Order of operations? '67 K20 Engine, Trans, T-case

[Duluth67]

Hello,

I am planning install the engine, trans, and Tcase (which are currently separated) in my '67 K20.
What order would you install the components? I do not have a vehicle lift, so I will be working on the garage floor ect.

283 V8- New clutch
Replacing the SM420 w/ SM465 (I have the 465 bellhousing)
Rockwell T221

My first thought was connect the engine to the trans out of the truck, hoist that setup in from the top, bolt in in ect., and connect the t-case from the bottom. Do you see a problem with this? Any other tips?

Should I anticipate shortening/ lengthening driveshafts after swapping the 1968 465/T221? Laying the DSs next to each other, it seems they are the same length. The 1968 T221 is not the same as the 1967 T221, different shift linkage at least.

Thanks,

Paul

[motorcritter]

Assuming that the front end sheet metal is intact, the engine/transmission unit will be a convenient lump to install first. Lining up a heavy SM465 is not a fun job, especially lying on a garage floor. Did that, won't do it again. The transfer case install will be easier- not a fun job, either, but more manageable. A good hoist (1 ton or better) and a good trolley-type hoist attachment will work wonders- even if you do it by yourself. If you've got the front clip off, it is a very easy job (comparatively), and if time is not a big factor, worthy of consideration. Good chance too clean/paint/detail/rewire the engine compartment, too.

[special-K]

It's doable any way you slice it. A lot does depend on if the body is on at all, all in place, or just clip off. Also, working conditions and doing it alone or not. I've R&R'd a transfer case, transmission & transfer case, and just the engine, as well as drop engine/transmission unit in, then mount transfer case. Lining up is always a task to deal with at some point. Just choose your poison

[Duluth67]

Hood is off, front clip is on. Thanks!

Has anyone done a '68 T221 swap into a '67? I'm thinking I might be cutting sheet-metal on the floor, but idk.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by Duluth67

Hood is off, front clip is on. Thanks!

Has anyone done a '68 T221 swap into a '67? I'm thinking I might be cutting sheet-metal on the floor, but idk.

The beauty of this truck is, because you already have engine and trans out, you don't have to worry about draining the radiator, so there is really no reason why you can not remove the front clip. clip only takes about 40 minutes to take off, and it is worth it. just pull the wiring block at the firewall, and disconnect the ground strap from the fender, about 12-15 bolts and it's off, in one piece i might add.
it will save you a lot of headache while installing the motor and trans

[Longhorn 70]

The only problem I have had with removing front clip is I couldn't lift it off by myself. You may want to have a helper for that.

I have on the other hand removed engine and trans together. As stated the transfer case is a bear, unless you have a trans jack. Even a floor jack can be tricky due to the shape.

The best advice is.....patience and if you can find a helper, double the patience!

[cooperhw]

Originally Posted by no1udknow

The beauty of this truck is, because you already have engine and trans out, you don't have to worry about draining the radiator, so there is really no reason why you can not remove the front clip. clip only takes about 40 minutes to take off, and it is worth it. just pull the wiring block at the firewall, and disconnect the ground strap from the fender, about 12-15 bolts and it's off, in one piece i might add.
it will save you a lot of headache while installing the motor and trans

^^^This is how I would do it too^^^.
It will be 2 hours well spent.

But, if you decide not to pull the clip I would try to get the truck on some ramps if possible and bolt the motor/trans together and come in at a severe angle of attack. At some point you may have to re-position your attachment to lessen the angle once the lump is in the area.
I just did this twice within the last month once with clip on and once with off. Muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh easier with it off. I did mine by myself in about a half day. Hoisted it in, rolled the truck forward, bolted it up.

[Duluth67]

I like the idea of removing the front clip. Do you think I could assemble the 3 together before sliding it in from the front? Or is engine+ trans heavy enough, transfer case following that from below? I'll have a helper.

[motorcritter]

The transmission & transfer case move the centre of gravity well rearward. It may take some tricky gymnastics to 'ease' it in there. Just the transmission is bad enough for unbalancing the mass. I usually work alone, any more, so I've used rolling things to help move the transmission end, once the unit is in the bay and headed rearward. A transmission jack with wheels or a moving dolly can work wonders as an non-human helper. The worst part of the front clip is the hood, unwieldy but do-able with a little forethought. Easing it down, nose first onto the aforementioned moving dolly can help- but a handy human can, too. Transmission jack is pretty much mandatory with the transfer case- strap it down tight, and be patient. Oh, and drain everything beforehand. Or else. There's nothing like trying to get some leverage on a ice-slick floor, with the end in sight of the whole nightmare. Makes a man feel...outraged!

[Duluth67]

I hear you!

It doesn't have a hood or bumper right now, so the whole front clip is coming off to make this easier. Right now, I'm thinking attach trans to engine and put in from the front-(no fluids in anything yet).

Thanks for all the advice!

[motorcritter]

Start early, and pace yourself. Have fun.

[Duluth67]

Found this crack on the engine cradle. Time to weld?

[motorcritter]

Or replace. That looks like a job for an arc welder. Watch out for distortion.

[The Blue Pig]

Hey, great info here. When you guys refer to taking off the front clip in one piece, are you saying the grill, core support, inner and outer fenders can easily come off, all still attached to each other? Or is it fenders/cowl and core support/front end stay on? I have only visualized taking all these items off individually.

[motorcritter]

Unless you've got a few folks to help, the complete clip is unwieldy and if dropped, prone to distortion. The hood is the trickiest piece, everything else is pretty straightforward. We used to call a complete clip a 'walk-off', back when I did some salvage yard work. I don't think anyone besides Superman or the Hulk or Clyde the Orangutan could 'walk one off', though. That's some substantial sheet metal there, and it all supports itself when hooked together. Separating it makes the whole task easier, actually. It also allows for intense inspection and prep for painting, and painting the pieces themselves. You also don't have to worry about any 'oops!' moments where the engine/transmission lump bashes the dentable bits. Been there, done that, it ain't fun at all.

[Duluth67]

2 questions:
Is a cracked engine cradle as seen in the picture above, common?

Now that I am replacing transmission and transfer case is there a chance that I install the drive shafts out of phase?

[jeffahart]

I've done it in a garage by myself like this. Rope hood to rafters. move truck back. Lower hood onto cart and move out of the way. Move truck back to work area. Drop in engine, lower tweak use wood block straps and any means to keep the thing on trajectory as you keep adjusting and lowering. I've dropped in a few engines on my own, it's really fun ha ha. After engine is in, set the tranny on your roll away jack. If you have 4x4 you can get under there easy, else jack stands. Now jack up the tranny, you have to move it around get it balanced just right and then rassle and fight with it. It will get tired and you will eventually win. Do the same with the transfer. If you are clever, angry and don't give up you can do it all yourself with just a cherry picker and one jack.

I once got mad and put a piece of plywood on my chest and while on my back let a 465 rest on my chest then shoved it up in there. Used my knees to knee press and everything. When I was younger and my trucks were down, I didn't work; that's motivating.

[motorcritter]

The cracked cradle mount is just one of the mysteries of working on 40+ year old vehicles. To reiterate- swapping engines and transmissions is not impossible, unless you've got severe health/strength issues. Patience rules, and sometimes just sitting back and assessing the situation reveals the proper path. Real 'Zen and the Art of Truck Building' stuff, to me. Plus- everything gets put together the way you want it! The end result is much more satisfying than finding a nice one on EBay or Craigslist, a turn-key thing that someone built. The finished product one creates is like a signature on a painting. I retired from the bread-and-butter auto service work- but this sort of stuff inspires me- it's almost therapeutic. But with cursing and scuffed knuckles.

[Duluth67]

Well put my friend!

[Duluth67]

Some success, some struggle:

Removing the front body parts and lining up the engine and trans out of the truck was a good idea.

The engine and transmission are now in, the transfer case is next from below. Because the SM465 is 2 inches longer (compared to the sm420), I had to take the dog house cover off to allow the trans to move back far enough- some cutting of sheet metal will be required to get that cover back on.

I think the rear drive shaft will be the correct length, but I will have to use the slightly longer front drive shaft from the 1968 K20. Notice the '67 tcase is longer than the '68 due to the coupling piece.

The transfer case frame crossmember seems to be too wide, as if the frame is squeezed in from when I took it apart. I'm thinking I will need to use some long drifts to get the bolt holes to line up. Any advice to get the tcase in?

[Duluth67]

2 More

[Longhorn 70]

Looking good! Nice work.

[no1udknow]

Originally Posted by motorcritter

Unless you've got a few folks to help, the complete clip is unwieldy and if dropped, prone to distortion. The hood is the trickiest piece, everything else is pretty straightforward. We used to call a complete clip a 'walk-off', back when I did some salvage yard work. I don't think anyone besides Superman or the Hulk or Clyde the Orangutan could 'walk one off', though. That's some substantial sheet metal there, and it all supports itself when hooked together. Separating it makes the whole task easier, actually. It also allows for intense inspection and prep for painting, and painting the pieces themselves. You also don't have to worry about any 'oops!' moments where the engine/transmission lump bashes the dentable bits. Been there, done that, it ain't fun at all.

huh?? I did it with my 13 year old nephew, and put it back on by myself. Best to jack up the front and take off the wheels, it will save you some struggle, but it can be done with the wheels on.

pull the hood, pull the shroud, open the doors, there is 1 bolt under the shroud, 1 in the door jam, and 1 underneath where the fender meets the rocker panel. then there is1 bolt in each fender well. pull the 7/16 bolt in the middle of the wiring harness junction block on the firewall and separate the front clip portion of the block from the engine harness. remove the fender-well brace around the steering column (4 bolts). pull the radiator out, pull the front bumper. remove the 2 3/4 bolts under the radiator, then get one person on each side and pull the fenders outward a little as you lift the wheel wells over the a-arms, and voila! open front end. Also a great time to get a good look at all your steering components.

Makes life a lot easier trying to get exhaust and motormounts and starter wires hooked up.

These trucks are super easy to work on. Of course I have been working with this truck since I was about 5, so I know where everything is, but in comparison to some of these new Japanese jig saw puzzles, these old bricks are pretty simple. Think about this, I stripped my truck down to the bare frame in just over 7 hours.

[sboris]

Looks like ya got it figured out. Good job!

[motorcritter]

See...we told ya it would be easier than it looked!