For those of us that are pondering the powerplant choices available for
our oletrucks, the small block Chevy V-8 has a lot to recommend it. It is one
of history's great designs, combining light weight, high power, compactness,
reliability, plentiful spare parts and a wealth of easy modifications with
ready availability on the used market. On a purely emotional level, it was
the motor GM fitted themselves as soon as it was available and the little
Chevy V-8 looks right at home in earlier trucks.
For installation in some older trucks however, not all is sweetness and
light. For one thing, while the Chevy is remarkably compact fore and aft, it
is too wide to fit without moving the steering box and the rear mounted
distributor clouts the firewall unless additional clearance is created.
As great as the small block Chevy is, it is not the only choice. Chrysler
made some small V-8s, although I don't know much about them. There is another
great small block, one with every attribute that the Chevy possesses and a
couple of advantages that just might just make it a good swap into our
oletrucks. That motor is the Ford.
As I recall from another project some years ago, the small block Ford is
significantly narrower than the Chevy, and the distributor is up front out of
the way of the firewall and in a position to be easily worked on. The T-5 5
speed gearbox is also mated to the Ford in Mustangs and perhaps other cars,
and the whole front from that same Mustang may well be a boon to the rodders
among us. For those that wish an auto, the Ford Automatic Overdrive is one of
the best around.
Has anybody installed a Ford in an early Chevy truck? Will the steering
box clear? How about the firewall? Are there any other problems that crop up?
Now, I know that talking about a Ford on a Chevy list is like going to a
Hatfield family reunion and singing the praises of the McCoys, but I think
the little Ford has a lot of potential to solve some of our problems and
thought it worth bringing the subject up. No offense intended to any of you
Chevy die hards!
Paul O'Neil, Hudson29@aol.com
1951 Chevrolet 3600 Pickup Project, See it at:
The Poor Man's Advanced Design Tech Tips Page
http://home.earthlink.net/~conntest47/
Fullerton, California USA
AEROMARK - Need Rubber Stamps or Signs? See:
http://hometown.aol.com/hudson29/myhomepage/index.html
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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