47-54 Chevy pickup frame question

[couper]

My nephew and I have his '47 frame almost ready for motor mounts. The MII IFS is welded in place, and we're about to set the frame in a jig I made before we box the rails. Although I completely boxed my rails on my 34 coupe,I'm thinking only part of the rails on the truck frame will need boxing. I WILL have to replace  the 'K' member because of it's condition. Any thoughts? My plan is to mock up a 350/350 with the body setting on the frame to locate the motor mounts. We expect to have to cut the bottom center of the firewall slightly for room for the tranny, keeping in mind room for the distributor and waterpump. I'm not sure if there will be room for a mechanical clutch fan or if an electric fan is a better aproach. We don't have the radiator bought or mocked up yet, so we're not sure how much room we'll need up front.
Any advice (or knowledge of a website about this) from anyone whose been down this rode before with this YR/make would be greatly appreciated.
Lance

[kb426]

I boxed my 53 in the engine area, the rear end area, installed a k member, and put diagonals in it from the cab back trying to stiffen it. This is with a 250 hp. engine. I don't have enough miles on it to tell you if I was completely successful. If I was to do it again, I'd box most of it and put in more cross pieces.

[1FATGMC]

   

The front of mine is a sub-frame, the middle is 2 X 4 .120 tubing and the rear has the the original frame boxed with .120 plate.  I built the crossmembers.  The truck seems stiff to me with no flex and has a lot of miles on it.

If it was me I would cut pieces and box all of it.  Not more than another 1/2 days worth of work.

Frame Detail Pictures Here  

c ya, Sum

[WZ JUNK]

My frame is not boxed and I really abuse it on the drag strip but I used a whole Nova clip for the front.  If you have the time it would not hurt to box it.

I think you will only relieve a small amount of material at the front part of the area where the transmission cover attaches at the front and then add a little tunnel to the removable cover to have room for the transmission.  That is if you set the motor where I usually do.  I would use a desert cooler radiator and you should be able to use a mechanical fan.  My brother ran a mechanical fan on his big block truck like the one you are building.  You mighty PM (MO JUNK) directly if he does not respond.  He might also have some thoughts on the boxing.

[kb426]

I used the desert cooler from Chevy Duty and have been real pleased so far.  I wanted the engine to be as low as I could have it so when I started out, I used the bottom of the running boards as the lowest part for the engine and trans line. Looking at it sideways, the trans pan is even with the running boards. that allowed me to have a flat floor. I did put a 2" step in the firewall that allows the engine to sit back farther than the original firewalls verticle line. In effect, the original firewall comes down about to where it changes to an angle and then goes rearward 2" and then has the angle going to the floor. I was very concerned with the center of gravity being very high.  I also use a fixed blade fan, no clutch. In case you're unaware, there is a kit that adapts  a six cyl. waterpump to a small block to raise the fan to the middle of the radiator for better cooling if needed.

[HotRodLadyCrusr]

Lance, good to see you posting where your questions are going to get answered.  

Please tell Caleb I said "hi" and have him stick his nose on the RRT once in a while and say "hi".  Would love to see some progress photos of his truck.

[mrloboy]

My nephew and I have his '47 frame almost ready for motor mounts. The MII IFS is welded in place, and we're about to set the frame in a jig I made before we box the rails. Although I completely boxed my rails on my 34 coupe,I'm thinking only part of the rails on the truck frame will need boxing. I WILL have to replace  the 'K' member because of it's condition. Any thoughts? My plan is to mock up a 350/350 with the body setting on the frame to locate the motor mounts. We expect to have to cut the bottom center of the firewall slightly for room for the tranny, keeping in mind room for the distributor and waterpump. I'm not sure if there will be room for a mechanical clutch fan or if an electric fan is a better aproach. We don't have the radiator bought or mocked up yet, so we're not sure how much room we'll need up front.
Any advice (or knowledge of a website about this) from anyone whose been down this rode before with this YR/make would be greatly appreciated.
Lance

[mrloboy]

[Jeez, I guess I screwed up! I was trying to reply to Laqnce's post regarding Caleb's '47. I lost the whole dialogue. Lance, I would box the whole frame, more for aesthetics than anything. The minimal amount of labour and material tells me that to refrain from this step is petty at least. The chassis will benefit from the extra effort! Make sure you include 11 or 12" brakes in your upgrade.//

[couper]

Thanks guys for your input. Alot of great advice.
Rick, we already went with the 11" discs for the front. I wish I had them on my coupe.
The pictures were great 1fat. It's given me some real good ideas. It sure looks 'heck for stout'.
WZ, I remember you sometime back recommending to me (maybe it was at the Springfield NSRA show) that a front Camaro or Nova clip was the way to go, but Caleb and I decided on the MII simply because I had done one before. Sometimes we fall back on what we DO know rather than risking what we don't, but you're right. I'm convinced after listening to all of you that we'll box the entire length of the frame rails.
I never heard of a 'Desert Cooler' radiator kb, but I DO have a Chevy Duty catalog I'm pretty sure. Aren't they out of Kansas City?
You no doubt haven't heard the last from me on this project, hope you don't mind if I bend your ears again
Thanks
Lance

[GPster]

Just to add a little something to this boxing discussion but not necessarily answer the question. I boxed a '31 Chevy frame for a guy one time and then was so impressed with my job (I'm like that) I started thinking about it for other frame with a long/straight top edge. Like Model "A"s and "T"s and lots of early trucks. I helped a friend build a SCCA corvette in the early '70s and he bought a new frame and welded it together on a jig he had made and built the car on this new frame. Looking at this frame I could see that it was mostly two "C" channels with one enough smaller in height than the other so that it was set inside of the other it appeared to make a rectangular tube frame. I got to thinking. When you box a frame you don't increase the width of it, only add the other side to make it a rectangle. To me some early frames look spindley from the top compared to there height looking from the side. We have a metal supplier here that has a "brake" that will do heavy sheet  so I had them make me a companion channel to the '31 frame and I worked it into the frame I was boxing so that I had increased the frame width and put a rolled edge on the inside of the top and the bottom of the rails.  It gives you the rolled edge with-out all the grinding on the weld joint and was easier for me to weld a lap-joint. Where the frame tapers in height I just removed a section of the side of the fabricated channel and brought the bottom edge to meet it so that it would still fit inside the frame. Just another look at the situation. If it's going on a "jig" and the "K" members has to come out anyway. Sometimes my mind gets ahead of me. Now if the manufactures of "32 frame pressed a set of rails with less width to the flanges and with-out the "reveal(?)" in the sides you could use the left to box the right and the right to box the left. GPster

[kb426]

The desert cooler is made bu US radiator. I mentioned Chevy Duty because it was about $100 less than any other outlet I found.