Install BBB in Skylark With Most Accessories Installed

I have an amazing opportunity to replace the SBB in my '72 Skylark with my long neglected TSP Stage 2 BBB at a local shop in the near future, using their equipment for a crazy low price. The trade off: My friend and I will have only two days to get the car in and out of the shop, regardless of how much we've accomplished. For all practical purposes, we must do all the work ourselves.

We'll first remove the hood, fan shroud, radiator, battery, overflow bottle, SBB motor mount hardware and maybe the steering shaft, along with carefully unfastening and pushing the brake booster/master cylinder combo over to the driver side of the engine bay.

The transmission will be supported in place under the car.

First thing will be to install the BBB engine mount adapters on the cross member.

So.... In order to speed up the process of getting the car in a drive-able condition, I plan on installing as many of the pulleys and front-end accessories on the BBB as I can prior to dropping it in the engine bay. The accessories and pulleys I'm considering installing are the alternator, (short) water pump, crankshaft pulley, power steering pump, engine-side engine mounts while the engine is still on the stand. We'll probably install the mini-starter and battery cables while the engine is dangling in mid-air immediately prior to installation.

I'm also considering installing at least the passenger-side (Stage 2) shorty header (if not the driver-side header) prior to dropping the engine in the bay.

The plan is to drop the engine straight down into the engine bay.

Does this sound reasonable so far? Or am I going to have front or rear clearance problems? Or any other foreseeable problems?

(BTW: I already have the appropriate new radiator hoses, battery cables, throttle cable, etc., and even a complete repro engine bay wire harness ready to go.)

As always, thank you all in advance for your help. I really appreciate it.

 

I live in a condo complex so I must do all of the work in my two-car garage with a 9' ceiling... Out of sight of my neighbors. Do-able, but quite a hassle.
I'm 78 years old and I've been pretty sick over the last two years with advanced (Stage 4) prostate cancer and "injured kidneys" (due to the prostate cancer), so I'm downright frail. It doesn't help that the cancer meds (hormone therapy) have a tendency to weaken my bones and tendons. Stents were installed in my kidneys so at least they're working pretty well. Unfortunately, the urologist said "No more heavy lifting... Ever!"... And the oncologist said "Pay someone else to do the work."

I have high hopes of being able to drive the finished car at least a few times before I'm completely bedridden, so I'm kind of in a hurry.

That's why I need a shop environment and a couple friends to help me with this stage of the project.


Thank you for the advice regarding the shorty headers and crank pulley, though. I appreciate it.

 

Wow... wish I didn't live on the other side of the United States from you. I'd be happy to help out.

 

Calling SoCal Buick (or any) brethren...

Time to step up and help.

 

If you want to get it up here to SLC, UT, I can find a crew to help you out. They’re likely Jeep guys (with probably a couple Buick guys mixed in) but good fabricators (not needed for this).

Hope you can get this done and hope things go as well as possible with your health!!!

 

Hey FLGS400, TrunkMonkey and mbryson.... Thank you all for the moral support, but I'm doing OK regarding shop facilities and a volunteer or two. I really do appreciate your kind thoughts.

So, back to my original scenario:

We'll first remove the hood, fan shroud, radiator, battery, overflow bottle, SBB motor mount hardware and maybe the steering shaft, along with carefully unfastening and pushing the brake booster/master cylinder combo over to the driver side of the engine bay.

The transmission will be supported in place under the car.

I plan on installing as many of the pulleys and front-end accessories on the BBB as I can prior to dropping it in the engine bay. The accessories and pulleys I'm considering installing are the alternator, (short) water pump, crankshaft pulley, power steering pump, engine-side engine mounts while the engine is still on the stand. We'll probably install the mini-starter and battery cables while the engine is dangling in mid-air immediately prior to installation.

I'm also considering installing at least the passenger-side (Stage 2) shorty header (if not the driver-side header) prior to dropping the engine in the bay.

The plan is to drop the engine (with no transmission attached) straight down into the engine bay.

So, does this sound reasonable? Or will it be necessary to wait until the engine is in place to install the crankshaft pulley (as recommended by buick64203), and/or any of the other front-end components?

I'm sure I'm not the only guy hoping to drop a BBB with accessories already installed into an A-body engine bay. So I'm confident that the knowledge is out there.

Again, thank you in advance for your responses.

 

Best of luck! Take a laptop or phone with you and ask questions here while you are doing it. Post photos as needed. Since you have a wiring harness you can install that ahead of time and just remove the old one at the firewall plug and plug in the new one.

 

I think I'd try to keep the physical size of the engine down as you lift the engine over the fenders/grille/rad support/etc. I'd most likely put the engine-side mounts on, and maybe the water pump? With a shortened time frame, I'd just make sure you can get everything in place as quickly and efficiently as possible. The other stuff can go on pretty quickly if you've mocked everything up before hand? Hopefully you have some battery operated ratchets and such? Those can speed things up pretty significantly.

If you have stuff installed and need to take it off it'll kill your time there as well. It's been a while since I swung a BBB into an engine bay with fenders/grille/rad support attached but my memory is that the crank pulley and such made contact with the rad support. I'd imagine you'll have the radiator out as well?

 

I'm sure that you have done this already, but I would also look into a back-up plan, as in another place to take the car if it takes you more than 2-days.

Honestly, I have not motor swapped a Buick, yet. A lot of Chevys, Fords, and an Olds (403 in a friend's 79 Cutlass), though.

 

Mocked up? Yes. Since then parts have been grit blasted, painted, powder coated, zinc-plated, etc as appropriate. The main exception is the headers since "clearance-ing" at least one of them may be necessary.

Good advice regarding battery-powered/electric (or pneumatic) ratchets. I tire amazingly quickly these days, so those tools will allow me to save my strength for the final tightening with torque wrenches. It'll also save me the embarrassment of having to take a nap while others are working.

I'm still hoping my "short" TA water pump can be pre-installed, though.

I think I'll remove my plastic Skylark/GS grill prior to the R&R operations. Way too easy to crack it leaning over the bumper and radiator support while installing the accessories.

All of you.... Thank you. I learned a lot already.

 

Hi Dan,
Like Jason mentioned above, the BBB frame pads are a bear. If you can do that in your home garage first, it will save your precious time.

 

The frame pad access holes underneath do not line up directly with the frame mount holes. You may just want to pull the lower control arms for quicker assembly. You will need to have the front end aligned again anyway with the heavier engine - you may even need different springs.

 

Dumb question: if you leave the shock on can you drop the lower control arm at the frame bolts and leave everything else attached? I'm thinking to just swing it out of the way so you can get to the frame pad nuts.

 

I read these help if you are going to try to go through the LCA holes with the LCA in place:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XWRKQ4...olid=245LHJDQ9HKVE&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

 

Dan, I did the same swap in June 2020. I had everything on the engine except the fan, carb - it was exhaust manifolds not headers - fyi.

No need to remove steering shaft etc

The frame pads for the 455 should be installed before you start your 48 hour install. I did mine with car on jack stands, did not remove any suspension. Took a couple hours with assortment of extensions and masking tape to keep universal joint from flopping around too much and to keep bolts from falling out of the socket. Look at the article on the Buick Performance Club site - tech section - 350/turbo350 to 455/turbo400 for frame pad placement, make sure you put the motor mounts in correct location for A body on your motor....good pic of this in the TA performance catalogue. As A body cars, full size cars had mounts in different position on the block.

Lots of pics of my project in the Street strip 400/430/455 forum “Blew up the 350....here comes the 455 econo build”

Good luck, can be installed in a few hours if your prepared.

 

NO

 

Thought so

 

Thank you, NZ GS 400 but, if I understand correctly.... I would be defeating the purpose getting 2-days shop space if I remove the hood, 350 engine, etc, etc and install the BBB frame pads in my garage first. I mean, after doing all that the R&R operation is at least 1/3 complete... So I might as well do everything else in my garage. Does what I'm saying make sense? Or am I missing something (very possible, by the way)?

 

Thank you for the positive info, Canadian GS 350. I think it's time for me to get my tape measure out and try to determine which front-end accessories (i.e., crank pulley, water pump, etc.) should not be installed until after the engine is bolted in place. Just to be sure....