LUVTruck.com

how different if any are the mounts for the 3.8L buick vs a 350 chevy

who ever put the V6 in my LUV made enough room to stuff a V10 in the thing so the V6 looks silly in there.

I dont know why but my radiator has been installed were the grill is supposed to be and the thing is overkill for the the 3.8L.the flex fan is spaced about 6" from the engine just to come close to the radiator

I may be able to get ahold of a nice 350 so i was wondering since the truck has already been converted to the 3.8L how much more work would it take to put a V8 in there.

It's tough to say how much work it will take to go with a V-8 in your truck. Most likely, you'll need to get new engine mounts for the V-8. How did he place the V-6 motor into the frame? Did he modify the firewall any? If you could get some pictures of the motor/ engine compartment we can get a better idea of what you have. From the way you describe it, It sounds like my truck when i first converted it years ago. I also mounted the radiator forward of the radiator support. It wasn't the best setup but i got me on the road.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

the fire wall was not messed with,just the front end was hacked up and it has a home made core support. it also had an ugly homemade grill and bumper since the radiator makes it impossable to use any factory LUV parts.(the radiator is crammed between the head lights)
I will see if i can get some pics.

Thats how i mounted the first radiator to my truck but i was able to reinstall the headlights, grill, and valance. The hood hinges got weakened from the mods i did. Look at how the motor mounts to the frame. Describe how they mount up. If it's a 78 model, they must have mounts that bolt flat on to the original pads. If so, Bryan's prints for a SB Chevy motor mounts will work.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

my hinges were welded to the home made grill.

the mounts look like someone used half of a 3.8 mount and half of a stock LUV mount with a plate welded between.

I took pics but im having a problem with the digital camera. hopefully i will have some pics soon.I may end up busting out the poloroid

Can you unbolt the mount from the frame? If so, thats good. Bryans mount drawings are right up your alley. As for the firewall, it must have been punched open more to accept the bellhousing of the trans. It can be tough to tell because you would need to see a stock trans tunnel to tell the difference. But thats a good thing. That means the tranny will fit the truck and then you can focus on the firewall to gain clerance for the distributor. Keep trying with getting the pics made.

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Ive got a few pics http://mnkyboy.50megs.com/photo2.html

I will try to get some better ones.

It looks like they retrofitted the entire motor mount assy's from the donor car. To convert to a V-8, you'll have to remove the mounts where they were welded to the pads. And then you can go with Bryan's plans. You cant use those mounts because they are located too far back for a V-8. When you are ready to upgrade to a V-8, Let me know and i'll send you Bryans drawings for the mounts. You'll still need the rubber mounts that bolt to the block.

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

mnkyboy, I have installed a v8 in my luv, but the project is not completely finished yet. But from what I have seen of your pictures, I do not think it is nessecary to cut out the firewall, if you dont want to. Your radiator is set very far forward, which should give you plenty of room. Just take some measurements first, and save some work. When I set out to build my truck, I spent a lot of time measuring. I did not want to cut the firewall, or cut out the bracing between the headlights. There is nothing wrong with this, I have seen lots of people do it, I just did not want to do that on my truck. I can still pull the distributor out of the motor, while it is in the truck. So there is room. Just something to think about.

ok,i will check into getting the engine and let you know if i need the mount info.

Im checking into a few options for the truck
1-turbo the 3.8L
2-may be able to get 350 supposed to be a 4 bolt main and heavy duty TH350
3-I have a built 5.0L Ford
4-I have a Ford 390 with dual quads/C6 I have mounts crossmembers and everything to make it fit.


the Ford engines are tempting since i have them.but i guess it will be up to wether or not can get a good deal on the 350

Actually, your truck really doesn't look too screwed up. It got it on the road with what they had. The gap at the bottom of the radiator could give you problems with trying to cool the engine. My first radiator wasn't mounted that far forward. Too much air can come up through the gap and not thru the radiator core. That's something you might want to address when you get your new motor combo in the truck.

_________________
Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

I have looked into that,since the factory front end stuff wont fit any more i plan to graft a different nose to the truck.the new front end has a piece underneath that will direct the air through the radiator,and bypass the gap.