> Date: Thu, 25 Jan 2001 08:48:33 -0600
> From: bob_keeland@usgs.gov
> Subject: Re: [oletrucks] Mileage/Smog and oletrucks (and the future)
>
> Actually I think that Jim Forbes has done a very good job of tying the
> previous thread (that was straying) back to oletrucks. The motor I am
> planning to put into my 51 is a mid 60s 283, obviously not an
> environmentally friendly motor as it was produced before smog control. If
> I want to put a more modern, less polluting, environmentally friendly motor
> in my truck, what years should I look at for the donor vehicle?
>
> BobK
> 51 3600 5-window (project)
> 98 RAM (hers)
> 99 HD Sportster
> Arnaudville, LA
Bob--
You can use whatever you can get ahold of. If you
want a nice performing engine, with some challenges
to install (specifially the fuel system and the air
intake, among others), try a Chevy Tuned Port 305 or
350 from a Camaro, Vette, or Firebird from about
1985 to the early 90s. The truck and passenger car
throttle body injected V-8s from the same era are
also decent engines, just not as performace
oriented...and probably a bit easier to install,
because they don't have the air intake right where
your cooling fan is. The V-6 is also ok, if you get
the big one...4.3 liter. They have been using these
in trucks for a long time, and I think most were
made with throttle body injection, although the
early ones had Quadrajets, which were computer
controlled. I have a TBI 4.3 that I'm planning to
rebuild, although I don't have a home for it yet.
The 4.3 is 3/4 of a 350 V-8, very compact, although
it probably has the same steering/exhaust clearance
problem as putting a V-8 in an AD truck. At 262
cubes, it compares favorably with the big truck 261
straight 6, and should be much easier to find.
You may also find a fuel injected straight 6 engine
to use, although I think (not sure...) that Chevy
went to the V-6 in trucks when they went to fuel
injection...so I don't think there's a Chevy fuel
injected straight 6 available. F*rd and J**p used
FI straight 6 engines for a long time, they may
still be making them!
On any fuel injected swap, you'll need the computer,
harness, and all the necessary sensors (some you can
do without, but most are needed). The fuel system
has to be pressurized, the best way is with a custom
tank with an intank pump, but you can use other
methods also...mounting a F*rd type external pump on
the frame will work if you keep the gas tank in the
cab, so it gets good gravity feed to the pump. If
the pump runs out of fuel, even for a short time,
and sucks air, the engine can die. Another method
to feed the pressure pump is to use a small
reservoir that is fed by a normal low pressure
pump. Beware that the fuel injected engines use a
bypass pressure regulator, and require a return
line, and if you use a reservoir it also needs this
return line running thru it. Port fuel injection
usually requires about 50 psi (although the
regulator knocks it down to 30 to 40 psi), and
throttle body injection requires around 15 psi.
You'll also want to have some understanding of how
the fuel injection system works...there are some
good books out there on doing EFI swaps. There are
also many companies that sell computer harnesses for
engine swaps into older vehicles, so you don't need
to be an electrical wizard, you just need to
understand the basics.
Or, you can just build the 283 to be clean...put in
a small (short duration) cam, make sure you have PCV
working properly, and if you get it tuned real well
and want to do some experimenting, you might
consider putting a catalytic converter on it...but
beware there is a fire danger, they can get very hot
when the engine misfires or runs rich or excessively
lean. Might blow someone's mind to see almost no
hc/co coming out the tailpipe of your 51...
Jim F
59s in AZ
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
|