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Yet another swap question!

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VirginiaVette78 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 21 Apr. 2019 at 11:20pm
Hey everyone!
So my wife decided she wanted to get her very own project after watching me play with my 78 vette. So chose to save this 1947 2a from a leaky barn where it has been hidden  since 1990! 
After spraying it down with some power, it's definitely saveable but that's not why I am here.. I am asking for help from the experts!
So, despite my many efforts, my wife cannot drive stick on a modern car, let alone a 3 speed and overdrive. So, to save us all from seeing a broken down jeep on the side of the road, I've decided to do a swap..
I've read the 3.8L Buick is a motor that will fit.. but what year range? What am Iooking for kn this 3.8? Any 3.8 from the junkyard?
I know this should bolt straight up to a TH350 tranny which is the same one that I have in my corvette.. but how does this work with keeping it a 4x4? What else do I need to know about this swap?
I looked around and didn't find any "how to" for a 2a swap. I'm a bit of a powertrain rookie so I was hoping to find one of those..
Thanks for the help, experts!
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smfulle View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote smfulle Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr. 2019 at 11:53pm
Hey Virginia,

These guys are experts at drive train conversions.


Stan
48 CJ2A (Grampa's Jeep)
59 Chevy 1/2 ton
Grampa's Jeep Build Thread
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nofender Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr. 2019 at 11:55pm
Loaded question.....

But I'll tell you what i learned after some swaps over the years. 

3.8 - nice motor. I've run many. What you need to look for is a motor from a rear wheel drive car. So mid 70's to early 80's is the range. Think Olds Omega, Pontiac Ventura, Buicl Regal in the rear wheel drive config. The 3.8 is the base motor for the Grand National. So you can go mild to wild with it. 

TH350 - great trans. Need a BOP (Buick, Olds, Pontiac) version. Tail housing need to be removed. A 4WD mainshaft will need to be installed to make it 4WD capable. Then you will need an adapter to the t-case of your choice. Look at Novak and Advance adapters for further info. 

There is an adapter that you can buy that will mate a Chevy 4WD transmission to a BOP motor pattern. I used one. But I just wasn't a fan of it. Countless peple have used it though, with no issues. I think you can still find them from Speedway Motors. 

Now that you have the drive train squared away, you need to make it all play nice. Not so easy with an 80 inch wheelbase. You will have to mount the motor as far forward as reasonable so you can get a rear driveshaft to work. Again, been done countless times. But just something to be aware of. 

Front driveshaft - with a D18 you may have clearance issues with the TH350 pan. So you'll either need to notch the pan, or run a two piece drive shaft. Nothing insurmountable. But it can get pricey. 

None of what you are looking to do is new or terribly complex. But you should be aware there are some complexities to look out for. 

Good luck! And post pics along the way. 
46 CJ2a rockcrawler
46 CJ2a - 26819
46 Bantam T3c "4366"
47 Bantam T3C - 11800
68-ish CJ5
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VirginiaVette78 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VirginiaVette78 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr. 2019 at 12:35am
Just the advice I was looking for! Thank you! I will post an update once I refinish the frame and put the new suspension on. Hopeing that will all be completed within a month (I'm a weekend warrior with my work schedule right now). 
Hopefully I can find a motor that old in the local pick n pull and then find a decent rebuild kit for it. I'll head down next weekend and see what I find!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ol' Unreliable Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr. 2019 at 4:41am
Welcome to the page, VirginiaVette78!

I doubt if you'll ever find one, but my sister once had a '76 Olds Starfire with a V-6.  Just another car to look for to source the engine....

As for driving the manual tranny, 2 of my 4 sisters learned how with little difficulty.  Even my mother used to drive the family car before the folks got an automatic tranny.  It can be done! 
There's a reason it's called Ol' Unreliable
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VirginiaVette78 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VirginiaVette78 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr. 2019 at 9:03pm
I'll keep my eye out for one! Hell, if I find the car itself, might be worth keeping anyhow! 
My wife can drive a manual in an absolute emergency, but would complain about it the whole time.. the auto is for my sanity than her please ya know LOL
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nivrat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 Apr. 2019 at 9:55pm
The 3.8 even fire Buick and an auto is absolutely doable in a flattie. I myself am running a 4.1L (basically a 3.8L with a larger bore from the factory) from an 80-84 Cadillac in my 47. They also put them in the larger Buicks and Oldsmobiles. Look for Buicks from the late 70's- early 80's for your donor. You can identify the block by looking on the side of the block toward the rear. It will show 3.8L or 4.1L. Either will work. The 4.1 has the advantage of having a bigger bore, a factory aluminum single plane 4 barrel intake with a quadrajet, and a rolled fillet crank that they used in the 3.8L Turbo Buicks. Grab the TH350 while you're at it. 99% of the cars you find with the 3.8 will have the TH350. The only manual shift cars that Im aware of are the 78 Buick Century.

You will want to remove the shroud from your grill to mount your radiator as far forward as possible to provide rear driveshaft length. This will require removing the existing crossmember and fabbing a new one to mount your radiator to. Your rear driveshaft will be around 13" but with the Dana 18 it will have a minimal driveline angle. The front driveline yoke at the transfer case end will interfere with the tranny pan. You can either run the smaller yoke or notch the tranny pan for clearance.

Lastly, a tranny cooler, shifter, maybe a longer speedo cable, and a new floorpan should finish it up.
Hope this helps, and keep us posted as you goSmile

FWIW,
Mike






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VirginiaVette78 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote VirginiaVette78 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 26 Apr. 2019 at 12:36am
Good stuff Mike. Do you have a recommendation on an aftermarket radiator for when I press things forward?
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