I was going to advise you to set your engine, or block heads and headers in place, then tack or mark your frame for the mounts. I have done a few 455 G-body swaps (Buick, Olds, and Pontiac). The Buick ones I did, I used the B-body (Electra etc) frame stands, mine cleared the fire wall just fine. I even did a similar swap in a Nova body Skylark (1978). Bolted the 455 to the stock 3.8 bell housing...it is now a four speed car and all the factory clutch linkage lines up. It also has A-body ('68-72) big tube, long headers that fit. Anyway, if you need to slide the engine for or aft a little for headers to clear...make it happen. In the BBC Hooker swap headers for G-body the tubes are really close to the brake line on the crossmember on the passenger side...never had an issue with it in street or race use. Bump to keep V8 Regals going, looking lean in here....
Its kinda on hold until I get the trans back. It should be done in the next few days. having the trans brake installed and while he's in there gonna replace the sprag with a hardened one and a hevey duty drum+ extra clutch packs. I figure build for the future. Plan on adding more power in the future and didnt want the trans to be the weak link.
Finelly, Progress! The trans was finshed and picked up on yesterday. had work this morning and didnt get back to the shop until around 2pm. Grabbed a quick lunce then attacked the car. Bolted up the trans to the engine then dropped it into place and slid the headers in as it went down. Lined right up on its pads like it was made for it. As expected the L header fit with no problem. The R side hit the ear of the rear upper A frame bushing. Using clamps to pull the header to the head I slowly heated the pipe and tightened the clamps untill I had what I needed. It was still touching a bit so I trimed the rolled over part of the A frame off with a torch. Only removed about a 1/4 " of meterial. Dont think it will hurt anything. Next I fabbed up the trans mount. I bought one from a 80 Elcamino with a V8 in it for 20.00 at the yard. It fith the stock location on the R side but I had to bolt on a plate to the frame on the left to give me enough meat to secure it to. Re drilled the hole for the trans mount about an inch back from the existing hole and tightened it all up. Next I slid the drive shaft into place. its an inch to long but thats better than being short. Gotta get a adaptor U joint to attach it the the Ford rear end. Finished at 5:30pm. getting dark and cold outside. Now I'll have something to do while I wait on the shaft. Wire and plumb. Debating to go without the Alt. I have a electric water pump now. I'll just have to bring a charger and a generator to the track with me each time. Any of you have experence with that set up? heres afew pics I took before I came into the house.
Great to see your progress. I was going to tell you i have the same headers as john in my regal and i had no problem on the drivers side but i did have to "alter" the upper a arm on the passenger side to make the header fit. i always have to set the headers down in and drop the motor between them when i take it in and out. i also used the b-body frame stands and set the motor in and welded them in place. this was after i screwed around with trying to bolt in the ta performance aluminum ones for a really long time and never got it to work. it almost made me quit the project years ago. worst part is after all of that years ago im thinking of changing it back to sbc. i never had any problems with it then, and it seems like the car is cursed with the bbb in it. thats gonna be a dam fun car when your done with it. :TU:
Been a while since I was on this forum looking here. Pics look good. Good luck finishing it off. Let's see the finished item when you're ready. I'm moving slowly with my build, need to man up a bit and get out in the cold to work on it.
Ok, Heres where I'm at as of today. Got the drive shaft back on Thursday and fit like glove. Button for the trans brake installed and tied into the 2 step. I got an MSD adjustable rev limiter for stage 1 and a 5800 pill for stage 2. First trip up and down the road and the floats stuck open in the secondary fuel bowl and flooding out the engine. Limped back by switching the pump on and off. Fixed that and went back out. Trans Brake and 2 step work great! Good acceleration in 1st. Good solid 1-2 shift, pulls well. no 2-3 shift. Its like 3rds not there. I feel no shift, its like just stuck in second. Called the trans builder. He's stumped. Sposed to take it in to him next week to be checked out. Pulling it apart again is not on my list of things I want to do. This engine sits so far back I would have to pull it as a unit(engine/Trans) Hopefully its something simple. Test N tune is Friday night.
Got the trans issue figured out. It wasnt the trans but the shifter. This car came with a Hurst ratchet type shifter and for some reason even though it seems to be index'd correctly it would'nt hit 3rd gear using it on the rev pattern manual valve body. I installed the B&M pro Stick I was using in the Lark. Installed the Rev. plate and index'd it now she hits all 3 gears. Running the 5:00 gear I think I'll be pulling second as soon as I let off the button. Shfit light is set for 5500 and the second stage rev limiter has 5800 pill in it ( highest one I have) This car has a 3600 Stall. How far should the first stage be set under the stall?
