How difficult is the swap of a 455 4 spd into a 65 skylark with 2 speed auto? Primarily interested in motor mount positioning and firewall clearance.
John, I put a 455 in a 64 Skylark many years ago. Use the 67 GS400 frame pads and mounts. TA sells the pads, but mounts will have to be hunted up. The pads bolt to the same holes that the 300 cid uses. You need the rear sump oil pan for the 455. Only 70 Riviera had a center sump. All 71+ 455's should be rear sump. Firewall clearance should be no problem. Not too familiar with the 4 speed setup, but someone here should be able to help. Let me know if you have any other questions. Mark DeConti
So the mounts are different? On TA's BPG special page they just say B/Block Motor Mounts. I did find these on a quick search of NAPAonline.com: Item#: BK 6021149 Price: $ 28.99 tax and shipping not included Usually ships in 24 hours. Attributes: Attributes: Motor Mount - Front Type of Packaging: Boxed Comments: . Left & Right This is the same part number I get when I enter a 68 GS400. What about the headers in the 64/65 body? Do they take a lot of massaging to work?
I have been trying to figure out the mount situation for a while. Unless TA modified their pads from the OEM 67 ones the mount are different. The only 67 pads I haver around are OEM ones. The later mounts do not fit on them. The holes in the 67 mounts are in the center and the later ones have holes on the top. The rubber appears to be taller on the later ones which would cause the motor to sit higher if you can make them work. Again, since I have not seen the TA pads up close, they would have to say which mounts should fit.
The 68 GS 400 and Sportwagon 400 are another situation. There are early and late design mount configurations. The early setup is a 67 GS 400 mount/pad on the passenger side with the 69 mount/pad on the drivers (my 68 wagon has this setup). After a certain date, both 69 mount/pad setups were used on both. Likely the NAPA mount is the later design ones. Replacement mounts are for both sides. but the pics I posted show there were L/R at one point. The question becomes one of if the later mounts can be modified to be used on the 67 pads. By grinding off the upper holes and removing a small tab on the pad side of the mount they might work. However you would be ruining a good set of mounts if they don't by grinding off the holes that make them fit the later pads. Guess I need to find a bad set of mounts to try this on. Just may take on this, Mark
John, I had a 4-speed in my first 64 I built. Everything for a 67 is a direct bolt-on for the 64. The crossmember might be different, but the 64 one works fine. I used 69 linkage and mounted the shaft where it needed to be. Typical swap stuff, it might require some tweeking here and there, but the engine is a good fit. Only clearance issues are with headers and they aren't impossible or tremendously difficult. The TA frame-brackets are supposed to use the newer mounts I think. let me know with any questions. I've done this swap 3-times now, but always forget to include some detail.
TA sells the frame mounts and the motor mounts as a kit. They will raise the engine about 1" from the standard mounts. Later model motor mounts do not work. The 67 is different from the later models. I do not know if it will make a difference in a 65.
I made my own mounts the first time, and PAE mounts the second time. They fit with stock-replacement mounts, but it was difficult getting the second bolt in. I'd go with the TA's this time because they are supposed to set the engine back a little for better header fit too.
Adam: I notice you have "ADAM" cowl induction. My 71 S1 had that flowing into the back of the air cleaner along with the factory snorkels out the front. When I had the car painted, I had the firewall repaired.
Mine was factory prepped for a/c so the hole was already there. I just had to take the tin cover off and made the duct to fit it. It could have been bigger, but I think it does alright though I've never tested it against a regular one. I've been averaging about once per year to the strip so not much testing. Do you think yours could have been adapted to the '71 from the factory unit that was available for the '68?
And maybe tell us about the seperate fuel cell, solenoid, and the fuel safety switch,lol. How big a hit is it if I may ask and how do you like it ? Or are my eyes deceiving me ? Thanks...........
In the 64-67 you have to get the lowest drop aircleaner you can find. The lowest I have found is the factory 14" Chev aircleaner. I welded the factory drop base to a mid-70's sealed aircleaner unit. I then built the big inlet duct starting where the original snorkel went and going back accordingly. The Duct was made by cutting styrofoam to fit the aircleaner duct and curve around to the firewall. A friend at a boat shop then fiberglassed around the styrofoam. then the styrofoam came out and that was it.
It's a 75-175 plate kit. I haven't timed it at the track, but it's definitely adds to the fun. I tested the 175 HP jets once and got some popping which I'm not sure I fixed yet. I almost beat a gutted BB N2O Camaro at the Spokane Raceway "street races" but backed off of it after the popping started (scared Hell out of me) Maybe too much timing, maybe distribution, maybe weak ignition, you know the drill.... Buicks4Speed and Kerry helped with some great advice. Since the problem, I put the cell in so I could run race gas with the nitrous (instead of the extra pump in the rear), recently upgraded the Stinger ignition to a Holley, and got a plate from Buicks4Speed that had the left-to-right spraybars to address the TA manifold's distribution issue (but it wouldn't fit with my hood clearance issues ). I like it, but don't get to play with it as much as I'd like. :TU:
Adam can you give me any info on the power brake booster and master cylinder. I am looking for one that would fit in my 65 Sklark
