Straight 6 or V8??

[raycow]

Originally Posted by clayton1967

Wow a lot more then i was thinking but doesnt really sound all that difficult that cable x speedo cable is pretty sweet! Have you done this before? I suppose if it is really difficult i could always put the 4.3L in it to! I just thought a 292 with a 5 spd would be pretty cool!

Is the bellhousing integral with the transmission? I am assuming your tranny is a NV3500 until you tell me otherwise. Installing the 4.3 doesn't really make your job any easier because you still have the same issues with the mounts, hydraulic clutch and electric speedo. Actually, it will be more work than keeping the 292, because then you have to deal with all the stuff up front for the 4.3. Don't forget, the 292 isn't the source of the swap difficulties. It's the 3500.

Since you asked, the 3500 was one of the candidates I was considering for my overdrive swap. I had driven a truck with that transmission and liked it. As my truck is a 60, it already had a hydraulic clutch from the factory, so that was a non-issue. The deal-breaker for me was the mounts/crossmember, and also I didn't want to give up my bellhousing-mounted starter, which is MUCH less problematic than a block-mounted one. I ended up with a T-5, which hasn't given me any trouble so far, but it's not as strong as the 3500 and puts a limit on any major engine upgrades if I actually expect to use the added power. All I have now is a stock 305.

Ray