Just A few plans for my 72' swb 4x4

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Ok so everything fits with plenty of clearance and I'm pleased with the outcome. I wish I would have taken a few more pics.. I'm terrible at that but ill try and put this all together for some sort of instruction on how I done it. I honestly can't recall, but I'm pretty sure I have a short water pump setup. Seems like I done this when I put the 454 in my 55 Chevy a few years back. Also I need to make mention that I'm running a Milodon 7qt oil pan that's also special for a big block swap in a 55-57 Chevy. It sits the sump farther back than a stock pan. I just used it because its already installed on the engine. Also running stock 2wd exhaust manifolds from 1985 C30.

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I used the bottom, driver side, foward hole in the frame and installed the rear bolt on the later crossmember. I just snugged it a little and started fitting the side mounts to the frame using the existing top holes in the frame for reference measurements and placement. I chose to leave the top side mount surface alone so the engine would sit the same in reference to the top of the frame. The frame is not as deep as the later model so I clipped the rear bottom bolt mount off of both side mounts. It worked out perfect for letting them slide into the frame.

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This made the two front holes in the passenger side mount to be about 1/2" lower than the mounting holes where they mount to the crossmember so I moved them up in the mount slotting them a little for adjustment

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Passenger side

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This allowed the passenger side to fit nice and snug in the frame pocket on the top and bottom frame runners and bolt to the crossmember and be bolted in. The tab that lays against the inside vertical part of the frame on the rear of the side mount was able to be drilled and bolted at this time. I also slotted this hole to the top a little to stay away from the bottom of the frame where it turns in at the bottom runner. It just kept the hole higher and out of the bend. The driver side mount sits on top of the crossmember where the two bolt together.. So I had to shave that thickness (crossmember) from the front of the mount and I notched the holes to the top just a little.. It shaved to the bottom of the mounting holes.

[hotsam]

I shimmed the rear vertical tab on the driver side where I drilled the frame ( again, notching to the top a little to stay away from the lower frame runner bend) with a 1/8" washer so it didn't try to pull the frame when bolt was tightened. The pass side needed no shimming. I used one existing top hole on each side and drilled through the side mounts and bolted them in.

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Once everything was snugged up and measurements taken again, I drilled the 3 holes to mount the crossmember in securely. The front one on driver side, and front and rear on passenger side. Recall I used an existing hole for driver rear. I did shim the front passenger bolt hole between crossmember and frame as the frame turned down just a little about 3/16" maybe...

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When I sat the engine in and layed the level on the carb I was a little low on the passenger side and the exhaust manifold was close to the frame on pass side.. I'm not really sure what caused this as I didn't take anything off of the passenger side mount except the rear lower bolt hole so it slid in the frame nice and tight. I didn't take anything from the front of passenger mount.... Only the driver side to clear the crossmember thickness.... Anyway ?? I quickly solved it by moving the rubber mount that bolts to the passenger side frame perch up 1/2" and toward engine 1/2". Re-installed engine, placed level and was dead on, and manifold clearance is great. I'm going to mill a plate to place between frame perch and bolt on rubber mount so no matter what engine swaps happen in the future it will bolt right in with no issues or shimming but the spacer I made will do for now.
So that's how my install went and I am happy with it. I will try to post some pics of clearances from underneath when I get it back on the lift. Oh, also I'm running factory big block mounts on engine..

[webfoot]

Good job!

[hotsam]

Thanks webfoot !! It's definitely not high-class race shop fab work but I'm not that fancy anyway , and it works... now it's just back out again and a lot of scrubbing and cleaning!! I also didn't mention that my radiator is just a 2 row core. It's almost new.. I'm going to see how it cools the engine, and I have a good shroud but I have plenty of room for a 4 row core heavy duty as well if needed... just some more clearance info

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Got the truck back on the lift yesterday and got the drivelines, 3 spd and 205 out and snapped a few more clearance pics. Everything clears great.. I bolted the bell housing to check clearance too. All good.. now gotta make up my mind because I've even started entertaining the idea of putting my turbo 400 in..... but I sure do like to manually shift down into a direct gear too ??? I don't know.... Anyway here's a few pics

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Some of mount mods.... The pass side is where the nut spacers under the engine mounts are. I used them for mock up. I cut ,milled , and drilled a piece of 1/2" plate yesterday to replace these. I explained in an earlier post that I also moved the mount up on the mount perch 1/2" to level the engine.

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Passenger side

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Exhaust manifold clearance and distance engine was moved foward from trans

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So I was sitting at the garage door eating a sandwich for lunch and talking to my wife on the phone. I was looking at the front of my truck on the lift and glanced over to the front of my 55. Notice any similarities ???? I have a small fortune tied up in MILODON oil pans... Haha !!! I bought the one on the big block years ago when I put the 454 in the 55. I swapped to the small block in the 55 because I couldn't find any fenderwell headers that suited me when I put the ford axle in... I forgot about the cut away Chevy II oil pan on the small block !!! Oh well they match anyway...

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So I got a little more done.... Trans , crossmember , transfer case, and rear driveline are all in and bolted up. Even with the trans moved foward 2" the 85 model shifter bend worked out great for dash clearance. I used the 72 transfer case shifter. Just have to find a 1972 4spd. Shift knob now. My transfer case I used with the 4 speed is a slip yoke rear output shaft. With the correct amount of yoke slip, the driveline came out to be 46" joint to joint. I just shortened down the long bed shaft out of the 85 also. More pics when I get it back on the lift. Got busy in the garage and had to move it out for a little while.

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Just thought I'd drop in. I got side tracked on some other projects for a few weeks. I have the truck up and driving now. The z-bar ( bell crank) Modification and placement was a little tricky with the big block moved foward on the 73-87 crossmember but it all worked out great with plenty of clearance. I'll post some pics soon. I've said this a couple of times but now it's for sure on to painting, cleaning up , and neatly running wires and hoses and making it look like it came from the factory as a swb 4x4 454 4 spd.

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A Buddy found me a set of DG4 stainless west coast jrs he took off of his 69. Im stoked because I hate my standard sport mirrors. I havent picked them up yet. I learned while reading the mirror thread in the 67-72 message board that the 69 will be different than the shorter ones in 72. (Longer lower arms) My question is will these work with my truck, mounted where they should be, having the trim it has ? I sure hope so !!! My truck has both upper and lower trim. I dont mind that they arent exact for the year. Anyone running this setup ?? Thanks in advance

[72 tigger]

Very nice project! Like your idea of making it look like a factory BB 4x4. I would think the mirrors would work- 69 trim is the same as 72

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Thanks Tigger !! As others here I have too many projects.. but they are all creeping along nicely at a slow steady pace.. I gotta go get my mirrors and get them on !!!!