VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Mechanical - Engine, Trans, etc Replacement Engine

Can anyone help to tell me if I can put a 38 chevy inline 6 cyl. In a 30 chevy car. If so do I need to change the motor mounts or can I use the 30 motor mounts? Thank you for all your help.

The 1930 Chevrolet doesn't have any motor mounts. The 1930 engine is bolted directly to the frame. The first year for motor mounts was 1932.

You can put a 1938 engine in your 1930 but you are talking about major modifications to do so, especially with the motor mounts, the transmission, bell housing and the torque tube. You would be better off by leaving your car stock with the correct 1930 engine.

Thank you Dog. I planned on using the 38 Trans and bell housing. My tube won't work from the Trans to the rear end? Trying to rebuild the 30 engine is expensive also.kinda stuck between a rock and a hard spot.I was given the 38 engine with every thing on it.

Thank you very much for all your help
Mike

If you find that the "free" 1938 engine needs to be rebuilt it will be just as expensive to rebuild that engine as it would be to rebuild the 1930 engine. And, if you install the 1938 engine, bell housing and transmission, the existing torque tube will most likely be the wrong length and you will have to probably modify that as well. The best route to go is to rebuild the 1930 engine and keep the car stock.

Isn't it true that to install a '38 engine in a '30 you will have to either move the radiator forward or cut a hole in the firewall?

Not positive about this but I believe the '38 216 c.i. engine is actually shorter than the 1930 engine. But, I agree with JYD, he should stick with the original 1930 engine rather than try to use the 1938 engine!

I think you are right. The 216 is either 1/2" or something closer to 2" shorter, depending on who you ask (anybody got a tape?). I agree with Junkyard Dog and Uncle Ed. So many other things changed during that period the swap is likely to be an uphill battle, and expensive.

My 1932 is gorgeous and bone stock. I am concerned about babbited bearings and the work needed to renew them. Are there any retrofits that can eliminate them?

Even inserts and modern bearings use a babbited surface, it's just a bit harder and thinner than the original babbit.

The originals themselves lasted as much as 100k miles with only minor shim adjustments. This was in an era of dusty roads and very mediocre oils so an occasional use car today with modern fluids on clean roads will last a very long time. It's as much work to replace with modern as to redo the originals and modern bearings are not available for all older engines.

Are you having problems requiring a rebuild or just thinking about these bearings? It is worthwhile if you don't know the modern history (when/who rebuilt it) of your engine to drop the oil pan, check bearing play and clean any sludge from the oil pan. Youll then be good for years...

I agree with canadiamtim, Unless you have problems leave it stock, and even if you need to rebuild it, I would go with stock bearings. I am not sure if insert rod bearings are available for a '32 engine but I would not be afraid to put babbited stock rods in the engine. I have a '33 with stock rods and it works perfectly. I have a '37 with aftermarket insert rods and it work fine also, but if I ever need to replace the inserts I have no idea where to get them that would fit the current rods! I got those rods in 1976 from either JC Whitney or Sears and neither of them offer the replacement bearings now.

There is a multitude of people that believe that babbitt bearing engines are unreliable and prone to early failure. They all know of someone that knows of someone that had a problem with "babbitt pounders". Also know that repairing those engines particularly the babbitt bearings is much more expensive than inserts and the bearing problem still exists. Also the local machine shop can't do it. It is thought of as a ticking time bomb.

What most of us know is it is indeed more expensive to have the bearings poured and properly sized but, not prohibitively expensive. There are plenty of machine shops that have the knowledge, equipment and experience to do the job properly. The final result is and engine that can be very reliable and have the bearings quickly adjusted. I have seen bearing adjustments in hotel parking lots and the car driven on a tour the next morning.

I have put 10s of thousands of miles on Chevrolet babbitt engines and know many others that have done the same without any major problems. I don't baby my Chevys but also try to not do something stupid either.

My recommendation is to put it back like it was originally, treat it with respect and enjoy preserving a bit of history. There are way too many that like to alter history to their liking.

It is indeed possible to put inserts in 1932 rods. I am thinking Studebaker inserts from the 50s can be used. There was a machine shop in either Washington or Oregon that did it. As I recall it was necessary to machine the rods and regrind the crankshaft. Not sure if they also drilled the crank for oil passages to pressure oil the rods? Got the impression that inserts fared better with more oil flow.

I don't know how many were done and how well it worked. I am sure others on Chat will have more specific information. Ray????