54-6 Olds engine swap info???

[speed memeory's]

any kits available for 350/350 sbc , an original motor would be neat, but low parts availability and $$$ cost is drawback andd I have the sbc/trans now. any experiance? headers or manifolds nessesary?  driveshaft problems and/or fitment?

[GPster]

There would be a bunch of ways to think about this. Back in the old days when those transmissions were the cream for drag racers ( I think the '56 would still be the older one, not the slant pan one) there used to be adapters to put chevy engines to them. All chevy had during those years other than stick was cast iron powerglides. I believe that the transmission mounts on the bellhousing circle and the old's engine only has one mount under the crank pulley at the very front. Now I'll give you some information that I think is right but if it isn't then maybe some of the older members (Enjenjo or Purple Pickup) can correct me. The Chevy trucks of those years that had V8s and an automatic transmission used the olds style transmission. There should be a bellhousing in those applications that will put them together. During those years chevy trucks mounted the engines by mounts on the bellhousing. If they did the same with the trucks with automatics then the bellhousing would at least have places for mounts in an area close to the Old's crossmember. If you did it this way then the old '55 to '57 style front chevy motor mounts would work and should be somewhat easy to find a place on the front old's crossmember to use. I believe that the old's starter was originally on the driver's side. I don't know which side the chevy truck bellhousing will put the starter but if it puts it on the passenger side like chevy cars that ought to produce more room around the steering box in the olds than there was with the original engine. The olds rear end  was the pre- 9" ford and I think the stock rear end will hold a "Mouse". Don't know about the oil pan because everyone was dropping tie rods or building tunnels through the old's pan to put them in something else so you may have to do a little bit of figuring to get a chevy where a stock old's pan once set. Every once in a while you see a rod that is going for a nostolgia look and is running old's valve covers on a SBC. Maybe my answers can generate some crackle from the old timers. GPster

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

Head here to  Detroit Speed and Engineering and check out what Dad and the guys did to his '56 Olds.  In a nut shell, they replaced the whole drivetrain with a 385 fast burn crate motor, 700R, and new rear, not to mention whole new custom fabed suspension.  The website should be able to answer all your questions regarding the buildup but if you have specific questions that you didn't find the answers to, you can email Dad at    zzhotrod37@twmi.rr.com  His name is Jim.

Good Luck