I have a 53' Chevy 3600 that I am working on restoring. The 216 in it is shot since it sat with 35+ years without spark plugs. I know a 235 would pretty easy to drop in, but 250s are easier to find and they don't mind running at a bit higher RPM. Given I am keeping the 4.57 rear end and stock 4 speed, that's not exactly a bad thing. Has anyone swapped a 250 into an AD? I was looking at THIS kit, but given I have a 3/4 I am not sure if it would work properly. I am having the hardest time picturing how those mounts would work so, if anyone has a pic of them in use please post. Thanks
My 3/4 had a 250 when I got it. It had home made mount, looked like it was torched out of whatever donor vehicle then welded in to mine. The kit you found should be what you need.
Babbit Pounder To Thinwall This is a very straightforward swap as it's the same as V-8 . I know a guy who did this to his '48 when he was 18 . now it sits as it smokes terribly and has audible piston slap as he was too lazy to change the oil for several years . You'd maybe be better off finding an old 292 long stroker , they're plentiful and cheap and as a plus they're real truck engines , plenty of grunt (torque) to get it moving off the line and still bolts right up to your Turbo Hydro 400 tranny.... Or the stock SM420 with some minor clutch disc fiddling . Just be aware that thinwall InLine 6 Bangers are *very* intolerant of dirty oil , the cylinder will taper out in 20,000 miles MAX leaving you with a good running mosquito abatement truck.....
I can't seem to find any 292's in CT, I rarely find any 235's, the only plentiful engine here are the 250's. ol' chebby , did your truck still have the stock transmission / driveshaft? I think I read somewhere a later V8 bellhousing was needed, but it didn't seem like any of the bellhousings had the two mounting pads that would work with the stock crossmember.
292 CI Engines I'm sorry I don't know the location of the CT junkyards I found ,they ALL had plenty of them in old School busses , milk trucks ,P-Vans (mostly ex Munincipal rigs) and so on , rusty trucks with under 100,00 miles and NO ONE in sight wanting to buy the running gear... I was hunting for Metropolitan Nash parts and found plenty of those too . What you need is OUT THERE , you just have to beat the bushes , CT is a *very* small state , look in the woods , that's where the junkyards I found were
wow, I must not be looking hard enough. I was talking to an old guy (85+) that has a very old junkyard with hundreds of cars and trucks. he has plenty of good engines, but being 85 he can't be bothered to sell anything or look to see what he has. I'll have to keep looking, I'm this is my first project so I have no contacts in this hobby.
n my glovebox is a note that says the truck was restored Jan/85 and the engine was a "69 camaro 250. It was mounted to the origional slushbox with closed driveline to the carrier bearing, then open to rear end.
Finding The GOOD Stuff Well ; There's you problem right there ~ I neverr trust the junkman to know what he's got , it's all just junk to him no matter what he saus . Ditto in removing it , I do that so nothing gets ruined nor lost . You need some good walking boots (mud abounds near the good stuff) , heavy pants and long sleeve shirts , Wodsman's Fly Dope (do they still make that ?) and _ALWAYS_ a notepad and pen or pencil as you'll find more crap than you can remember . Keep a good attitude and have fun hunting ! .
