lowering a 383 into A-body

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Gerry Holmes

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All my big block swaps have been B -body in which i've lowered motor with transmission into the engine comparment as one unit, basically with one person sitting on the cowl pushing the transmission down with their feet to get it in. Can the A-body 383 swap be done as a unit?, and finally is there manifold that will work on the drivers side that will allow an automatic shift column? Thanks Gerry
 
Can't answer your second question, but the engine/trans can be installed together, but start with the front end low and the rear end high (it'll be easier that way). Each car we have built got the drivetrain put in the first time from underneath with the k-member out of the car.
 
thanks for your reply Jim. okay, i'm normally hoisting the engine and trans up high enough to get across the front radiator cross piece, then pushing trans down into the tunnel (because of the overall length) to get the whole assembly past the cross piece, so i can begin lowering it. now you are saying start with the engine lower, are you talking about doing it without the k-frame, or do you cut the cross piece out and reweld later? thanks Gerry
 
I think he's trying to say that having the rear end of the car up on ramps/stands will make it easier because the engine/transmission will not need to be on a steep entry angle in order to get into the engine bay. Then, once it's in the bay, the rear end can be lowered and the engine/tranny will line up with the mounts.
This will also minimize fluid loss through the rear seal of the tranny, if that's an issue on your assembly.
 
X2 Above, you can do it your self if you have a floor jack. The engine will need to be on a very steep angle and as you lower it use the floor jack under the trans to lift it, it will go right in.
 
Honestly,
I'd just take the time to figure out a dolley system and use the engine hoist to raise the front of the car. It seems so much easier to put the motor in from underneath. That's what I plan on doing in the next month or so.
 
Gerry, no I raise the body and roll the engine underneath and then lower the body. The first time I did it was out of necessity as I didn't have a cherry picker, but had three floor jacks. But, like I said, when going in from the top you have better angles with the rear high and the front low, no matter what the car is.
 
thanks for your replies guys, actually i always wire a spare front drive shaft yoke into the trans when i get it out of the donor car to keep the fluid in and leave it there until its installed. I've done 7 B-body swaps lowering it in from the front ( 2 hours to completely bolt in and start), which seems a lot less work than pulling the K-frame, but i'll definitely use your (73swingerbuild) idea of lifting the rear of the car up, to cut down the angle of entry,thanks. Gerry
 
hi Jim, sorry i misinterpreted your message. when you said to keep the rear end high and the front end low, i thought you meant of the motor and trans i was installing, not the car i was putting it in. thanks again Jim for your input!
gerry
 
there is a manifold that will work with the automatic shift column they the log type manifolds or get the schumaker headers.
 
Would it better to bolt the transmission x-member in first and then line up the engine mounts or line up the engine on the k-frame first?
 
73SwingerBuild said:
Honestly,
I'd just take the time to figure out a dolley system and use the engine hoist to raise the front of the car. It seems so much easier to put the motor in from underneath. That's what I plan on doing in the next month or so.
Click to expand...

You be it is! I still remember my first motor installed in this manner,440 into a 68 Dart. Went in like butter.

That's the way the factory did it,and I totally get it. Sooooooooo much easier!!!! You can assemble your entire drive train,and headers,then just lower the car onto the motor /K frame. Quite a bit safer this way as well.
 
From the bottom up......A few pics from HemiDenny:

Notice the headers already bolted up nice and tight ...and the hood is still on.


472install-proto.jpg

472install-1.jpg

472install-3.jpg

472install-5.jpg

472-6.jpg
472-4-2-1.jpg

472-9.jpg
115504ff.jpg
 
If a Hemi will fit from the bottom,the sky's the limit!! A Hemi is huge...
 
Ya know what, I'm starting to think that way would of been a lot easier and I was only messing with a 383. So what are all the bits and pieces to consider when pulling the k-frame? e.g. steering linkage, torsion bars, upper control arms etc.
 
it's nice to see Austrailans doing the same things we're doing. if you look at my pictures a couple of threads above, you'll see i just used a KD crane and lifted the motor off the floor and lowered it onto the mounts, no fuss, no mess, and no stipping out k-frames, torsion bars etc. all that's required is the hood removal, that you mark around the bolts with a felt pen prior to removal, and then match up on installation. this is the 11th i've done this way, can't be any simpler! thanks Gerry
 
One thing I've never seemed to have great deal of trouble with is removing torsion bars. They always come out pretty nice for me. REason Im metioning it is the tbars need to come out for an engine transplant from the bottom up.

Now if you listen to all those chevie morons at powerblock t.v,first thing they do is torch the tbar to get it out. Im guessing this fit's thier fairy land t.v schedule better than doing things correctly.
 
Aussiemopars said:
So what are all the bits and pieces to consider when pulling the k-frame?
e.g. steering linkage, torsion bars, upper control arms etc.
Click to expand...
If you would take the time to read the link posted above (and here again) it is
all spelled out step-by-step with nice big pictures.

If you need to know exactly what screws, nut & bolts to remove it seems
to be pretty self evident......or you may have to get a shop manual.

http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=88358
 
I was thinking...Radiator out, torsion bars pulled back, seperate spindle at LCA, Center link and steering column. Where do you strap the chain? Across the frame rails by the rad support? But youll also need lots of room, for the picker and the motor on a dolly. Maybe more than the average 20 ft garage would afford.
 
pishta said:
I was thinking...Radiator out, torsion bars pulled back, seperate spindle at LCA, Center link and steering column. Where do you strap the chain? Across the frame rails by the rad support? But youll also need lots of room, for the picker and the motor on a dolly. Maybe more than the average 20 ft garage would afford.
Click to expand...

You strap the chain on the front bumper bolts. I did this in a really small garage at my house. The picker did have to start outside of my 20 ft garage but it worked just fine. Rear wheels on the ramps, engine and trans on a furniture dolly. really easy. Just take your time. I will never do it any other way. Its just to easy.
 

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I've told people for years that lowering the car over the engine is the easiest way, but nobody ever listens. It's like talkin to a brick wall. That's how the factory assembled them. That's how they are designed to be worked on.
 
StrokerScamp said:
I've told people for years that lowering the car over the engine is the easiest way, but nobody ever listens. It's like talkin to a brick wall. That's how the factory assembled them. That's how they are designed to be worked on.
Click to expand...

:thumblef: its so easy this way that I did it to change a clutch.
 
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