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dsraven · 10-23-2016, 02:20 PM

read the last part of this first.
if you have a donor truck, complete, then the list below would be where I would start before committing to anything. it has been awhile since I have worked on an AD truck but just keep in mind that you would need to check if the stock 235 trans will fit onto your newer 250's bell housing and be able to work with the clutch disc and pilot bearing etc from the 250. otherwise you would need to use the trans from the 250, which opens a whole new can of worms and may require that you do a rear end swap (so brake issues etc) and go with an open dive line (so new drive shaft as well) because the AD trucks had a torque tube drive line. the newer truck has an open drive line,correct? the 235 bell housing will not fit on the 250, as far as I know, because they bolt up completely different. that said, there may be an adapter made somewhere to convert over so the 235 bell housing can be used on the 250. the other item of interest is the trans mount on the 235. the 235 has 2 hockey puck style trans mounts, 1 per side, that attach to the bell housing, correct? the 250 has a single trans mount located at the rear of the trans, correct? not that this would be a stop to the project, just a bunch more work to consider.
here is the list to start with. not a complete list, just things that I can think of off the top of my head right now
.
-measure the length of the engines, front of fan blades to rear of engine at the bell housing to transmission joint, and compare to see if the 250 will fit, physically in size, without hitting the rad

-do a check to see about the trans/bell housing issue. if the trans from the 235 will fit on the 250 bell housing and work with the clutch parts then a new method of installing a trans mount would need to be thought up unless you can source a bellhousing from a school bus, or the like, that used a bell housing style mount similar to the 235 system

if you think it will fit, physically, then check these other items of interest

-what would you need to do for engine mounts to use the stock 250 mounts or can you fab up a front mounting system like the 235 has? maybe, again, find a front engine mount bracket from a 250 in, say, a school bus scenario?

-will the steering box and shaft be in the way of the 250 engine accy or exhaust?

- will the oil pan fit around the straight axle and steering linkage-clutch linkage. park brake linkage, anything else that looks like it may be in the way under there?

-will the exhaust manifold from the stock 250 exit at a spot in order to work in the old truck? a bit of exhaust work would need to be budgeted for likely

-what would clutch linkage look like? would you rather go with an automatic trans?-that would mean a different shifter set up as well. still not a stop order though, just gotta source ashifter you like, probably a floor style shifter

-do the cooling (rad) hoses on the 250 come out in the right spot to work with the stock rad in the old truck. if not, can the housings be sourced to exit correctly-different water pump and t-stat housing? how much to rework the rad to have the hose connections placed in the correct location? will the heater hose connections work?

-can you make the throttle and choke linkage from the AD truck work with the 250 carb?

-will the 235 guage senders fit into the 250?

-can you make the stock 235 generator mount work on the 250? can you get a belt to fit the different style of pulleys or change the pulley on the generator to work with the 250 pulley style, etc? would you convert the truck to 12v at the same time as the engine swap, then, instead of messing with pulleys and mounts and the issue with sourcing a 6 volt starter for a 250 engine? does the 250 have a points style distributor? if so you would need to update that to comply with 6 volts if not converting to 12 volts

-you would also need to install a different ign switch or possibly just a starter button because the foot starter would be history

thats all I can think of right now. just wait though, surely somebody here has done this swap before.

look up a thread on here today from a member called FAKKY who has a 235 engine for sale. cheap compared to this swap I am thinking.his thread is just 2 below yours. he is in reddington beach somewhere from his profile.

10-23-2016, 02:20 PM	#2
dsraven Registered User Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: calgary alberta Posts: 7,828	Re: Chevy 250 swap into 53 pickup read the last part of this first. if you have a donor truck, complete, then the list below would be where I would start before committing to anything. it has been awhile since I have worked on an AD truck but just keep in mind that you would need to check if the stock 235 trans will fit onto your newer 250's bell housing and be able to work with the clutch disc and pilot bearing etc from the 250. otherwise you would need to use the trans from the 250, which opens a whole new can of worms and may require that you do a rear end swap (so brake issues etc) and go with an open dive line (so new drive shaft as well) because the AD trucks had a torque tube drive line. the newer truck has an open drive line,correct? the 235 bell housing will not fit on the 250, as far as I know, because they bolt up completely different. that said, there may be an adapter made somewhere to convert over so the 235 bell housing can be used on the 250. the other item of interest is the trans mount on the 235. the 235 has 2 hockey puck style trans mounts, 1 per side, that attach to the bell housing, correct? the 250 has a single trans mount located at the rear of the trans, correct? not that this would be a stop to the project, just a bunch more work to consider. here is the list to start with. not a complete list, just things that I can think of off the top of my head right now . -measure the length of the engines, front of fan blades to rear of engine at the bell housing to transmission joint, and compare to see if the 250 will fit, physically in size, without hitting the rad -do a check to see about the trans/bell housing issue. if the trans from the 235 will fit on the 250 bell housing and work with the clutch parts then a new method of installing a trans mount would need to be thought up unless you can source a bellhousing from a school bus, or the like, that used a bell housing style mount similar to the 235 system if you think it will fit, physically, then check these other items of interest -what would you need to do for engine mounts to use the stock 250 mounts or can you fab up a front mounting system like the 235 has? maybe, again, find a front engine mount bracket from a 250 in, say, a school bus scenario? -will the steering box and shaft be in the way of the 250 engine accy or exhaust? - will the oil pan fit around the straight axle and steering linkage-clutch linkage. park brake linkage, anything else that looks like it may be in the way under there? -will the exhaust manifold from the stock 250 exit at a spot in order to work in the old truck? a bit of exhaust work would need to be budgeted for likely -what would clutch linkage look like? would you rather go with an automatic trans?-that would mean a different shifter set up as well. still not a stop order though, just gotta source ashifter you like, probably a floor style shifter -do the cooling (rad) hoses on the 250 come out in the right spot to work with the stock rad in the old truck. if not, can the housings be sourced to exit correctly-different water pump and t-stat housing? how much to rework the rad to have the hose connections placed in the correct location? will the heater hose connections work? -can you make the throttle and choke linkage from the AD truck work with the 250 carb? -will the 235 guage senders fit into the 250? -can you make the stock 235 generator mount work on the 250? can you get a belt to fit the different style of pulleys or change the pulley on the generator to work with the 250 pulley style, etc? would you convert the truck to 12v at the same time as the engine swap, then, instead of messing with pulleys and mounts and the issue with sourcing a 6 volt starter for a 250 engine? does the 250 have a points style distributor? if so you would need to update that to comply with 6 volts if not converting to 12 volts -you would also need to install a different ign switch or possibly just a starter button because the foot starter would be history thats all I can think of right now. just wait though, surely somebody here has done this swap before. look up a thread on here today from a member called FAKKY who has a 235 engine for sale. cheap compared to this swap I am thinking.his thread is just 2 below yours. he is in reddington beach somewhere from his profile.