Thread: 57 Chev engine swap

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Hi guys.
I live in Australia, about 160kM north of Sydney. I have an original 1957 Chev 210 4-door. It's an original Fischer bodied Canadian car, and is a blue flame, column shift 3-speed - 100% original. All of the car's original bits are still there, and most of the 50 year old seals all leak so I am about to give it a freshen up.
What I'm looking at doing is removing the blue flame and putting it aside, and fitting a 283. I have three or four '58 - '60 283's laying around. My question is, will the blue flame's original bellhousing with side mounts bolt up to the SBC? If it will, do I use the blue flame starter motor (bellhousing mount)? I assume it will use a 10.5" SB flywheel and clutch. If it doesn't does anyone have any ideas (note that the clutch fork and linkage is on the RH side of the bellhousing). The engine front mounts are easy (Danchuk or the like). The only other hard bit is the accelerator linkage. As the car is RH drive this may be difficult. Any suggestions?
Byron

Hi Byron,

Wish I could help, but I did want to say hello. I've tried to help a friend from the Sydney area with parts for his father's '29 Chev. He's also got a very nice Morrie he's been working on.

As a guess, based on my car and the little research I've done, I'd say the bell housing will probably be different from the Blue Flame to the small block. But a more modern trans can be fitted if you don't mind an automatic. The RHD is what gives me pause.

Good luck, and post some photos. It would be interesting to see the RHD Chev.

Cheers!

Originally posted by SnakeHerder
Hi Byron,

Wish I could help, but I did want to say hello. I've tried to help a friend from the Sydney area with parts for his father's '29 Chev. He's also got a very nice Morrie he's been working on.

As a guess, based on my car and the little research I've done, I'd say the bell housing will probably be different from the Blue Flame to the small block. But a more modern trans can be fitted if you don't mind an automatic. The RHD is what gives me pause.

Good luck, and post some photos. It would be interesting to see the RHD Chev.

Cheers!

Thanks for the help. The 3-speed has to stay, as the car has to stay readily capable of returning to stock. I've since found out that the blue flame bellhousing is different to a SBC. Post '62 6cyl engines do use the same bellhousing as a SB though. The 3-speed box has the same bolt pattern as a Saginaw/Muncie so a normal V8 bellhousing will fit, but the problem is the engine mounts using the bellhousing on a '57, and the original cast iron ones that people pull out of their imported LHD cars are all left hand clutch fork. Looks like I need an original RHD V8 one. Positive is the accelerator linkage is a snack.

As far as the car goes, it looks just like a LHD car, except CKD exported '57 Chevs from the Canadian plant had 55/56 Chev dashes in them. The '57 looks exactly like a US LHD 210 4-door with a '56 dash and the steering column on the RH side. The interior was trimmed in Australia by Holden (builders of the current GTO - over here it's called a Monaro) who also assembled the cars. The Australian built 55-57 Chevs were trimmed in Australian leather, and my old girl's is still like new unlike the imported Jaguars with British leather which all cracked in the Australian sun.

The bellhousing from a '62 1/2 ton will work as it came with a hydraulic clutch and the fork came out on the right side. It also mounts the same as the '57. If you're keeping the 3 speed I'd upgrade to an all synchro unit from the mid '60's. I have what you need in my garage, but I'm afraid the shipping would be very expensive.

Not necessarily. I have a friend in Orange CA, who is an Aussie and is in the business of sending stuff back to Australia. His father runs the business this end. They are always bringing containers of cars down here and are looking for stuff to fit in around the cars. How close are you to Orange??

I have located a cast iron, RH clutch fork bellhousing over here out of a 6cyl Chev truck, with side mounts on the bellhousing. The bellhousing pattern is the same as a SBC, so this is probably off a '62 as you describe?
As for the mid '60's all synchro box, will it fit straight in where the '57 box does? Note that the RHD conversion has a big rat-trap arrangement that bolts under the box and operates the shift levers on the LH side of the box. What year model did these originate in? Is it the 3-speed Saginaw you are talking about? I also think my mate has a 3-speed T10 in his shed (it has T16 on the side I think).

Byron

I don't believe a 6 banger bellhousing will mate to a v8. I believe the tranny is a saginaw, I took it out of a '66 6 banger chevelle I found in a junkyard. They are stout tranny's. I had it behind a slightly warm 400 small block and never had a bit of problem with it. The 400 had an Isky 30/30 cam, Offy 360 manifold, 650 double pumper, and headers. Everything else was bone stock and the tanny never gave me a trouble. The rear end was a different story. I wish you luck with your swap.