348 into a 55 Nomad

[348NUT]

Lots of work!

It's gonna be fun to tear that thing apart. Just make sure you keep your momentem up to put it back together I tried 3/4" forward in the frame first and the heads just touched on both sides. I modified the mounts to move the engine 1" forward and 1/4" to the pass. side. If you use rack and pinion steering you won't need to do that. I don't think a 605 box will fit at all with stock manifolds, maybe custom headers. I used McGauphy's http://www.mcgaughysclassic.com
Speedway has some but I have never seen them on a car. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/xq/aspx/paging.yes/dept_id.674/display_id.1177/qx/Product.htm
Terry put Chassis engineering ones in the stock location? I still don't know how that worked http://www.chassisengineeringinc.com/ Check out the link to the thread Jim posted if you haven't already. I'd do all your test fitting BEFORE you take the body off, then you can get the mounts in place and do all the painting/etc when the body is off. Good luck NUT

 

[39coupe]

Thanks Nut,

I hear you about keeping the momentum up. I did a frame off of a 68 442 convertible a few years ago and can get a bit overwhelming when all you see is a sea of loose parts.
Biggest thing is too get a bunch of work done before the novelty wears off.
The modifications you did to the mounts...... did you have to trim them to allow you to relocate them? What kind of rear crossmember did you use?
I'm planning on running the original powerglide after a rebuild. Any problems you can think of this is going to cause me?

Thanks,

Al T.

 

[348NUT]

I used a tubular 5 & 6 speed cross member I got cheap on EBay. It worked great! Your powerglide would work fine with the original Bell Housing side mounts and some type of spacers to move the engine forward. The old style front engine mounts would work with these also but would have to either be modified or new holes drilled forward in the frame. May I ask why you want the cast iron powerglide? I love the 700r4, lower first gear and better gas mileage too
As you can see in the photos, I cut and shifted the 3/4" side mounts another 1/2" then put a 1/4" spacer behind the drivers side to shift it over. That's why I say APROXIMATELY 1" forward and 1/4" to the pass. side. for a final position. Hope this helps. NUT

 

[jerry]

I've recently bought a 55 Nomad with a 6 cylinder, powerglide. I've got a 348 on the stand that I want to transplant into it? I was wondering what I can expect to have to do to get it in? Will I be able to use the front mount on the 348 and just drop it in? Will I have to relocate the transmission crossmember? Are there any clearance issues I should be concerned with...... firewall, steering box, etc? Will the stock exhaust manifolds fit? I really don't want to run headers. Will a stock V8 radiator be adequate to cool it?

Thanks in Advance for any information offered.

Al T.

PS: By the way, you guys (and ladies) have a great site here with a wealth of information. Glad it's here.

Your 348 will fit right in, heater box may be in the way. But by useing a small piece of 2x4 and a small hammer in the lower right hand corner as you face the box, aprox. 2 inches up from the bottom. Lightly pound the lower part of the box in 1/2 to 5/8" in, this is to give the valve cover room to fit and helping when you need to remove the valve cover. Also you will have to move the radiater to the front of the core support for clearence

 

[39coupe]

I May I ask why you want the cast iron powerglide? I love the 700r4, lower first gear and better gas mileage too

Nut,

Biggest reason is I've got this "period correct" thing I seem to be stuck on. I've got a 39 Ford Deluxe Coupe that I'm doing something similar to. 1957 Thuderbird 312, Offenhauser adapter, hurst motor mount, original 3 speed w/ open drive line conversion, 1957 ford 9". All parts that would have been around to use, late 50's.

The Nomad is going a similar route. I want to build it like it would have been built late 50's early 60's, hence the "W" block and the original powerglide.

Must just be a disease.....

Thanks again

Al T.

 

[gearhead409]

39coupe

although i don't know if i agree with the iron glide ( an old B&M hydro would be real cool) the period correct 50s and 60s parts and cars are the thing to do in the streetrod world today. i'am kind of doing this with a 51 chevy pu i'am building for my wife. that's why it has a 409 in it. i hope i get it finished before this 50s-60s trend wears off. heck i even saw a restored 23tee bucket the other day. who would have guessed!

 

[39coupe]

Gearhead409,

Sounds like a cool truck.

Not really doing this because it's the "in" thing.... actually been building the coupe since '97 and the plan hasn't changed much, just what I want and like. Maybe I was ahead of the times............ and soon I'll likely be behind, but it really doesn't matter, I still like it. I just think it's the way the cars should be built from my perspective...... maybe I was born 15 years too late :

Anyway, you suggestion about the B&M Hydro.. can you tell me anymore about it?

Thanks, and good luck with the truck, I'm not sure I'd trust my wife with a 409....... her foots a bit stiff.

Al T.

 

[gearhead409]

39coupe

i started working on this truck about the same time you started yours. it always ends up on the back burner as my customers take first priority. my wife can pretty much row a 4 speed and big engine as well as i can. when we first started dating she had a new corvette and knew how to burn rubber. she has driven my blown Tee Bucket a number of times and has trashed four demo derby station wagons. i don't think this truck will scare her one bit. it was her idea to put the 409 in it. i just hope i get it done soon or i may be sleeping in the garage! the B&M hydro was a very heavy cast iron 4 speed automatic trans with a very deep 1st gear. it was the hot ticket in the late 50s and early 60s at the drags in big horse power cars and some 55. 56 and 57 junior stock chevy sedan delivery's. it came stock in the early pontiacs, oldsmobiles, cadilacs and some gmc and chevy trucks. of course the company B&M did alot of work to them to make them perform well to. not sure you could find a good one today but they sure were neat in the old days.

 

[JimKwiatkowski]

B&M Hydro

Here's a link to B&M Hydro

http://www.bmracing.com/index.php?id=about&sid=3

 

[SS425HP]

Hydromatics.

That B & M Hydro was the big ticket in the AA/GS cars in the late 50s and early 60s. 4 speed hydromatic tranny. Deep 1st gear. 1-1 in 4th. They were huge, too. Think I saw one yesterday from an early Pontiac. Will check on that.

Fred

BTW, Gearhead, Do you remember the Olds and Cadillacs with the Dynaflows?????
Pontiac and Chevy with Powerglide???????? For one year. Trivia question!!!!!!

 

[gearhead409]

Fred

you got me on the dyno in an olds or caddy. i don't rememder a powerglide in a full size U.S. made tin indian. i do remember buick using the powerglide in some of their lesabres about 1965 or 66. powerglide in a tempest? - yes.

 

[SS425HP]

Dynaflow

In 1953, the Hydromatic plant burned to the ground. No more for a year, so they went to Dynaflow in Cadillac and Oldsmobile, and Powerglide in the Chevy, and Pontiac. A lot of people were not happy, but there was no other choice. Might not have been a full year, but was for quite a while.

Got to be old to know this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fred

 

[gearhead409]

Fred

i was 8yrs. old back then. i looked in all my old change over and repair books last night and didn't find anything about this change. so today i asked my expert (dad) about this. he is 85yrs. old. he was a factory trained GM hydromatic and dynaflow machanic at a pontiac/ buick dealership in those days. without me saying anything other than asking him, did GM ever put a dynaflow in any other make cars? he answered like it had happened yesterday, yes in 53 the hydromatic plant burnt down and some olds and caddys got dynaflows. he didn't remember pontiac getting the powerglide but he did remember taking a dynaflow out of a caddy and rebuilding it. he said there wasn't much of anything written about it because GM didn't want anyone to know about it. FRED, YOU HAVE BEEN DOING YOUR HOMEWORK! GOOD JOB. ps, i bet the pontiacs with powerglides got sent over to the chevy dealerships.

 

[walkerheaders]

i have never seen an aluminum powerglide behind a BOP. with the iron glide, (1962 and older) it would have been easy with a new bellhousing adapter.
however, for the BOP (buick, olds , pontiac) there was a turbo 300 which was a 2 speed. and in a few very rare instances, i have seen a unibell t-300. unibell fits BOP and chevy. I spent 14 years in the transmission shop as an R&R man. I have put hands on every screwy automatic trans there ever was. the Hydro, iron glide, turbo glide, twin path, twin turbine, pontiac "slim jim" ,all of the goofy fordomatics, pushbutton aluminum and iron torque flites and a host of other brand X tranmissions. my memory is old, this was a long time ago.......but, I'm gonna stand firm and say there is no such thing as an aluminum powergllide case made to fit BOP.

 

[gearhead409]

Bob

you have way more experience with automatic transmissions than i do and i sure don't want to step on your toes. heck i won't even touch a computer controlled trans today, got too much other work to do anyway. there are some BOP bellhsg. powerglide trans out there. the 1970 GM factory pontiac service manual i have shows you how to repair one. the book ( powerglide transmission handbook by carl h. munroe) mentions pontiac using it from 1970 to 1973. i think GM called it a M-35. it may have been used in some buicks and olds too but i never found any info to that effect. P.S. 39coupe. we didn't mean to steal your thread. sorry.

 

[gearhead409]

Bob

i'am like you. in the past ten or so years i have sold a dozen or more glides to racers ( rebuildable cores) i only kept two for my 62 projects. everything else i have is a 4 speed. LOVE ROWING THOSE GEARS. hot rods have clutch pedals!

 

[39coupe]

NO problem........... I asked the question

P.S. 39coupe. we didn't mean to steal your thread. sorry.[/QUOTE]

Al T.

 

[vanst]

Looks like most guys are giving you the bussiness and not answering your question. There are a number of things to look for for this transplant. I have a 55 convertible with a 409/425 that looks as if it's a factory install. Drop me a privite e-mail and we can chat or talk on the phone as typing sucks. There are a few pictures under vanst on this site if you wish to look at them. Terry