wayfarer

If you get a photo of the casting number I'd like to see it. http://www.qualityengineeredcomponents.com/?page_id=240

...too much for a long bell 331, and the extension causes install issues in alot of cars.

I don't believe that the MH 440 is much heavier than the pass car version and many have been parked in the 55-56 cars. My concern would be regarding the style of water pump and the possible need to use a pass car part. Post a few pics when you get the engine out of the chassis. As for the rear axle the 9" is even overkill, but if it fits and the offset pinion works out ok then why not... Or, with a disc brake swap up front and a disc equipped 8.8 from an Exploder you'd be set. www.rustyhope.com for front disc kit.

I readily admit to being a bit of a techno-tard and I have had my complaints about previous changes but the new system seems easy enough to use for storing my photos. I will never use any of the other whiz-bang features so I can't say the entire system change is good or bad.

There is nothing 'wrong' with the truck engine, if you keep it as a truck engine. You will not find a more durable package! If you need a hot-rod engine then a basic 400 or 440 is more than adequate as a starting point.

Well, yes and no.... There are a couple of bells that had/have both block bolt patterns. Generally, the bells that I have seen are in the 1956-1959 range but there could be more. If the truck bell is the original 49 then you are outta luck simply because there was no v-8. If there is a chance that it has been swapped out then 'maybe'... You/he will need to look at the bell.

...given the price of adapters (including mine), the Ford Ranger piece should be more popular than it is. Robert did a fine job on detailing his swap; it should be considered.

drillmastertommy, I hadn't looked at your profile to check your location, only in subsuquent posts did I see the Merry-ol-England reference. I can appreciate the difficulty that you folks have sourcing bits and pieces. Hats off to you for screwing around with old American junk...

Before tossing it aside, talk with a sales rep for Kennemetal or similar or anyone selling carbide cutters for machine shop use. Yes, its a long shot but until you ask the question....

If you haven't yet read through Bill's project thread, get busy... http://mopar.pairserver.com/p15d24ph_forum/index.php?/topic/22985-im-back/page-4 On page 4 you can see his brake setup. One of the best rod projects on the web IMHO.

I'm not sure that it will make much difference if you have a spring shop either rebuild yours or make new sets... just explain what you are trying to accomplish (ride height and such) and estimate the weight and let them design the package. If you decide to play with the springs yourself, you will want to clean them to bare metal, mag-check the center holes and the ends of the main leafs for cracks (or even the entire leaf). Compare each leaf, from the same position on each side, to compare the amount of arch and the length. You will quickly see by the wear spots if one side has an extra or is short one leaf. If all leafs are in good condition you could simply reassemble and install them after deciding the issue of the leaf count. Springs really don't know where they are installed, in which position or in what vehicle. Unless they have tapered ends that you need/want to maintain you can shorten a donor to fit your needs. The important things to consider are the lengths, the leaf thickness and the amount of arch. Unless the vehicle has more weight on one side (offset engine) then all pieces from both side should be the same. If you need more capacity consider adding a full length leaf under the main (you can use a donor main leaf, just cut the eyes off) There are some tricks to leaf arch and placement that I learned back in the 'old' days but I don't type well or fast so won't start now. Yes, you can change the arch at home. Be happy to discuss on the phone if ya need. Gary

Can you tell us about the planned Hemi swap, or do you have a thread on the subject ?

At some point there was also a small light behind the right front wheel where the little gold Pentastar ended up on in the 60'-70's... Don't know about the legal aspects as I had always heard it was just easier to get to the sidewalk than stepping into the muddy ruts outside of the driver side. More info lost to history.... the youtube video would be interesting.

Rather than rebuilding the old leaves, how about buying new ones? They are 60 years old...

Interesting subject! By chance, does anyone have any good links to details on the 331-413 flatheads? I would like to learn more about the monsters.

Posting lots of photos along the way would be good for us vouyers...

You might want to sign up on this forum...

The pre-98½ Club Cab has a fairly small pivot window that might work on its side. If memory serves, it seems that the window on my 92 was fairly flat...

I'd be concerned about the lack of any replacement parts that are specific to that model. Recall that it shares much with a Benz of the same time frame but that model is also long gone. Check into the www.crossfireforum.org

The quality of the concrete mix (water/cement ratio among other variables) will determine the finished product quality. If the mix has too much water in it then NO amount of reinforcement will control the cracks; the steel will only keep the chunks from moving too far. For control joints, it will be easier to run a saw cut up the middle in each direction, as soon as you can walk on it. If they wait too long or don't cut deep enough (minimun ¼ of the slab depth) then the effort is wasted. For a small area like yours, you really need to look into this sealer: http://www.lmcc.com/products/aquapel_and_aquapel_plus.asp And as mentioned, a hard trowel finish will make housekeeping alot easier.

From an engineering standpoint, you do not want to have a rigid coupling between the two engines. Use something like this: http://www.baldor.com/pdf/literature/CA4000GSUP_1108_WEB.pdf

Appears to be at Wildcat Auto www.wildcatmopars.com Ed and his crew are a great bunch of folks. Highly recommended.

Feel free to inundate us with photos...

Yeah, physically, that is a rather large engine. Sitting next to a 318 it will look huge. Doesn't mean it won't fit, but a 318-360 isn't exactly a drop-in. The steering will likely be the problem area so look into the Cavalier rack and pinion. If the oil pan crashes into a bunch of stuff then see what other pans were available or get out the saw and tig. One question will be whether or not you want/need to maintain the inner fender panels. I suspect a problem in that space.

I'd like the ticket concession on that 'most public' event...