Is your 40 on jackstands while you are doing these calculations? If so that would be the extreme angle, what is the angle with it sitting static?
V8 gurus - Lend me your collective engine location knowledge!
- Thread starter RWBeringer4x4
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- #42
No, the 40 was on flat ground doing the initial calculations - I put it on jackstands to calculate the "full droop" (ie: worst case scenario) to ensure the driveshaft wouldn't bind.
On a level surface, the operating angle is closer to 9 degrees down, or 13.6 when you factor in the compounding affect of the 4-degree offset and tilted up transfercase.
Run it, your good.
On to the next project bud...
On to the next project bud...
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- #44
@POTATO LAUNCHER - About an hour ahead of you... and based on your signature, you might be able to help yet again!
Next project is figuring out how to get the radiator mounted low enough to center the fan, to allow the lower hose to clear the fan, without conflicting with, ONE AGAIN the bloody saginaw steering shaft.
The radiator needs to move down 2.5-3" from its stock location (shown below). But even if I cut the corner out of the radiator cradle, my radiator will be sitting on the steering shaft if I move down 2.5 inches.
I'm guessing a form of compromise is necessary here too - maybe cut the corner out of the cradle, drop the radiator ~1.5" down, and let the bottom inch or two of the fan hang below it...the build the shroud to compensate...
Since I have the V8 collective here - I'm all ears if you encountered this problem!
Next project is figuring out how to get the radiator mounted low enough to center the fan, to allow the lower hose to clear the fan, without conflicting with, ONE AGAIN the bloody saginaw steering shaft.
The radiator needs to move down 2.5-3" from its stock location (shown below). But even if I cut the corner out of the radiator cradle, my radiator will be sitting on the steering shaft if I move down 2.5 inches.
I'm guessing a form of compromise is necessary here too - maybe cut the corner out of the cradle, drop the radiator ~1.5" down, and let the bottom inch or two of the fan hang below it...the build the shroud to compensate...
Since I have the V8 collective here - I'm all ears if you encountered this problem!
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I used the center point on my radiator early on in my swap to remidy what you are encountering now. Fan sits centered 3/4" from the radiator. Adjusted the tranny T/C to accomidate centerline with your previous issue.
It's just nuts, bolts and melted metal. Your not reinventing the wheel here.
My mindset was and is, if V8 40s tend to run hot, why not give it every chance you can to let it breathe? Give firewall clearance for future distributer swaps.
I keep a "in the future what if" attitude. How will I remidy this on my own in the middle of nowhere?
This has served me well for many years.
It's just nuts, bolts and melted metal. Your not reinventing the wheel here.
My mindset was and is, if V8 40s tend to run hot, why not give it every chance you can to let it breathe? Give firewall clearance for future distributer swaps.
I keep a "in the future what if" attitude. How will I remidy this on my own in the middle of nowhere?
This has served me well for many years.
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- #46
Not reinventing the wheel for sure - most conversions (and the manual) say you'll need to lower the radiator. Are you saying you centered the engine on the stock radiator location?
In hindsight, I probably should have mounted to engine about 1/2" higher and 1/2" further forward, but my primary focus was driveline angles - and I think this setup will work out.
Looking at how the previous owner had the radiator mounted, it was a long way to the passenger side. I'm actually trying to shift it back toward center a bit.
You would normally move the radiator rearward and downward (cutting off the original radiator mounting brackets from the frame), rearward because the fan blade is soooo far away (unless you mounted the engine way forward), and downward to somewhat center the fan blade on the radiator. In photo immediately above this post you would cut out that drivers side bottom corner of the radiator housing, move it flat up against the bottom of the radiator, but stay outboard of that mounting stud in the photo. I did this, and boxed-in lower corner of the radiator housing still did not hit my Saginaw steering drive shaft.
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- #48
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking of doing, just said much more eloquently. There is a lot of wasted space between the housing and the bottom of the radiator.
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- #50
I have every intention of doing both
I'll probably box the lower portion of the radiator cradle for added clearance over the steering shaft, then get it as low as I can (as centered as I can) then build a shroud to fit.
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- #52
Electric fans
Nope - keeping it old school with the big, loud, belt driven fan.
I know it has been a while since we talked last on the engine placement and driver side offset. You may have already set that but I came across the Advance Adapters PDF that calls out the driver side placement.
Here it is just for reference.
http://www.advanceadapters.com/downloads/713005.pdf
Here it is just for reference.
http://www.advanceadapters.com/downloads/713005.pdf
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- #54
Unfortunately the engine is right where I left it when I started this conversation - it has been a busy couple of weeks!
The driver's side offset is definitely to keep the compound drive angles to a minimum. If I could get it another inch over the flanges would align perfectly from side to side.
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- #55
For those of you who dropped the radiator down - any good shots of how you mounted it?
A strap of steel across the bottom of the frame seems to be the common method but I think it would make for some interesting clearance around the lower part of the Saginaw steering shaft. Probably a non issue - just curious if anyone has done anything creative/elegant.
I was thinking about cutting off the majority of the stock mounts, then modifying the "stubs" to extend further toward the engine and drop lower...but I suspect even with a cross-brace or triangular reinforcement I might get significant flex.
A strap of steel across the bottom of the frame seems to be the common method but I think it would make for some interesting clearance around the lower part of the Saginaw steering shaft. Probably a non issue - just curious if anyone has done anything creative/elegant.
I was thinking about cutting off the majority of the stock mounts, then modifying the "stubs" to extend further toward the engine and drop lower...but I suspect even with a cross-brace or triangular reinforcement I might get significant flex.
Bingo, a strap of steel across the bottom of the frame is the most popular remedy, always has been, and it is below the Saginaw steering, so not an issue.
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- #57
@Downey - I haven't checked yet, but I suspect that will wind up being too low in my case. Even if I cut out the lower radiator mount and box it to fit tighter to the rad on that side, I think I may run out of clearance before I could mount it to the strap. I suppose I could put a couple of risers on the strap to bump the radiator back up a touch; just might need to get creative to gain access to the radiator mount studs (or drill them out and go with longer carriage bolts).
Bingo again, you can always space up from the cross bar
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- #60
Haha - there have been at least 2 threads where I debated this. Long story short - the 283 seems to be a recent rebuild, doesn't smoke, good compression. Essentially, it's a free engine. Given the uniformity of Chevy Small blocks, it's won't be difficult to re-swap in the future should something go wrong.