1955 2nd Gen Engine Swap

[duke1622]

My truck '55 currently has the original 235 straight-six, coupled with the original 4 spd transmission. My question is: What obstacles, if any, are involved in swapping the 235 for a 350, and is this a good idea or bad when matching up with original drive-train? Thanks!

[_Ogre]

your 55 2nd came factory with a v8 so it will fit without much thought or work
if you keep the old trans all you need is a 55-57 car or 55-59 truck v8 bell housing and 55-59 truck motor mounts
easy peasy

if you go with an automatic... it's another whole ball of wax

[OrrieG]

#3 this week, take a look at this from a couple of days ago.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=672766

[twinsemi]

The car and truck bell housings from that era are different. The car BH will be a PITA to fit to your cross member. Leaving the original motor/trans mounts vs going new school is your first question to settle on. My 55 had a small block swapped in back in the sixties. Kept the original 2x2 mounts and used the Saginaw 3-spd. When I put a Muncie back there last year, I also made the x-member removable for better access to the bell housing. It did not want to come out the back when I needed to put in offset dowels.
Your exhaust system might need to consider that x-member when it gets routed.
How are your welding skills?

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Ive done about 3 in the last few years. Highly rewarding. You can get a front engine mount kit with the bird legs like original from most specialty parts stores. You also can by the complete throttle assembly. Like the previous posters said, get the 55-72 truck bell housing, flywheel & clutch. Have the exhaust system built by a muffler shop, preferably duals.

[twinsemi]

Here are before/during/after pics of what I said above.

[Coupeguy2001]

The swap is easy, but your biggest problem is picking from the hundred or so companies that sell the pieces you will need.

I would recommend a set of side mounts for your truck v8 engine, and a rear trans mount. You weren't planning on using the granny 4 speed I hope, so a 5 or 6 speed trans will be a great swap. The problem with 4 speeds is there is no overdrive.
Overdrive gets you gas mileage and engine lasting forever almost. Oh, and a lot less noise.

The way I got around this was to install a doug nash 4+3 out of an 86 corvette,, and I switch the overdrive myself, not the computer. This swap is not for the faint hearted individual.

You can get a Camaro setup out of a bone yard for the engine/trans pieces. If you do that, it's a no brainer as to what fits and what doesn't. Just take it apart, clean it up, and install it. That way, you can do either auto or stick. If you go auto, make sure the trans is 88 and up 700R4. The trans will be smooth shifting into first gear with no jerking.
The challenge with that swap is the throttle pressure cable.
There aren't a lot of companies out there that sell a great engineered kit for it using a carburetor.
Wiring diagrams are all over the internet, so what ever you buy, there will be diagrams on how to hook it up.
If You get the serpentine belt drive, it's quiet and with an electric fan, much cleaner than running an engine driven fan.
You can get a TPI for it, or you can take the TPI off, sell it for the money to buy a nice intake, carb, and air cleaner, and have some left over for nice rocker covers and other eye candy or put the money towards exhaust.
you can do the exhaust like the original V8's from the factory, or get creative and do duals, any muffler shop has been through the dual pipes thing probably a thousand times, so just outline what you want, and they will oblige. be sure to get them to install an H pipe.

[Rickysnickers]

Bowtie Overdrives sells a nice 700r4 TV cable setup. That's what I have on my truck.

[duke1622]

Thanks all for your input. I have the Camaro front set-up, along with the rear differential, but was thinking I'd wait for a few years before going that route. My son is approaching driving age and he likes the truck...completely original, with the rust to go with it. Was thinking I'd put some front disc brakes, and a 350 in it, and let him do his high school thing with it first. After the damage was done, I'd tear it all down and re-do from frame up. We live I Montana and the odds are pretty good the truck will spend more time in the woods than on the highway, so keeping it as close to stock for the time being seems like a better way to go.

[OrrieG]

Woods= stock I beam and ride height. City= camaro ok. Unless the off road forest service and logging roads are a lot leveler and in better shape than the ones here in Idaho. In 40 years of driving around the woods I have pulled more than one car off of or high centered on a water bar, deep "puddle" or stump or rock that was not noticed.