has the power steering conversion. Photos are worth a lot of words in this case.
https://www.google.com/search?q=47+...S6dBXwQrQJ6BAgSEAg&biw=390&bih=775&dpr=3#ip=1 Bunch of threads Simple mounts
I helped with a V8 conversion on one many moons ago. I cannot recall any major issues, the owner was good at making things. A "new" rear with 6 lugs was sourced from an old step van, IIRC. It was the perfect width. New perches were machined from square tubing.
If you move your thread to the "off topic" section, people can provide you with a lot more options, and you still get the limited alternatives as well............There are cheaper and better options that make you end up with a much better driving vehicle, and probably cheaper than buying everything individually and being limited in your choices. Think about buying a donor car that has the majority of the parts to put the engine , an overdrive transmission and front and rear suspension that has disc brakes and is already narrow enough to fit your truck. Also the correct brake booster and components all right there, as well as eliminating the need to mount a steering box in an inconvenient location . Yep, its all possible with the purchase of one donor car that provides most of the parts ....... When people start combining parts from many different cars, things like the brake system often don't work as well as intended. Purchase a rear end........gotta worry about getting front and rear bolt patterns that are the same.......or pay to narrow and redrill $$. Front suspension rebuild and brake upgrade $$ Chasing parts and making them work with one another is time consuming and expensive. Getting most of the needed parts from one donor vehicle is often cheaper and easier............
My 49 simply used an early 60s GMC truck rear. Simple spring perch swap Worded great 5 and 6 lug disc are available for the stock front axle if desired. The OPs truck doesn’t have Huck brakes so he’s fine if he keeps the drums.
The Jalopy Journal
