350/290 crate going into my 58 - any advice?

[62lwbc10]

Hello all it's been awhile since I last posted. I hope you're all well. Apache is ready to come out of winter hibernation and this weekend I will fulfill a long time dream of putting in a new mill. She currently has a very tired oil burning smelly old 305 from a late 70's camaro. I'm hoping to feel a difference with the GM Performance 350/290 crate motor. I haven't done a motor swap since 1987 and I'm sure some of you have performed a similar swap so I am asking for any collective advice you may have. I'm planning to use the universal tubular cradle type front motor mount, please confirm this will work. Currently there are farmer welded garbage motor mounts that someone with some creativity but no skill installed so they have to go. I have questions about the fan. Currently running a flex fan with the old 305 and I hate it. Want to have just a regular old fan with a fan clutch. What size fan should I use? Guy at Jegs said it depends on hose configuration, how much clearance etc. As far as accessories I have none but the alternator. I'm have a more modern radiator that I'm running with the truck as I have a freshly rebuilt TH350 and need the coolant lines. So I just want to install a fan and get a shroud for it at some later point. Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated. Will run plain old ram horns for exhaust, are there special plug wires I need in this case? Finally do any of you see any issue with running this 350/290 with the TH350? Possible torque converter concerns?


Thanks in advance for your feedback

Mark

[NEWFISHER]

All looks good except this; "So I just want to install a fan and get a shroud for it at some later point".

If you are installing a new engine mounting system, make sure you have the fan and the shroud so you can verify they will work where you place the engine. Doing this backwards may result in a fan not fitting a shroud later down the road. Pick up a pre 85 GM fan and clutch from the wrecking yard. There were millions spent by GM to make them work, they just are not as pretty as the aftermarket ones.

[G&R's57GMC]

You'll need plug wires for early 60's 283 or 327 and the holders for them.

They route down the back of the heads and under the rear rams horn to the rear cylinders then behind the center dump along the pan rail and up to the front cylinders. the plug end is a 90* type.

The brackets were at the rear the block and along the pan rail behind the center dump.

Or you could get brackets that bolt to the valve cover hold down screws and bring the wires over the rams horn and straight to the plugs. use a straight plug end.


As for the 350 trans , your truck should weigh in around 3500# about the same as a Chevelle. So with a shift kit it should be very happy. Traction or the lack there of at the rear wheels would limit the strain on the trans. I'd go with a 2.50 gear if your not planning on towing anything heavy.