help with trans/driveshaft

[dragn91]

I have a 66 gmc it's factory leaf spring inline 6 cylinder 3 on the tree. When I Got it was inline with a 350 auto. Then I put in a sbc in the same spot with homemade mounts. It threw a driveshaft I parked it sold it and just bought it back 7 years later. I'm trying to figure out where the engine mounts need to be and what driveshaft I need. It always had a single peice driveshaft since I had it and I've never seen another one like that but today at the junkyard I saw a 60-63 with a 3 on the tree and a 2 link style suspention with a one peice driveshaft looked very much factory. I think I'm going to go back and get the driveshaft. they want way to much for the trans but I'd like to run it in my truck I like the single shaft but I was wondering if the 60-63 stuff will work with the 60-66 same drivedhaft/trans length ect.. there both long beds as far as I can tell. And is there a difference between those transmissions and the squarebody 3 speed trans?

[Lugnutz65]

Originally Posted by dragn91

I have a 66 gmc it's factory leaf spring inline 6 cylinder 3 on the tree. When I Got it was inline with a 350 auto. Then I put in a sbc in the same spot with homemade mounts. It threw a driveshaft I parked it sold it and just bought it back 7 years later. I'm trying to figure out where the engine mounts need to be and what driveshaft I need. It always had a single peice driveshaft since I had it and I've never seen another one like that but today at the junkyard I saw a 60-63 with a 3 on the tree and a 2 link style suspention with a one peice driveshaft looked very much factory. I think I'm going to go back and get the driveshaft. they want way to much for the trans but I'd like to run it in my truck I like the single shaft but I was wondering if the 60-63 stuff will work with the 60-66 same drivedhaft/trans length ect.. there both long beds as far as I can tell. And is there a difference between those transmissions and the squarebody 3 speed trans?

Longbeds all came with 2 piece drive shafts as far as I know. The salvage yard DS should work fine. Trans should match up too if salvage truck has a SBC or an L6. Better get the engine mount thing sorted out or I see trouble in your future.

[dragn91]

Yea that's why I was confused the truck in the junkyard I'm 100 percent sure has a one peice shaft no carrier bearing is has no bed so I can see down the whole length. I bought stock style rubber mounts to use on my factory stands to mount my sbc. When I put the engine in last I was 19 and needed to be to work the next day so I shoved the engine and trans back to meet the driveshaft (single peice idk if it was stock) and had to cut a hole in the firewall to clear the distributer. Do the sbc and inline 6s use the same mount locations? Or do they go in the more forward holes?

[Lugnutz65]

Originally Posted by dragn91

Do the sbc and inline 6s use the same mount locations? Or do they go in the more forward holes?

The L6 uses the rear holes for the perch. The 292 has a different perch on one side LINK HERE.

Many folks who install a SBC will move the engine forward so the dizzy will clear the firewall. I am not sure where GM installed the 283ci but to my thinking if it had a MT then it it HAD TO BE the rear holes because the bell is mounted to a frame cross member that is riveted into place.

Take a tape measure to the salvage yard and figure out if the DS will fit.

[The Rocknrod]

Pinion angle.

[Lugnutz65]

Originally Posted by The Rocknrod

Pinion angle.

Ah yes! My naïveté is showing. Haha. Better look for a 2 piece DS.

[dragn91]

Pinion angle shouldent be a problem with a single shaft I did a flip kit today but I didn't weld the new axle saddles on yet because I'm going to set the pinion angle after I get the trans and driveshaft and engine in place. I prefer a single shaft when I can use one I hate carrier bearings they always seem to go out at the worst time at least for me. I have to cut the manual trans crossmember out of a truck too because mine was hacked out by whoever put the th350 in it.

[dragn91]

Here's picks of the engine /trans removal and axle flip. I'm going to pull the bed again and clean and paint the frame plus do a small notch. It has lowering shackles on it now which may make it to low. Going to do a 1 and 1/4 inch pancaked crossmember up front and cut coils. Going on the cheap on this truck. The flip kit only cost the 11 bucks for the axle saddles from tractor supply which fit perfectly and another 8 or so for grade 8 hardware but I still have to get new u bolts I just used some I had laying around from putting drop blocks on my old packard or my hudson. Can't remember. I made the bottom axle plate from some 1/4 inch flat bar I had I'm going to redo it with 3/8 at a later point with drilled instead of plasma cut holes but they fit great and are actually less sloppy than alot of factory ones I've come across I'm pretty crafty with the plasma tho.
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[Captainfab]

GM installed the small blocks in the exact same, rear location as the 230/250 I6 engines. An HEI will clear the firewall without modifications. Many guys move the engine forward because they just don't like the closeness to the firewall.

I have seen longbeds with a single piece driveshaft, but it needs to be of sufficient diameter and wall thickness to survive. In my experience, everyone with bad experiences with carrier bearings, have all had the light duty carrier bearing. I really don't know what GM was thinking with that POS carrier bearing. A 2 piece driveshaft with the heavy duty carrier bearing will be far more durable than a single piece driveshaft.