Okay guys, I realize that this subject has appeared here probably plenty of times or similar, but the truth is I couldn't fine a thread that I can post on without stealing the thread from someone. I have a 250 six with a 3 speed standard transmission. I would like to replace the ****** with a TH350. I just picked up one yesterday from a friend for 100 dollars so I'm to a good start. My rear end has been changed to an 83 Regal with a Nova driveline. The TH350 is a long neck that came out of a 66 Caprice (supposedly ) I know I will need to shorten the driveline. I have a few questions about the swap that hopefully someone will answer. Will the transmission tunnel will have to be cut or customized? What will be the best transmisión mount without welding involded? And how do I attach a shifting linkage? This is a pic of the TH350. Thank you.
Shifter...what did you have in mine? floor shift? column shift? How is the 3 speed transmission mounted? Maybe you can use the existing rear mount, if it has one...we can't see how your car was put together, without some pictures The floor will probably be OK, but again, we don't know how the engine and transmission are mounted in the car now, so we can only guess how much room you have. btw they started using the TH350 trans in 1969 model year cars. The long tail was used mostly in the early 70s. make sure you connect a transmission cooler, and the kickdown cable, and vacuum line, also.
Sorry I forgot to say that I want to use my existing stock column, steering wheel, etc. When we originally mounted the 3 speed ******, we use a piece of frame from another car and worked really well. I may need to move it or buy something else. I will also post pics later. I will hook up the kick down cable and vacuum line, as well as buying a cooler.
Well, it's going to take a tape measure to know for sure on the length. I have managed to get a whole 700R4 under the floor of one of those without cutting. A TH350, unless you have a really high crossmember, should clear just fine. You can get a shifter that mounts to the top of the transmission housing.
A friend of mine has a 50 sedan as well and he said he used the original column and shift box. He just ran a homemade metal rod from the shift box down to the ******.
You can do that, but I do not suggest it. The safety lockouts are built into the shifter, not the transmission. You will be able to move it from gear to gear, neutral, reverse, and park, with relative ease, and danger. You will also be able to start it in gear. That could have unfortunate results. Forget to put it all the way into park, and things could get expensive on your next trip.
Geenie and Lokar both make shifters that come up out of the floor, keeping your stock column. Limeworks: http://limeworksspeedshop.com/ makes a column shifter with safety stops, and switch that only allows you to start in neutral or park, and mounts to your original column.
Thank you I'm checking it out right now. I'm guessing is that billet style shown for $260? So this will byp*** my gear box and just go straight down my ******?
Make sure you get a 6 cylinder convertor and not a v-8 one. Your stall speed will be too low and your car will be a turd off the line more so than it will be any way. Heavy car , small motor, don't expect neck snapping take off with your new setup. Would be better with a 700 or a 200 because of the lower 1st gear.
6 convertor, got it,thank you. I searched for a 700 but couldn't find one, and the 350 was a good deal. They quoted me 100 bucks for the converter, does that sound reasonable?
Curb weight for a 1950 Chevrolet Styleline Deluxe was 3230 lbs according to this https://www.gmheritagecenter.com/do...information-kits/Chevrolet/1950-Chevrolet.pdf So don't let the BS artists tell you it is "too heavy" for the 250 and turbo 350. A 70 Chevelle with a 250 and a turbo 350 weighed right at 3500 lbs. It won't win a lot of stop light drag races but it will cruise down the long roads at a nice clip all day long. I saw a thread somewhere where someone was fabing a column shift that had come on a stick setup into an automatic shift setup including a detent on the shifter that Gimpyshotrods mentioned.. Doing that would take some visionary skills to visualize how something would work and then the fab skills to put it together and make it work. I don't think it would be all that hard though.
I used parts from a truck Hydramatic shifter, and from a car Powerglide shifter, to make a column shifter for the Th400 in that 57 Suburban I had. It works pretty well, even has a neutral safety switch. But doing that might be beyond most guys' interest level.
If you're patient, you could probably make it work....but you need to be sure it's safe when you're done with it.
Question. Your friend didn't know what the trans came out of ? How does he know it's good then? I think he's off on the year by about ten years. The code will tell you what it's out of..Not that it really matters with a 250. I suppose a crossmember could be fabbed up without welding, but you better have some way of bending 1/2 x 3 bar stock , minimum.
...for a trans cooler, just buy a small cooler (Hayden makes good ones available at most parts stores) and mount it to the framerail along side the trans and run solid lines off the trans towards the cooler with a 4-6" piece of correct rubber trans line to the cooler;...as long as the cooler is in a good airflow it'll work fine and eliminates the cooler lines going clear up to the radiator or in front of it to a cooler. mount the cooler so it gets airflow on both sides, space out from the frame as needed.
Mark my friend originally told me it was from a 70 impala that he bought for the motor. He said the ****** was a running one. By the time I picked up the ****** he told me it was from a 66 caprice. Maybe he got confused but I will look into finding out what it is. I didn't see any numbers other than an S and T.
RE: about the P/N safety switch, do you have clutch safety switch in it now? I/ the car will only start with your foot in the clutch? If not, then you'll need to pull your wiring diagram out and do a few things to incorporate it.
I don't have to put my foot in the clutch to start it. I simply step on the gas pedal a few times to give it choke and make sure I'm in neutral and wala...it starts.
I didn't say a 250 would not run the Chevy down the highway. I just said it will not win many stoplight drags. I drove a 67 El Camino for years with a 230 six and a powerglide. Even towed my race car a few times with it. Just not real far and not real fast. find a 52 powerglide column and bolt it to your car and build your trans linkage. An aftermarket neutral safety switch can be adapted. I have used the ford column cable to make stuff work before. Just need to anchor it at the top and bottom so the cable can pull and push when you move the selector. Don't forget your kick down cable.
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