Re: [FWDLK] converting to later LA engine

["J. Forbes" <jforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 06:36 AM 4/30/98 -0400, St. Clair, Todd wrote:
>What would be involved with installing, say a crate 360 into my 318 equipped
>(original) 58 Belvedere? Are the mounts between the A and LA engines the
>same? Can I bolt up my original torqueflite? What about convertors and ring
>gear/starter?
> Thanks (just curious if my engine decides to go)
>  Todd
>
>

I don't have all the answers...but, some considerations:

The 340 and 360 use a slightly different drivers side mount than the
273/318.  You may need to do some mild fabrication on the mount.

The 360 uses an externally balanced crankshaft...so, you need a weighted
torque converter or special flexplate (B&M makes the flexplate, I recall,
for use with the later aluminum Torqueflite).  I really don't know what's
involved with this part of it, except that balance may be a problem if you
don't use the correct matching 360 torque converter--which means using a
68-newer Torqueflite.

The pilot hole in the crankshaft may be different--not sure about the V-8s,
but this causes problems on 6 cyl swaps between early/late 60s engines.

The starter/ring gear should be matched with the tranny you are using.  But,
do the early 318s use the 6 bolt flexplate/crank?  I think so, just
something to check, as the early big blocks used an 8 bolt flexplate/crank.

It may be easier to use a late model tranny, but then you'll have to redo
the shifter (no push buttons) as well as late rear brakes with parking
brakes built in, and redo the parking brake cable system.

Jim
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Jim Forbes                                    jforbes@xxxxxxxxxxxx
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