Mating a Spicer 3053 to SBC

[snowbear]

Does anyone have any tips info on mating a 3053 to a chev 350 ?

I've done a ford 300-6 and have found info on how to do a chev 454 but no info on the 350. Any tips appreciated

Scott

 

[gimpyrobb]

Heres pics of what you will need to do it. Bell, bell adapter, and large 16"(?) flywheel. 454 and 350 should be the same. You will need to use a motor with the 2 piece crank seal.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/gimpyrobb/album/576460762339971169

 

[G744]

I may have access to 4 BB chevy's with SAE#3 housings. The data on them is upcoming, will get back to this thread with some pix if so.

dg

 

[sermis]

most 60's and on large chev trucks 2-5ton have the bellhousing, adapter ring, clutch etc that you need. Most of the older ones are drilled in the bottom hole bell housing that will mate to the trans. I found a mid 80's the other day that was drilled, another that was not drilled so some of the newer ones will work with out you having the drill them.

 

[snowbear]

Thanks! I just finished tearing down the trans. Looks like it sat for many years w/o fluids. Lots of rust and major pitting in the gears and bearing surfaces, reverse idler was froze solid. I havn't decided if I'll finish the rebuild or go find another....

Do you have a source for bell housing adapters?

 

[hndrsonj]

All right I am confused. Is the difference in the block or the bellhousing and adapter??? Every SB/BB Chevy I have ever seen has the same bolt pattern on the block (at least till the GEN 5 motors-not sure of those).

 

[gimpyrobb]

The difference is the bellhousing. The bell is larger to accomadate the flywheel. There is a 1/4 inch steel plate that moves the bolt pattern up about 3 inches. Pic 1246 shows this plate. With out it the flywheel would hit the normal bell.

 

[ken]

Boyce equipment in utah sells those bellhousings and varous parts to make it work. I can't rember the price but i saw them sitting on the counter last summer.

 

[gimpyrobb]

You can go to the bone yard and look for a chevy C50 through C70 with a 350,366 or 427 motor, and it should have it.

 

[Gatnom]

This article may help http://www.jpmagazine.com/techarticles/drivetrain/154_0509_spicer_3053a_transmission/ Dave

 

[spicergear]

I supplied the bell and a lot of info for that JP article. You have several options with mech, hyd or pass side t/o arm locations as all those bell designs exist...if you happen to need it. You'll also need to bush the input shaft of the 3053 up to fit the bearing in the large flywheel center hole. I've been running this setup for years in a 427BBC M715 with Rockwells and 46" XML's. I had a 305 initially infront of the 3053 to move the truck while I was building the 427. Once the parts are sourced it's a pretty straight forward deal. Another note to be remembered is that if you plan on running the 3053's PTO you'll need to cut a big hunk out of the bellhousing so the shaft will have a passage front. Not biggy...the bell is massive and very heavy where it needs to be trimmed.

 

[jesusgatos]

Wondering which combination of parts would work best in this custom CUCV behind a turbo 6.2L. Just picked up a 3053 and I've got a divorced NP205 to put behind it.

 

[Lonesome715]

Good information. I was thinking of doing the same thing.

 

[Recovry4x4]

Wondering which combination of parts would work best in this custom CUCV behind a turbo 6.2L. Just picked up a 3053 and I've got a divorced NP205 to put behind it.

I think the hard part will be the flywheel. The large flywheel referred to won't work on the 6.2 (even if it bolts uo). If it does bolt up, might be able to add heavy weights as part of a rebalance for the 6.2.

 

[jesusgatos]

Won't work why?

 

[Recovry4x4]

6.2 is externally balanced. The 350, 366, 427 medium duty engines are internally balanced. If the flywheels do bolt on you can likely have heavy weights added to achieve balance.

 

[jesusgatos]

Ah, right. Thanks. Will have to look into that to see what its going to take to adapt one of those flywheels to this engine. Can I have one balanced to match the other so I won't have to disassemble the engine to have everything re-balanced?

 

[Recovry4x4]

Ah, right. Thanks. Will have to look into that to see what its going to take to adapt one of those flywheels to this engine. Can I have one balanced to match the other so I won't have to disassemble the engine to have everything re-balanced?

That I'm not sure of. I would think that an automotive machine shop would have the resources to find the proper specs to weight it.

 

[Lonesome715]

I recently picked up a CUCV with drive train issues. I just happen to have a 350 in the garage and a buddy has one of these trannies sitting in his garage. I have ready several places they bolt up to GM bell housings. I am seriously considering the swap. Please keep us up tp date on your plans. I would love to see how it turns out.

 

[Recovry4x4]

They only bolt to an SAE bellhousing.