Seeking Advice on pulling engine

[Northwest Outlaw]

I recently found a local guy looking to trade his 70’s small block 350 for a straight-six. We are set to swap engines this weekend after he came and checked mine out last weekend.

I’m look for any advice or guidance on pulling the I-6 out. It looks almost to easy to be true but I figured someone has probably run into a problem that hopefully I can avoid. My plan is to pull battery, drain the fluids, disconnect hoses, wires and cables, and crack loose the mounting bolts. The other guy is bringing his engine hoist, as I don’t have one, to pull the I-6 from my truck straight onto his trailer.

Where is the best place to hook the chain?
Should I keep the engine and transmission together or leave the trans in the truck?
Remove the radiator for more room?

Please let me know what you’ve found that worked best, or things to avoid.

[awbrown]

I always leave the trans in the truck ..

[scuderia]

pull the hood and radiator... A hoist leveler helps a lot too.

[Mathew21]

Originally Posted by scuderia

pull the hood and radiator... A hoist leveler helps a lot too.

X2 That's how I do it.

[Wrenchbender Ret]

Get a chain & hook one end to the coil mount bolt hole with a long 3/8 bolt. Wrap the other end around the intake manifold behind the carb. Hook the hoist to this chain. It will balance real good. Unbolt the engine from the bell housing & pull it forward & up. The bell housing has the mounts under it so it will stay put. Put a stand under the rear of the trans so it won't drop very far. If you are using a cherry picker type hoist you don't really have to pull the hood. Just loosen it up & kick it back. You are right. This is an easy one to pull. The v-8 will bolt to the same housing.

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by Wrenchbender Ret

Get a chain & hook one end to the coil mount bolt hole with a long 3/8 bolt. Wrap the other end around the intake manifold behind the carb. Hook the hoist to this chain. It will balance real good. Unbolt the engine from the bell housing & pull it forward & up. The bell housing has the mounts under it so it will stay put. Put a stand under the rear of the trans so it won't drop very far. If you are using a cherry picker type hoist you don't really have to pull the hood. Just loosen it up & kick it back. You are right. This is an easy one to pull. The v-8 will bolt to the same housing.

you will need v8 engine mounts for this swap . also be safe go slow and make sure that the chain you use is strong enough to hold the engine . and that includes the bolts you use to bolt the chains to the engine when the engine is out and in the air make sure your feet and body are not close to it if a bolt should brake or the chain a falling engine could kill .. and deff brake bones ... leave trans in the truck and pull the hood and the radiator also pull the dizy because if a 500 lb engine bumps the dizy against the truck it can bend the dizy and make a mess of things .... just go slow and be safe and dont cut corners and it will be a easy job

[Northwest Outlaw]

Thanks all for the help, please keep it coming if there is more!

Maybe i should have stated this in the first post, but i'm planning on taking out the transmission too. I have a turbo400 to strap to the new v8 (and all the floor board cutting that goes along with it). Will it be easier to remove the current engine with the trans if they're both set to come out? It's a little chevy 3 speed.

[dubds10]

Just pull the entire front clip off, make everything so much easier and then you can clean and paint the frame while at it. It's really not the hard to pull the clip on and off with two people. I've done myself too many times and it's difficult lifting it all together alone, but easier than pulling parts individually. Had no engine hoist just muscle, but if you've got a buddy to help it'll go by fast.

I prefer pulling engine and trans together when I do as it's less bolts to mess around with and if you're doing a full swap you may as well.

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by Northwest Outlaw

Thanks all for the help, please keep it coming if there is more!

Maybe i should have stated this in the first post, but i'm planning on taking out the transmission too. I have a turbo400 to strap to the new v8 (and all the floor board cutting that goes along with it). Will it be easier to remove the current engine with the trans if they're both set to come out? It's a little chevy 3 speed.

Yes leave them connected then ... but you should know that your TH400 is going to require your drive shafts be cut down . And also have different yolks made for it ... so now this won't be a swap and driving down the road the same day again swap just making sure you know that ... also I would stress to you if you can do it . Since you have to do work to the drive shafts I would go with a one piece shaft now. No more carrier bearing is a nice upgrade

[scuderia]

Originally Posted by WOLFMANmike

you will need v8 engine mounts for this swap .

Since he doesn't have a 292 in there, engine mounts should be the same I believe.

[Captainfab]

You should not have to do anything with the engine mounts since this engine is a 230 or 250. However since this is in a '61 and someone has added the side engine mounts, it is possible they may not be quite right.

Yes you can pull the engine, bellhousing and trans all at once. Be aware that when converting to an auto trans, you will need to remove the bellhousing crossmember. If your truck is a longbed, I would stay with a 2 piece driveshaft if that is what it currently has. Just have the front shaft shortened for the TH400. Does the TH400 have a slip yoke or a bolt on yoke?

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

You should not have to do anything with the engine mounts since this engine is a 230 or 250. However since this is in a '61 and someone has added the side engine mounts, it is possible they may not be quite right.

Yes you can pull the engine, bellhousing and trans all at once. Be aware that when converting to an auto trans, you will need to remove the bellhousing crossmember. If your truck is a longbed, I would stay with a 2 piece driveshaft if that is what it currently has. Just have the front shaft shortened for the TH400. Does the TH400 have a slip yoke or a bolt on yoke?

not to argue im just curious Captn why do you say stay 2 piece drive shaft ? i have a long bed 65 and its got a 1 piece in it . and the way i see it is its one less thing to have to maintain as in a wear part .. so im asking out of curiosity what you see as a problem with a set up like that .. so if one comes my way then ill know right where to look thanks Happy Truckin

[Northwest Outlaw]

So glad to have you guys around! I know going in that the truck will on blocks for a little while. I was only planning on doing the suspension this winter (spindles/disc conversion, springs and shocks) but then this trade opportunity presented itself. I got tentative plans for June and July car shows (at least driving the truck to them if not entering) so that's my time line.

Here's what i'm planning now:
-remove hood. I'll consider taking off the whole front as I can see that being helpful for the disc brake conversion.
-pull engine and trans together
-I have a second drive shaft, short bed so it's just one, that i'll have cut once I get the new engine and trans mounted
-figure out the engine mounts and trans cross member
-clean up the empty engine bay while it's empty and run the new brake lines to the front. Captn, look for a PM ordering one of your brackets
-install new drop spindles and disc brake conversion kit and other suspension upgrades
-install engine and trans, find headers and straight pipes
-piss off neighbors

miss anything?
I have a pseudo build-thread going in the members intro section, or the link in my signature. I appreciate any and all help on my first build. Thanks again

[Captainfab]

A driveshaft long enough for a longbed will need to be of sufficient diameter and wall thickness to resist deflection and possible failure. Having 2 shorter shafts are much stronger than a single longer one. However I need to clarify, I am talking about the HD driveshafts and carrier bearing not the light duty pieces.....those are junk.

Originally Posted by WOLFMANmike

not to argue im just curious Captn why do you say stay 2 piece drive shaft ? i have a long bed 65 and its got a 1 piece in it . and the way i see it is its one less thing to have to maintain as in a wear part .. so im asking out of curiosity what you see as a problem with a set up like that .. so if one comes my way then ill know right where to look thanks Happy Truckin

[WOLFMANmike]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

A driveshaft long enough for a longbed will need to be of sufficient diameter and wall thickness to resist deflection and possible failure. Having 2 shorter shafts are much stronger than a single longer one. However I need to clarify, I am talking about the HD driveshafts and carrier bearing not the light duty pieces.....those are junk.

got ya .. mine has the 350 SBC put in by the PO far back up to the firewall . and then they did a TH350 trans and it was just enough that a one piece could be made to work in it ... personally the engine being set so far back is a bit of a pain in the butt to do some things but its the way i got it and the drive train works lol but i see your point . so far i havent had any issues no vibrations or anything like that . ive gotten my truck up to 5700 rpms on the freeway a few times lol gotta feed a lil speed to your machine every now and then

[Northwest Outlaw]

How do I disconnect this drive shaft connection?

Everything else went pretty well last night. Got the hood off, radiator removed, exhaust removed, all the hose and little wires/cables disconnected (most of them labeled) and fluids drained. Just need to remove drive shaft and unbolt the engine trans.

[cv65]

Originally Posted by Northwest Outlaw

How do I disconnect this drive shaft connection?

Everything else went pretty well last night. Got the hood off, radiator removed, exhaust removed, all the hose and little wires/cables disconnected (most of them labeled) and fluids drained. Just need to remove drive shaft and unbolt the engine trans.

unbolt the drive shaft at the rear end,and pull it out of the transmission.

[Northwest Outlaw]

Originally Posted by cv65

unbolt the drive shaft at the rear end,and pull it out of the transmission.

That thought crossed my mind last night under the truck, glad I didn't waste the time trying to dismantle something that should be. Thanks.

[Captainfab]

That is the original location for a small block in the '60-'66 trucks.

Originally Posted by WOLFMANmike

got ya .. mine has the 350 SBC put in by the PO far back up to the firewall . and then they did a TH350 trans and it was just enough that a one piece could be made to work in it ... personally the engine being set so far back is a bit of a pain in the butt to do some things but its the way i got it and the drive train works lol but i see your point . so far i havent had any issues no vibrations or anything like that . ive gotten my truck up to 5700 rpms on the freeway a few times lol gotta feed a lil speed to your machine every now and then

[Captainfab]

Don't forget to block the wheels before you unbolt the driveshaft from the differential.

Originally Posted by Northwest Outlaw

That thought crossed my mind last night under the truck, glad I didn't waste the time trying to dismantle something that should be. Thanks.

[Northwest Outlaw]

SUCCESS!!!!
I got everything prepped Thursday and Friday night. Saturday morning my neighbor helped pull the truck out of the garage and position it outside. New friend Will showed up with the v8 and engine hoist. We made pretty quick of unloading the v8 and getting it on to an engine stand. Then turned our attention to the straight 6 in my truck and pulled it out like butter. Now I got to clean off the 50+ years of oil, dirt and grime before figuring out putting in the v8.

Not sure if the v8 is the 350 or a smaller one, what's going to be the best way to figure that out?

[Captainfab]

You need to get the casting number from the rear drivers side of the block and the suffix code from the pad in front of the passenger side head. Post them here and we can help figure out what you have.

Originally Posted by Northwest Outlaw

Not sure if the v8 is the 350 or a smaller one, what's going to be the best way to figure that out?

[Northwest Outlaw]

Here is the number on the rear drivers side of the block, along the top of the trans flange.

[Northwest Outlaw]

I couldn't see a number on the front passenger side, do I need to take off the valve cover?
It is a 1971 out of a Chevy truck with a Rochester quadrajet carb.

[cv65]

Originally Posted by Northwest Outlaw

I couldn't see a number on the front passenger side, do I need to take off the valve cover?
It is a 1971 out of a Chevy truck with a Rochester quadrajet carb.

look at the flat spot in front of the head pass side of the block clean it off good as sometimes the stamping is faint.