55.2-59 60 series to 1/2 ton engine swap

[dtkarst]

We’ve recently acquired a 55 Chevy 1/2 ton pickup, 2nd series that was originally a v8 pickup with a four speed. We were wanting to put a 283 in it from a 1960 grain truck we also have. My question is, will the 283 and 4 speed from the c60 go into the 55 the way it is after taking the hand brake stuff off? Or will I need a v8 bellhousing from a smaller pickup? I’ve got an extra 1960 v8 bellhousing and transmission I can use. Any help is appreciated

[mr48chev]

The rub is that most 50/66 Chevy trucks had a hydraulic clutch if they had a manual transmission You will have to swap that bellhousing for a 55 -59 Chevy truck V8 bellhousing with the opening for the clutch fork on the left (US drivers side)

The 60 bellhousing will bolt in the 55 but the 55 doesn't have provisions for a hydraulic clutch.

The 60 bellhousing going on the swap meet shelf as someone will want it, possibly a person building a hot rod where a hydraulic clutch would work better. A guy could probably rig a master cylinder to work with the floor/frame mounted pedal if he was a good fabricator with an imagination. That would take a 1.125 bore clutch master cylinder but the mounting and push rod might be a real challenge.

[dtkarst]

So I’ve got about 50 or so pickups, 55-85, so would a 4 speed transmission from a 63-66 1/2 to. bolt onto the 283 and be able to be used in the 55?

[mr48chev]

Yes, any Chevy GMC SM- 420 will bolt right up to the 55/59 V8 or 48/59 six cylinder bellhousing from a truck. That would be the simple way if you already have one out in a donor rig. If you have a batch of pickups you may also have a driveshaft that can be modified to work.

One thing to put in the notes is that the U joints that fasten to that yoke on the back come in several sizes and the yokes come in several sizes to fit what ever U joint and little truck U joints are smaller than big truck U joints.

Driveshaft, if the trans comes out of a 1/2 ton or maybe a 3/4 ton it should have the correct U joints to match the rear axle. Having the yoke on the trans and yoke on the rear end and all U joints in between match makes life easier later on.

[dtkarst]

I appreciate the responses. I have several options on transmissions being available I parts trucks. I do have a 59 1/2 ton with a 235/4 speed, so would that transmission and bellhousing be able to be used with the 283? Or would I need to go with a later transmission or 55-56 transmission?

[mr48chev]

With a V8 bellhousing that transmission and drive shaft should be a bolt in. There isn't any difference between that one and one that came with a V8. Aftermarket support for those transmissions is great as there are many outfits that supply rebuild kits at various stages and replacement gears. The off road crawler brigade still uses them a bunch when they swap them into jeeps and other off road rigs.

In those years for the most part Chevrolet just had a 3 speed column shift trans, Hydromatic and 4 speed compound low =SM-420 transmission be it six or V8. The only real difference with 4 speeds was the size of U joint that the yoke was made for. Pull a trans out of a big truck 4000 series or larger and you often had to swap yokes.

[dtkarst]

[QUOTE=mr48chev;9321521]With a V8 bellhousing that transmission and drive shaft should be a bolt in. There isn't any difference between that one one that came with a V8.

Maybe I’m misunderstanding..will the 4 speed and bellhousing from my 58 with a six cylinder work on the 283 that’s going into my 55 without any changes? Or will I need a bell v8 housing from a 55-56? Or will a bellhousing from a later year work?

I’m pretty to the 55-59 pickups so a lot of this is foreign to me on what works where. Basically draw it out like I’m a child if needed lol

[leegreen]

235 bells won't work with anything but a 235 or 216.
But the trans will be standard munci bolt pattern so any newer bell will bolt the 283 and trans together

I can no longer remember if 1958 trucks used side or front mounts on the engine, that may dictate if you need an older bell with mount points on the side.
'58 and newer 235 had the side mounts on the block and were usually drilled for front mounts as well

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by leegreen

235 bells won't work with anything but a 235 or 216.
But the trans will be standard munci bolt pattern so any newer bell will bolt the 283 and trans together

I can no longer remember if 1958 trucks used side or front mounts on the engine, that may dictate if you need an older bell with mount points on the side.
'58 and newer 235 had the side mounts on the block and were usually drilled for front mounts as well

I would have to believe that he already knows that part,

This is a 51 truck bellhousing that I have that outside of motor mount setup is pretty well the same from 48 to 59. This is the one you don't want. Still worth sticking back for the guy who eventually will be looking for one though.

[dtkarst]

Anyone have a casting number of the bellhousing I would need for this?

[mr48chev]

I don't have mine out to look at. You have three things to look at though

If you look at the bottom photo of post 2 you see the angled areas where the motor mounts bolt to. second is the diameter of the hole for the bearing retainer. Third is that it is set up for a manual clutch lever.

[dsraven]

a look at the assembly manual for your truck would show the two set ups, I6 and V8, and you can see exactly how things go together.
google

55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual

pick the tri5 site, its a free download

the trucks came with a V8 that has factory front mounts and a bellhousing with mounts under it.
check this link for a thread on this site that explains it with pics to boot

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=584685

also consider the driveshaft hook up as a trans with a yoke bolted on will need a two piece driveshaft that has a slip yoke on the rear shaft in order to make allowances for suspension movement.

[dtkarst]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I don't have mine out to look at. You have three things to look at though

If you look at the bottom photo of post 2 you see the angled areas where the motor mounts bolt to. second is the diameter of the hole for the bearing retainer. Third is that it is set up for a manual clutch lever.

So the pictures in the second post are of the correct bellhousing I’m needing?

[leegreen]

yes, but measure the center hole diameter, car trans/bell were smaller hole

your '60 bell will look something like this if it is hydraulic clutch. Picture is one bolted to a 305 V6 but they bolt up the same



this post has some interesting tidbits about front mounts, generator vs alternator exhaust manifolds but if your 283 is intact with accessories in a 1960 all that should be OK
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...ngine.1185724/

[dtkarst]

Originally Posted by dsraven

a look at the assembly manual for your truck would show the two set ups, I6 and V8, and you can see exactly how things go together.
google

55-59 chevrolet truck factory assembly manual

pick the tri5 site, its a free download

the trucks came with a V8 that has factory front mounts and a bellhousing with mounts under it.
check this link for a thread on this site that explains it with pics to boot

https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...d.php?t=584685

also consider the driveshaft hook up as a trans with a yoke bolted on will need a two piece driveshaft that has a slip yoke on the rear shaft in order to make allowances for suspension movement.

I’ve got the factory front mounts and such. I’m just needing to know what bellhousing I need to use.

[mr48chev]

The one I posted in post 2 is the one that will work the simplest. 55/59 CHEVY V8 Truck.
That will bolt up to any Chevy small or big block or 63 and later 194,230,250 or 292 Six
cylinders.

Leegreen is wrong about the hole for the bearing retainer. All Muncie pattern transmissions use the 4-11/16 diameter bearing retainer except the 67 and newer trucks with an SM465.

You could use a 68 or later truck cast iron bellhousing and run the 465 transmission but your 283 block may or may not be drilled for an offset starter bolt pattern to work with the bolt to the block and that starts another issue.

[leegreen]

maybe it was a Canadian market thing, but I had a 1961 Biscayne 235 motor and bell all cleaned up and mounted in a truck, but the '66 or '67 van 3 speed with OD I wanted to use had a larger retainer than that car bell. A '52 ish truck bell I had fit the trans. I remember this clearly as it was so much work to pull the clutch, flywheel and bell to swap the bells over, taught me to measure twice.

[dsraven]

hey dtkarst, how about some pics of the engine bay with the factory mounts shown and also a pic of the engine and trans you would like to use from your stash of parts you already own. included in the pics, if you have the original engine and trans, would be a pic of "this came out and I wanna put this back in, will it work?"

[dtkarst]

Originally Posted by dsraven

hey dtkarst, how about some pics of the engine bay with the factory mounts shown and also a pic of the engine and trans you would like to use from your stash of parts you already own. included in the pics, if you have the original engine and trans, would be a pic of "this came out and I wanna put this back in, will it work?"

Engine is a 1960 283 from a grain truck, and I can pull a 4 speed transmission from any 1/2 ton pickup 59-mid 80s, the 59 being a 6 cylinder. I have several 60-66 6 cylinder and v8s to pull a trans from. Just looking for the simplest transmission install for the 55 with any of those options. The 55 has all the stock cross members and front motor mounts

[dsraven]

if youre going to all this work for a newer driveline you should look around for an ovwerdrive trans so highway speeds would keep the rpm's down. that would cost you though, if you don't have something on hand.

[mr48chev]

Originally Posted by dsraven

if youre going to all this work for a newer driveline you should look around for an ovwerdrive trans so highway speeds would keep the rpm's down. that would cost you though, if you don't have something on hand.

I'm pretty well sure that he is attempting to put it together with parts and pieces that he has there and can use. Lets not confuse the issue anymore in this case with what we would do as he didn't ask what we would do. Lets help him put his truck together with the parts he has the way he plans and call it a day.

The simple solution in that truck with parts he has is run the 283, 55/59 V8 bellhousing, SM-420 with correct yoke (that can be swapped) for the 1/2 ton driveshaft. I'm thinking that he does have all of those parts somewhere in the collection of parts trucks and once he figures out what parts out of what donors he can put the truck together. He has lots of stuff to work with but little knowledge or experience. Remember, this isn't going to be the way most of us would do it, it is going to be the way that he can do it it with what he has on hand to work with.