Register now to get rid of these ads!

Projects Difficult Engines To Install...

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by LOU WELLS, Sep 15, 2023.

  1. LOU WELLS
    Joined: Jan 24, 2010
    Posts: 2,994

    LOU WELLS
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from IDAHO

    Does Anyone Have Stories About Difficult Engines To Install?...(Credit For Image Given As Signed)... 377941343_2015168768822297_1089018387952575634_n.jpg
     
    EL MOE, warbird1, Toms Dogs and 7 others like this.
  2. treb11
    Joined: Jan 21, 2006
    Posts: 4,036

    treb11
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    SBF with that stupid front sump
     
  3. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 13,433

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    SBC into a Buick Riviera is a current topic. ;)
     
  4. 51504bat
    Joined: May 22, 2010
    Posts: 5,153

    51504bat
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Not so much the entire engine just the headers on a '65 Ford Falcon 2 dr. wagon with a 289. At least for a 19 year old kid with only a scissors jack an a big ass pry bar. Finally got them in but the headers and their fancy VHT paint job had greasy hand marks on them. All the paint burned off as soon as I fired it up to break in the Sig Erson solid lifter cam.
     
  5. Rex_A_Lott
    Joined: Feb 5, 2007
    Posts: 1,158

    Rex_A_Lott
    Member

    Ford FE into anything I've ever worked on. Change the starter with headers, better allow some time. I can only imagine what it would've been like to put one in the 64 Thunderbolt.
     
    Toms Dogs, LOU WELLS and aussie57wag like this.
  6. krylon32
    Joined: Jan 29, 2006
    Posts: 9,872

    krylon32
    ALLIANCE MEMBER
    from Nebraska
    1. Central Nebraska H.A.M.B.

    One of my toughest over my years in the chassis business was from a customer who brought me one of the monster Lincoln V8 Flatheads. When we had to get it up on the chassis table we had to hang two 125 lb front tractor weights on the cherry picker and my frame boxer who weighed about 250 had to stand on the back. It was heavy. The front needed a special heavy spring from Posies.
     
    LOU WELLS and Just Gary like this.
  7. 24riverview
    Joined: Jan 13, 2008
    Posts: 1,075

    24riverview
    Member

    Around 50 years ago I put a different "leaning tower of power" in a early 60's Valiant convertible. Ever tried to get one of those things to hang level on the end of a chain? :D
     
    MARKDTN, 62rebel, LOU WELLS and 6 others like this.
  8. Have to be sadistic to work on a V8 early A body mopar…
     
  9. Rickybop
    Joined: May 23, 2008
    Posts: 9,910

    Rickybop
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Any V8 engine with the starter on the driver side. Not necessarily hard to install, just difficult to find room for everything else on that side.

    I had to be extra careful moving around the big 320 straight 8 Buick engines. They're so big and heavy.
     
  10. Agree….gotta love those shocktowers…hell even changing plugs sucks on em..best take the valve covers off to make it a little easier…
     
    LOU WELLS, 2Blue2, 51504bat and 2 others like this.
  11. Headers! I had a 64 2 Door Hardtop with a 302 other than dougs headers I couldnt find anything that would fit. ZERO room. I ended up keeping the manifolds.

    swapping a 289 that I sort of "broke" for a 302 in a 62 Ranchero was a fun project (not really) swapping the pan, sump ... found out the hard way that the dipstick tube wouldnt work with the new pan... what mess.
     
  12. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 34,839

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I didn't put an engine in it but back in the 70's someone brought an early/mid 60's Mercury full size in with a big block wanting a tune up. I got into the manual and step one to change spark plugs was raise car and remove front tires. Then there were some access panels that you removed to reach the plugs. The boss about had a fit when he walked in and I had it on the hoist with the tires off an was up under the fender until I showed him the instructions. The price of the tuneup went up a bit after that.
     
  13. Harv
    Joined: Jan 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,216

    Harv
    Member
    from Sydney

    327 into the avatar. It's a local GM Holden '62 wagon... about a 3/4 scale 57 Chebbie. In the Chebbie you can nearly stand in the engine bay beside the motor. In the avatar, you need pixie fingers to get at anything.

    Cheers,
    Harv
     
  14. I was by myself putting a 283 into my '65 C30 truck. I had the new Black Jack headers already on the engine. I was doing the job on the back driveway which was dirt and had the "hanging tree" with the hoist on it.

    Well... with the engine angled down, the headers hit the driveway. No problemo... get out the shovel and dig down about a foot. From there it was a breeze.
     
  15. Got Doug’s on mine and the one of the driver side pipes is literally resting on the the shocktower and the passenger side collector hits the subframe..but they’re on…I really want to see if I can figure out a way to “straighten” it out…also thinking of some way to make changing plugs easier..
     
    LOU WELLS, 427 sleeper and RMcCulley like this.
  16. Nah, just remove the inner fenders! This is my '66 valiant. KIMG0063.jpg
     
    winr, LOU WELLS, INVISIBLEKID and 8 others like this.
  17. that was the issue I was going to run into; had I kept the car I would have had a custom pair made of bought the Dougs and then have them modified.

    I wish I never sold that thing thinking back at it.
     
    LOU WELLS likes this.
  18. Yeah some of those mopar header setups are no joke
     
    Spooky and LOU WELLS like this.
  19. Those are Headman Hustlers. We ordered them from Mopar Performance catalog back in the mid ninties, with a MP part number and all.
     
    427 sleeper and seb fontana like this.
  20. Bandit Billy
    Joined: Sep 16, 2014
    Posts: 13,754

    Bandit Billy
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    But that one is more ethically difficult. :cool:
     
    Spooky, Bleach, Landmule and 3 others like this.
  21. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 20,131

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    Hey Harv, are all CHEVYS called chebbies in Australia?

     
    LOU WELLS likes this.
  22. Harv
    Joined: Jan 16, 2008
    Posts: 1,216

    Harv
    Member
    from Sydney

    Nope, just my bad pronunciation :)

    cheers,
    Harv
     
    seb fontana, treb11 and LOU WELLS like this.
  23. DDDenny
    Joined: Feb 6, 2015
    Posts: 20,131

    DDDenny
    Member
    from oregon

    After seeing those crazy burnout cars you have over there, the ones where the engine is bigger than the car had me surprised that there could be such a thing as a difficult engine to install.
     
    LOU WELLS, clem and 427 sleeper like this.
  24. aussie57wag
    Joined: Jul 13, 2011
    Posts: 673

    aussie57wag
    Member
    from australia

    Why would you? Unless your on a tight budget and can't afford to do it properly.
     
  25. 20230917_071046.jpg Lots of people over the years must have thought tri 5s were difficult to swap engines into. Many I've seen and parted out had the hacksaw treatment to the upper radiator support. This modification makes 'em a little ''loose''!
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2023
    Just Gary, LOU WELLS and 427 sleeper like this.
  26. fabricator john
    Joined: Mar 18, 2010
    Posts: 312

    fabricator john
    Member
    from venice fl.

    hmmm ok soo,,,
    v8 vegas with headers
    460 maveric w/headers ( 50 bux if ya can change the plugs)
    73 datsun pu sb w headers (personal truck miss that one)
    bb in 68 chev van
    headers on 73 440 newport
    5,0 must efi to 48 woody ,0 body mods swap ,
    coyote to 39 zephyr swap , on finished car ( front clip not removable)
    88 diesel to 66 ford chassis swap
    37 willys, sb and must 2 ,(kept the 37 grill/nose/hood)
    bb chevy /50 merc
    late hemi/53 dodge panel
    ford falcon van / cleveland / airbagged to the ground
    78 vw bus 4.3 chevy
    just a few over the years im sure im missing a bunch but coffee hasn't started workin yet
    fabricator john
    miss you dad
     
  27. Ned Ludd
    Joined: May 15, 2009
    Posts: 5,215

    Ned Ludd
    Member

    At the risk of going way too far OT — the worst was the pickup/van with the welded-in grille. My late cousin had a van at one stage. On the passenger versions you'd remove the grille to get at the distributor. On the pickup/van you'd remove your knuckles ...
     
    seb fontana and LOU WELLS like this.
  28. As I’ve been a heavy truck mechanic for 33 years, I’ve installed well over 100 engines. The worst one is off topic, but it was the V6 into my O/T Ranger work truck. That was a pain in the a$&!
     
    41 coupe and LOU WELLS like this.
  29. KenC
    Joined: Sep 14, 2006
    Posts: 1,085

    KenC
    Member

    Dad had a 53 GMC cabover w/248. Heavy, long, and under the cab mostly. Welded up a boom pole for the back of our wrecker to extend far enough and lift high enough as our normal gantry wasn't at all usable for that.
     
    LOU WELLS likes this.
  30. Johnny Gee
    Joined: Dec 3, 2009
    Posts: 13,433

    Johnny Gee
    Member
    from Downey, Ca

    Find the tread to find out. It’s not hat difficult.
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.