Nervous Man's Engine and Tranny swap: sbc350 and sm465 (1 Viewer)

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Joined
May 14, 2011
Threads
32
Messages
313
Location
NorCal
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Hi everyone,


I have read many of you build threads and drooled over the awesome work you all have done. Well, it is finally time for mine. The goal of this thread is to document me swapping in a chevy 350 crate motor and sm465 into my 1973 girl. My engine really isn't that bad, but I felt that the moons had aligned just right for it to be a good time. Several things are occurring right now: it is summer vacation for me so I have some spare time, my friend who is a great mechanic has his project car at the body shop for a month so he has time, I have some extra money, and we want to get serious about taking the cruiser on longer family camping trips.


Thanks: I would also like to offer several rounds of thanks for this thread too. First I would like to say thanks to all the fellow cruisers out there who took the time to write up their build threads. Besides being good reading, it was very informative and I would probably not have the courage to attempt this big job if it wasn't for seeing you all get through it. I also need to thank Georg (Orange45) who always helps me get the parts I need and volunteers copious amounts of information to steer me in the right direction. If you have never used his services before, he is a great mechanic and a really honest person you can trust. I have every confidence in him. He is also going to be by way out of this in case I screw it all up :)) Knowing that if this goes to hell I can just drop it off to him and he will fix it. I also need to thank my mechanic buddy Larry who is offering a lot of help on this project. Without his skills and positive attitude, I might also not have tried this project.





Problems with old motor:

-It has a miss in the #2 cylinder. I ran a compression check on all the cylinders and all of them are 145-150 except the #2 cylinder which is about 115psi. I did a wet compression check and the number didn't change one bit so I am pretty sure I have a bad valve and I am guessing it is the exhaust since I don't have anything coming back through the carb. I never got around to running a cylinder leakdown test though so not certain which valve is bad.

-The thermostat housing continues to leak even after resealing it twice. I think it is just probably not flat enough to seal any longer. I have a spare housing I bought, but I just never got around to putting it on.

-Slight seeping on the side plate. I bought a new gasket but haven't put it on yet.

That is pretty much it. It would probably run for another 20 years and be fine, but the miss bothers me. I don't like the idea that I am polluting too much and it just bugs me. Also, the vehicle has several spots on the mph range where it just isn't fun to drive. Climbing hills in the high 30mph range are miserable. I either have to rev the engine in second or lug it in 3rd. The PO only drove the cruiser about 4-5k miles and said that his PO have recently rebuilt the engine and clutch, but we all know how that goes. Though, in my case I haven't found anything really bad that any of my POs have done, just LOTS of stuff that wasn't working anymore.


All in all it would probably just be smarter to do a valve job and slap the new parts on but two things are keeping me from going that route: I don't want to keep dumping money into this engine since I don't know its history. I have the worst luck in this regard. And the second thing is that I would eventually like to put a v8 in this vehicle anyway. After all I bought this vehicle as a wrenching project. I only found out how fun it is to drive after I had driven it for a bit.




Parts Used:

Carburetor:

-Carb stud kit: Edelbrock 8008 carb stud and nut kit. http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/8008/10002/-1


Transmission: sm465

Flywheel: O'reillys Auto part# nfw1007 http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PTQ5/NFW1007.oap?ck=Search_nfw1007_-1_2807&keyword=nfw1007

Flywheel Bolts: http://www.jegs.com/i/ARP/070/100-2801/10002/-1 Part # ARP#070-100-2801

Adapter Plate: Shawn Russell adapter plate: https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/428058-sm465-plate-adaptors.html

Hydraulic Bell housing:

Regular Bell housing:

Clutch: LuK 04-064 New Clutch Set http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000CICYTK/?tag=ihco-20

-Throwout bearing, National cc-1705-c , http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...ck=Search_cc-1705-c_-1_2807&keyword=cc-1705-c I bought this because I didn't like the throwout bearing that came with the LUK clutch. It was plastic and it wasn't centered. I returned the first one, but the second one was the same. It would probably have been just fine but I didn't want to take the chance since I did not want to have to pull the transmission again. I went with this bearing which is a premium one to hopefully avoid any problems.

Clutch Fork:

Motor: http://www.jegs.com/i/Chevrolet-Performance/809/10067353K6/10002/-1?parentProductId=

Oil Filter Adapter: Melling MFA350 http://www.summitracing.com/parts/mel-mfa350/overview/model/c35 I have read that these had some bad reviews. Some people claimed that the valve would flip cockeyed on heavy acceleration which results in this adapter allowing the oil to bypass the filter. If I did this over, I would just buy a factory GM oil filter adapter.

Fuel Pump: Oreilly M16011 http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/PFP0/M16011.oap?ck=Search_m16011_-1_3006&keyword=m16011
This is a stock style fuel pump. If I did it over I would buy a different fuel pump if possible. It puts out about 9psi which is too high for the edelbrock carb. This caused a fuel leak for me until I installed a regulator. The pump is fine after I installed the regulator.

Hose Clamps: I used various clamps, but I don't want to write all the part numbers down. I used the basic worm type hose clamps. Probably about $30 total.

Fan:

Waterpump:

Motor Mounts: http://www.specialtysuspension.com/Land-Cruiser-FJ40-GM-V8-Motor-Mount-Conversion-Kit-_p_433.html These are the ones I bought, but I haven't heard from the company ever since I placed my order 2 weeks ago. Since we both live in CA, this seems odd. I will have to call them next week. More updates. I was finally able to get ahold of these guys. They said they shipped out the order and I would get it tomorrow. Update: We it is three days later now and still no parts. I am getting real tired of dealing with these guys. 80% of the time you call you get an answering machine. When I got through again they put me on hold for 6 minutes, then dropped my call. I will let everyone know how this turns out. Not looking good right now.

Clutch Slave Cylinder: Oreilly CS2205 http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/search.oap?keyword=cs2205 I bought this slave cylinder because I needed a new push rod. When I made my first slave mount, it was closer than what it ended up being so I needed the full length rod.

-Fuel Filter: Mr. Gasket 9748 http://www.jegs.com/i/Mr. Gasket/720/9748/10002/-1 I bought two of these because I wanted to make sure the fuel was very clean, especially since some of my gas had sat for awhile. I wanted the clear filters so I could see what was going through the lines.

-Battery Hold Down: Oreilly http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/SS01/01409.oap?ck=Search_battery hold down bolts_-1_3006&keyword=battery hold down bolts

-Valve Cover Breather: Spectre 4279 http://www.jegs.com/i/Spectre/865/4279/10002/-1

Transmission Mounts: Energy Suspension 3.1158r http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...ck=Search_C2251_1038978_-1&pt=C2251&ppt=C0338

Exhaust Manifold: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1955-UP-SB-...Parts_Accessories&hash=item35c8624405&vxp=mtr These are what I bought, but if I was to do it again I would probably buy them from Jegs just because they would probably stand by their product better in case anything is wrong. I will update how these work out when I know.

Slave Cylinder Adapter:

Ignition System:
-Moroso 0710-71994 high heat boot sleeves ($20). I used one of these to protect the coolant temperature sender from exhaust manifold heat. http://www.jegs.com/i/Moroso/710/71994/10002/-1?parentProductId=

-Ignition Wires: Jegs 40220 http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS Performance Products/555/40220/10002/-1

Gauges:
-Oil pressure gauge

-Fuel pressure gauge Jegs 41030 ($22.99) I used this as an underhood fuel pressure gauge. http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS Performance Products/555/41030/10002/-1

-Reverse Light Switch, Oreilly- s393, This is the reverse light switch for the sm465. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/BWD0/S393.oap?ck=Search_s393_-1_3006&keyword=s393

-PCV Valve Oreilly, PCV 184, http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail
/MGD0/PCV184.oap?ck=Search_pcv+184_-1_3006&keyword=pcv+184

-Distributor Clamp Mr. Gasket 1009 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BWAOWG/?tag=ihco-20

-Oil Plug, ($3.69) http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/EDE0/226400.oap?partType=N1165&parentPartType=C0248

-Oil Drain Plug magnetic, Mr. Gasket #15 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BWCES8/?tag=ihco-20

-Pipe reducer bushing Jegs 16091 http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS Performance Products/555/16091/10002/-1

-Push in oil plug RPC R9170 http://www.jegs.com/i/RPC/707/R9170/10002/-1

-1/2" plug for the transmission. I needed two. http://www.zipzab.com/LDR-311P-12-p/1591-9343.htm

-Gear Reduction Starter, Jegs #10080 http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS Performance Products/555/10080/10002/-1

Oil FIlter for SBC 350 Wix 51060

Radiator Hoses:

Gates 20416
Gates 20573


Fan Clutch http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/HDN0/2747.oap?ck=Search_2747_-1_3006&keyword=2747
 
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Well, the first day of the build has begun. I got the shop all cleaned up and ready. I pulled in the engine hoist and positioned all the carts for work. I also brought in my tools since those are what I am used to using. I must say it is very nerve-wracking to pull this whole engine and tranny. I sure hope I can get this thing driving again. The plan is to have this thing entirely apart, cleaned up, and the new engine placed within two weeks. Then I am guessing all the little things will take me a couple of weeks more. :popcorn:


Here is a picture of the bell housing I picked up. A lot of wirewheeling and bead blasting, some primer and paint and it looks brand new!
 
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This is an alternative bell housing. I think it is off of an 85 or so chevy truck. I was contemplating using this with all new chevy hydraulics. Chevy went with hydraulic setups in 85 which is around the last year of the gen I blocks like I am using so it might be a real slick way of doing the install. There is a very small window of one or two years where the bell housings used hydraulic clutches with Gen I blocks so I think most people don't know about it. I am very tempted to try it, but I think I am going to follow the path I have seen others do using the Toyota hydraulics and an Advanced adapters clutch slave cylinder bracket.
 
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I have also been working on getting the Sm465 ready to go as well. I picked up one in real good condition from Georg at this years swap meet. I went through and cleaned it up. Some of the internals even looked new. It seemed to be put together correctly too, but I suppose I will see. It could shift into all the gears. The only thing I need to do it clean up the insides with some high content detergent transmission fluid and then flush it out. I wire wheeled the trans to clean it then painted it up.

I need to tap the output drive somehow because it keeps some gear in the transfer case from walking off. I don't totally understand the reasoning, but it sounded pretty important from what others said. I am going to try turning a guide on my lathe so that I can drill the hole straight. The guide will slip perfectly onto the output shaft of the transmission. The other side of the guide will have a hole just big enough for the drill bit and guide the cut straight- or so the theory goes. I will post some pictures of the operation when I get to it.
 
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Here's some shots of the transmission getting primed and painted.
 
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Here is where I ended up at the end of the first day. I got all the body panels off and most of the wiring disconnected and labeled. It is sad seeing my baby taken apart so much. I really have grown fond of driving her and it sucks knowing I won't be able to for probably at least a month.

The last shot is what my helper looked like at the end of the day.
 
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I'm getting ready to do the same thing in a few months, I will be following closley
 
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It might sound weird, but I actually like having the armstrong steering. I think it is one of the things that makes the cruiser cool. If it ever gets to be a pain then I will swap to it, but as of now I like keeping it simple.

Looks like it still has the manual steering still in it? While its apart I'd definitely do power steering. Yu won't regret it.

Well at the end of day two I have made some more progress. I took all the interior out. It all went easy until I got to the tranny hump. When the PO had the truck rhinolined, they did it all in one piece so all the bolts were rhino-lined over and the hump was sealed to the body! Took about 3 hours with an x-acto knife to get through it. And 3 or 4 of the bolts broke too so now I have to extract them. Ughh. I hate dealing with broken bolts.

My buddy offered to stop by and help too so that made pulling the engine so much easier. That is one giant engine. The transmission and transfer case are tiny, but the straight 6 sure is a big motor. We managed to get it out with only one small casualty. The copper heater pipes in the firewall made the ultimate sacrifice to get the motor out.

Here are some pictures of the conclusion of day number 2.:bounce:
 
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Some more pictures of day two. I sure hope I can get this all back together again.
 
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Day 3 is the weekend so no work on the cruiser today. I did do some work on one of the fenders. I am trying to get this baby to be protected from rust so as I take parts off the cruiser, I try to clean and paint them. I am not going for perfection since then I wouldn't actually want to drive this thing, but I try to make them look pretty good for a spray paint paint job. Here's pictures of the fender. I always clean them and them primer with rust bullet. Then I rattle can the hell out of it.:idea:
 
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I know you want to keep your steering, but I foresee issues with the chevy manifolds and the massive steering box. Im pretty sure I just read a SBC swap where the gear was in the way. I could be wrong
 
I know you want to keep your steering, but I foresee issues with the chevy manifolds and the massive steering box. Im pretty sure I just read a SBC swap where the gear was in the way. I could be wrong

Yeah, keep an eye out on this, I have about 1/16th of an inch between my manifold and steering box. I made it work, and luckily the motor torques the other way, otherwise they'd collide. You can certainly make it work, just keep it in mind when you place the motor.
 
Yeah, keep an eye out on this, I have about 1/16th of an inch between my manifold and steering box. I made it work, and luckily the motor torques the other way, otherwise they'd collide. You can certainly make it work, just keep it in mind when you place the motor.

all the more reason for power steering :clap:
 
Keeping the stock steering is very doable with Rams Horn manifolds. I've got about a hands width. 1/8" won't be enough if you get the truck twisted up offroad.

There are some measurements here -----> https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/448066-sbc-swap-manual-steering-2.html

I had to modify the right side of my transmission well to clear the earily three speed transfer case linkages... the newer style would have been easier, but I wasn't aware of that in 1996. :D
 
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Look in the Orion sticky I saw a nice cross member design. I used the PTO covers and mounted my 465 to the skid plate with no mount on the transfer
 
Nervous Man?!? are you a new Superhero or something?
 
Thank you ;) I referenced this very thread many times when I was contemplating what to do. I am very glad you posted it as it was a big help. I really like the regular steering so I wanted to keep it if possible. I am more into camping trails than hard core rock crawling. I would assume power steering is awesome for those guys. I did see a super beefy power steering on some rock crawlers at the stockton swap meet I really liked, but that required SOA and new steering parts, and a lift......We know where that road ends up $$$$$$.

Keeping the stock steering is very doable with Rams Horn manifolds. I've got about a hands width. 1/8" won't be enough if you get the truck twisted up offroad.

There are some measurements here -----> https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/448066-sbc-swap-manual-steering-2.html

I had to modify the right side of my transmission well to clear the earily three speed transfer case linkages... the newer style would have been easier, but I wasn't aware of that in 1996. :D

Thanks, I looked through the whole thing and was about to call bs on you, but one of the last pages had the cool design you were mentioning. :beer:I did like that set up. Pretty clean and tucked up out of the way. Now I just need to figure out how to do it.

Look in the Orion sticky I saw a nice cross member design. I used the PTO covers and mounted my 465 to the skid plate with no mount on the transfer


I can't really tell what I am looking at. One of the problems of having limited intelligence is that I don't understand some things. lol You got any other pictures?


Man, that would be lame.... Blessed with a superpower and wouldn't you know it my superpower is to get real nervous and pee myself. As far as I know I have no superpower, but its not for lack of trying. I put nuclear waste syrup on my waffles everyday for breakfast. Someday maybe I will get a cool super power...I always liked nightcrawler.


Nervous Man?!? are you a new Superhero or something?
 

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