Ok odd ball steering/engine question

[Rocfrog]

Ok so I/we have a 52 GMC 1/2ton long bed and it's completely stock (for now) and doesn't have an engine and I have several 350SB sitting around and would like to drop one in with out changing out the whole front clip, but with the steering box dead center of the the engine bay I just don't see how it's possible.

Has any one done this? If so can any one give me some tips/advice? And if there are any pics of this that would be AWESOME because I'm super visual person...

Nick

[OrrieG]

Short answer is you will have to move the steering column and box out board a ways or go with an aftermarket column and box. A search will turn up some discussions on it and you can see some of the solutions in the build thread sub forum, there are a number of ways to do it.

[Rocfrog]

hummm, ok that's what I was afraid of. I've had several people say it's possiable but I didn't think so with out modifications....

Nick

[raycow]

On the other hand, a nice 230/250/292 will slip right in without any cutting and look like it grew there. Ok, I lied. You will have to fab some mounts for it, but that's a piece of cake compared with what you would have to do to the steering with a V-8.

Ray

[Rocfrog]

Well I was trying to find a stock motor but that's not turning out to be easy....and I have several 350's laying around....

I'll do some more digging and see what I can come up with. I really want this truck mobile this summer...

Nick

[raycow]

Well if you just want to get the truck running for the least amount of work, use a 235. These are still fairly easy to find and are almost a bolt-in. The main difference you will notice is that the Chevy is shorter than the GMC, so you will have to modify the front mount.

Ray

[raycow]

Here's another possibility. See if this guy wants to part with his engine.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=404091

He is doing some serious rodification on his truck, so it seems unlikely he will want to re-install the GMC. Then your only problem would be to figure out how to get it from OR to CO.

Ray

[Rocfrog]

Originally Posted by raycow

Well if you just want to get the truck running for the least amount of work, use a 235. These are still fairly easy to find and are almost a bolt-in. The main difference you will notice is that the Chevy is shorter than the GMC, so you will have to modify the front mount.

Ray

humm not sure what you mean by "the chevy is shorter than the GMC so you will have to modify the front mount" but if I'm going to be doing any modding I might as well just drop the 350 in and do it right the first time around....

But maybe I'll look further into this...

Originally Posted by raycow

Here's another possibility. See if this guy wants to part with his engine.
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=404091

He is doing some serious rodification on his truck, so it seems unlikely he will want to re-install the GMC. Then your only problem would be to figure out how to get it from OR to CO.

Ray

Nice option but not sure if the shipping would be worth it....

Nick

[Steve@OldSub.com]

Join the forum at OldGMCTrucks.com. All the most active members have spare motors and a bunch of them live in Colorado, Kansas or Texas. Places not so far from you....

And since most of them want to see your GMC preserved they are likely to try to help if you ask nicely.

[raycow]

Originally Posted by Rocfrog

humm not sure what you mean by "the chevy is shorter than the GMC so you will have to modify the front mount" but if I'm going to be doing any modding I might as well just drop the 350 in and do it right the first time around....

The Chevy engine is about 2" shorter from front to rear than the GMC. Look at your front crossmember where the GMC front mount bolts to it. The Chevy mount is identical, but would be 2" to the rear from there. That is the only mod needed to swap in a 235. Keep your stock bellhousing, or use a Chevy bell if yours is missing - they are the same.

Ray

[mr48chev]

The small block can be done easily enough. These guys have a hissy every time you have to modify anything to do anything.

If you run a cast iron V8 pickup bellhousing that has the pads to use the rear motor mounts that bolt to the center crossmember that will place the engine where you want it. That works for either the V8 or later (194,230,250 or 292 engines).

Then you either have to build or buy front mounts. The Universal tube mount that goes under the pan and uses the 58/64 style mounts works fairly well most of the time.

Now comes the pain in the backside. you will have to move the steering box out about 1-1/2 inches to clear the engine. The old and still done way was to use a piece of 1-1/2 x 1/1/2 angle iron that is about 3/18 to 1/4 inch thick and fasten it to the frame so that you can fasten the two top bolts of the steering box to it through new holes that you have drilled in it.
The rubs are that you usually have to enlarge the steering shaft hole in the firewall a bit and the steering wheel sits at a slight angle unless you do some creative shaft modifications with a U joint or two in the middle.

Someone has mounted a 68 and up 4x4 I think steering box on the left frame horn to steer it from the front side like a 4x4 would steer. I think that would probably work the best in the long run. A guy might be able to use a later column, a U joint an shaft and have a pretty clean and simple setup.

The other setup would be a cross steer with the drag link going to the right side and probably tying into something like a Jeep tie rod end that had been installed in the tie rod. Jeepers use that setup to cross steer their CJ's and flat hood jeeps but you would have to use a steering box that steered from the back side of the axle and mount it to the frame in front of the left front motor mount. It wouldn't be all that hard to make a bracket to mount a steering box set up the column and shaft but you might have to do a bit of thinking to get the drag link to hook to the tie rod or steering arm.

Exhaust isn't a big deal once you decide Ram horns or headers.

[Rocfrog]

WOW! Ok so it is feasable! I really lost as to how these motors are mounted up, I don't have one and I don't see any frame mounts so I'm a bit lost. And I do have a transmission but no bell housing....

Nick