Tech....bbc install in a 53 caddy

I am in the process of putting in a BBC in a 53 Cadillac. The 331 that was in it finally took a **** and the hydromatic was acting up for a while. I priced to have the ****** rebuilt. It was gonna cost me a small fortune. A friend of mine found me a 454 and ****** out of an RV. Motor and ****** problem solved. Now I have to figure out how to stuff a caddy.

I started to ask if any guys on here that have done it and what did they did. almost every one said that they solid mounted the engine. Since I wanted to drive the **** out of it and wanted momma to be able to ride too, I didnt think that would fly.

The problem is in the motor mounts. The 331 motor mounts are at the front side of the engine and chevy motor mounts are on the side about a third up the block. Making a bracket on the p***senger side, no problem.
Driver side ,big problem. right where I need to put the mount theres a steering box in the way , which also causes problems in fitting a set of headers too. Being that I dont have a welder and that would have too pay someone to make something up I started too look around to see if i could come up with a solution.

I started to look at other type of cars to see how they were mounted. Eureka . Tri 5 chevy with a Big block. front mount motor mounts that bolt to the front of the engine. The engine in the Tri 5 sits behind the front suspension just like the 50's caddys do.all that I am going to have to do is drill a couple of holes and rubber motor mounts installed and a nice smooth running car to drive

Now to the exhaust. I changed from a long water pump to a short water pump. the new altenater bracket doesnt let me use the stock cast iron exhaust manifold so again i ask what people are using and every one said block hugger headers and that You have to mod to clear the steering box on the drivers side and the drag link on the p***enger side. there were a ton of different headers for a small block but very little for a big block.
I got on jegs and summit and started studing all the different headers that would work for me. I needed something that would come back and stay close to the block . A 67-69 Camaro big block shorty style headers from Hedmen.

 

I can only post 4 pictures at a time so im adding a few more. I got the motor mounts from cl***ic chevy. The engine is going in next weekend

 

Nice job on detailing the motor, those valve covers look *****in'. If you need an extra pair of hands dropping that motor in give me a shout.

 

I am interested to see how those engine mounts work out. those are the mounts i was planning on running in my chevy with a BBC.

 

I will let you know how they work.

 

heres alittle bit better picks of the mounts

 

this is awesome. i have the same project in front of me, except maybe with a sbc. keep em coming!

 

I plan on do***enting the build. I have kept all the part numbers of everything that i have used so far. If you guys have checked out my photo album I get alittile carried away with the pictures.

Todd

 

Well ive pulled the hood and driveshaft last night. I will be pulling the 331 and ****** tonight. So far everythings on schedule for this weekend.

 

you say you have a photo album?

 

yes , you can click on my avitar and that brings up my profile which includes the photo album or click on community then click on albums you might have to scroll thru the pages to find it . It brings them up to the front each time you update it.
Todd

 

well i have taken off the hood and removed the drive shaft. disconnected the speedometer and shifter linkage. removed front motor mount nuts and transmission . Hooked up cherry picker. removed trans crossmember. lifted WAY up high and engine and ****** came out as on unit. Note to self remove bumper and radiator support before pulling engine next time. It will come out without doing this step first but would be alot easier.
The out going engine combo HAS too weight more than the BBC and turbo ****** going in. Theres alot of cast iron there. ****py weather is not letting post pictures right now. I try later tonight or tomorrow.

 

Not for nothing but I have friend that has installed a couple of these in Old Caddys and he said no matter what they always make the interior of the car extremely hot!

 

Where'd you buy your pulleys for the short pump and the alternator brackets? I have been shopping for those but not bought yet.

 

local speed shop they all were from transdapt. let me know if you need part #s .

 

Lets try one more time.

 

I think that i would have been easier with the front removed

 

a nice clear shot

 

Looks good DC. Good time to detail under the hood while the motors out? Whats up with the green car in the background??

 

Im already ahead of you. I have some black epoxy primer left from painting the motor. the green car behind is my 52 series 62. I bought that one first. The body is in good shape alot less rust than the 53. Once the white Caddy is on the rode i will start on the 52. Plus like I said before you cant have too many Caddys Hense 2 caddys double caddy plus when I had my race bike and had 2 hayabusas my race team was Double Busa Racing so it all goes together plus 52 and 53 parts interchange . I used the bumper, radiator andgas tank when I first got the 53 on the rode initially.

 

Sweet! I knew there was a method to the Cadi madness. Keep us posted on the updates.

 

The part numbers are as follows. All are from Transdapt
Upper altenater bracket SWP 9581
Lower altenater bracket SWP 9502
Short Water Pump pulley single groove 8874
Harmonic Balancer pulley single grove 8876
Fan Belt Car Quest 7550

 

we are using a Sanderson "p***enger" side header on the drivers side of my 5.3l vortec swap to clear the steering box. It came forward just enough to clear it. My engine mounts were custom made, and we had to cut out some of the floor to get the 4l60e to fit. New gas tank, fuel lines, Fuel pump, driveshaft, etc are all in. The car starts, but we are still finishing up the radiator piping,and other details.

I think i will be the only 1953 cadillac with "drive by wire" (no throttle cable!).

A/C is supposed to be delivered next week. Hope to have her back on the road by July 4th.

I am 100% for doing what it takes to keep old caddy's on the road, and not succombing to over-priced, impossible to find parts. Nobody ever looks under my hood anyways.

Charles

 

Well I got the engine in the car yesterday. Things didnt turn out as I had planned. the front of the fram is narrower than the tri -5 chevys so the front motor mounts arent going to work but i am going to use the rubber parts of the kit to make something that will work.

The fuel pump hits the fram so I am going to have to use a electric fuel pump instead. If any one needs a mechanical pump i have it listed in the cl***ifieds.

On to the headers. the shorty works great on the p***enger side but on the drivers side the beast of the steering box one of the tube rubs really bad on the back side. if it came back about an inch more it would clear . Even with some HAMMERING couldnt clear enough to center the engine. Then I remembered that scott gave me a set of ****** headers to try. I cut one tube on the drivers side that will work and two tubes on the p***enger side that will work. I will post more tonight.

 

Let me start over I was in a hurry early today. Since this is an install Tech, I first pulled all the stuff that would get in the way off the engine. Carb and spacer , valve covers dont want to scratch up the nicely painted ones, distributor,altenator and brackets. hooked up the engine leveler and cherry picker. removed engine from engine stand and lowered to the ground. Made sure the torque converter was full of ****** fluid then slide the converter onto the transmission spinning it to fully lock into space. Lined up the transmission to the back of the engine sliding on the dowel pins then bolted the trans to the engine. lifted the engine and trans so that the torque converter can be bolted to the flywheel. Need to use 15 mm wrench for the 3 bolts. Its alot easlier to do this with the engine out of the car than waiting until is in the car.
With everything all bolted up and torqued . tiewrapped up the wiring up out of the way. Removed the wiper motor and throttle linkage. The battery box was already removed ,I am replacing it.
slide the motor and ****** into place . This is a straight shot with the front end removed.

 

I started to slide the engine into the car then we removed the ****** dipstick to gain alittle room behind the engine. with the engine close to where we thought it was suppose to be . Lowered it down onto the cross member with some paint sticks under the balancer and blocked up the transmission. while lowering the engine removed the fuel pump because the way the motor sits there not enough room between the engine and fram. I bought a pump block just in case so no problem there.
Then we tried to use the front motor mounts but the frame i think is narrower on the caddy so they are not going to work . custom motor mounts it is then.
The motor looks great in there.
Now on to the exhaust,rocked the engine over to slide the drivers side header on but its hitting on the back of the steering box. tried to clearance the header but even with alot of hitting I still counldnt center the engine it was 1/2 inch off center. the p***enger side works beautfully. So much for well laid plans. I remembered that I got a set of ****** long tubes headers with the motor so I pulled the hedmens out and put in the ******s looked where it was rubbing busted out the cutoff wheel and sawzall and removed one of the tubes and it fit good. I then put on the p***enger side and had to remove the front two tubes , they were hitting on the drag link components. I will have new tubes put into place.

 

I want to say a Big Thank YOU to the truant. He offer to help so i took him up on that . He showed up in a really cool 1950 Ford CUSTOM

 

I want to use the stock shifter . Does anyone make an adapter to the turbo 400 ??

 

I am not familiar with how the tri-5 Chevies were mounted, but in any vehicles I've owned with front-mount engines, there were also mounts at the rear of the engine, and the transmission. Look at the half-circle of aluminum bellhousing on the transmission. If you just have two mounting points, one at the very front of the motor, and then another at the rear of the transmission, there is quite a bit of stress on this "fulcrum" point where the trans and engine bolt together. Were there front, mid and rear mounts on the 331 you took out?

 

LOL DoubleC...it NEVER works out the way you planned...even when you decide to keep it all Caddy...brother's '54: we moved oil filter to get it off valve cover and moved power steering pump lower...looked good down low, out of the way, just like I "planned" it...but forget we needed to put on lower radiator hose...hmmmmmmmmmm, belt will go right thru the hose, can we just put a small "tube" in the hose to run the belt thru...??? LOL...ain't like I "planned" it...had to put it back in stock location...bummer...

But, your swap is looking good...keep at it, you'll get if figured out...

R-