2001 Chevy van 3500 drivetrain swap.

[terry b]

Just bought a 2001 Chevy van 3500 with a 5.7 auto from our church. Very well taken care of. Want to put complete drivetrain in my 1972 C-20. Motor trans driveshaft and rear differential. Do I use standard small block motor mounts? I have a 402 Big Block in it now.

[clay68c10]

You may be able to use the same mounts you already have, the BBC trucks got the newer style captive clamshell mounts in 72.
The cups (or whatever people call them) that bolt to the block are available in a couple of heights. You may have to play around with those to get it to sit right. The 73+ trucks all the way into the Vortec era use that style. Cars also; gas, diesel, v6. Lots of options at the junkyard.

[terry b]

Cool I was hoping it would be less work than a LS swap.

[clay68c10]

Are you going to keep it EFI or swap to carb? The trans uses the PCM computer to shift, so factor/budget how you can accomplish that if you don’t run the factory PCM

[junkman]

If you're keeping efi, you're really just saving the $30 for the mount plate adapters, the rest is going to be pretty much the same work for either combo (ls/vortec 350). As said above if going carb, you'll need a $5-600 trans controller. You could get you an efi fuel system, the wiring done and pcm programmed for pretty close to that to stay efi with the vortec 350

[terry b]

I am definitely going to keep the fuel injection.

[rcazwillis]

Originally Posted by terry b

I am definitely going to keep the fuel injection.

I started down the same path with a setup for a 2001 2500 and changed to a carb. I found the wiring harness for the vans of that generation are a mixed mash of two generations of engines. The computer was the same as an LS, the injection and sensors were from the single port injection, but the wiring colors matched neither. None of the wiring harnesses diagrams on line matched. In the end, I used the TH400 and carbed the 5.7.

I look forward to your results.