I bought 3 390 Cadillacs- one just for the heads to put on my 331 the other two (one is a spare core) and the other I'm building to put in my 59 ranchero. I have the hard to find cragar bell that adapts a ford trans to the 390 cad. I thought I read somewhere you need to drill the crank? Is this true? It looks like it's ready for a pilot bush is it just not deep enough? Anyone have experience? I'm mating the 390 to a Borg and Warner r-11 overdrive - I have the flywheel, clutch pressure plate everything needed... Just curious about the crank. If it's something that needs to machined I'll bring in all 3 cranks.
Measure it LOL.. Take a measurement off the bell face to see how far the trans pilot shaft is.. then; Bolt the bell on the motor, then measure to the full depth of that inset pocket to see if the trans input will be too long. It looks like there is enough machined surface on the crank to hold a pilot bushing adaptor that you can make on a lathe....IF the pilot shaft is not too long. If the pilot shaft is way too long, you need to drill the crank. Now is also a good time to see if the clutch splines are in the right place with whatever flywheel and disc you are going to use. Who knows what TOB and fork you need . .
those instructions are a pretty cool find. Interesting info to me, about the Olds flywheel interchange...if I could only remember it.. anyways, the instructions for this "55-56" Cad motor, talks about removing a pilot bushing, and being that 55-56 never had a standard trans, the bushing must have been for the old 4 speed Hydramatic, which used the exact same pilot bushing as a Cad or Olds standard trans...as well as SBC. The 390 crankshaft pic shows that it is not drilled for that old hydramatic bushing. So, I would be measuring the input shaft. .
so if I am reading this right, I can use a sbc pilot bushing when I mate my side-shift cad trans to my 324 olds hydro crank??
Yes. There should be a much larger, steel, "sort of like a cup-type freeze plug looking thing" hiding the bronze bushing. Pry that steel thing out to see the bushing. I guess you know there were two different A/T in 56 only......I think you have a 56? The cheaper 1956 base 88 cars had the old Hydramatics. The Jetaway crank in S88 and 98, was not drilled in 56... I believe. The 1956 Stick and Hydra engines had a V-prefix code on the stamped ID serial number, and Jetway was an A code. Serial number is on a tab like a SBC, at the head gasket surface level, but between the exhaust ports, (driver side in 56?). .
yes, mines a '56. I was going to check that code, but didn't get around to it, I will check it. Paul said it was a hydro crank when I bought it from him.
I cant read the code unless I pull it out, its against the wall, but theres DEFINATELY a pilot bushing in there...
Ok in doing this I somehow managed to drop a starter on my foot and now I have a somewhat numb toe... That's prob gonna lose a toenail... I don't know what I ever did to that starter- damnit... So mocking it up looks like I'll have to machine a pilot bush adapter. Clutch splines are in the right place- I have the clutch arm and TOB. Input shaft is about an inch away from the recessed part of the crank- I dunno why but for some reason I was expecting the back of the crank to be flush- surprised to see that recess- remembered reading that the cranks needed to be drilled. Not the case which is good. Precise measurements and machined parts coming up-----> Thanks Tuck
Having my buddy's son machine up the bushing- I'll post pics when it's done. Here's a pic of the cragar intake- can't wait to get this thing all together! Tuck
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