i recently swapped a cad 500 into my k5. i pulled it out last night so i could take it to the machine shop to get that ball rolling. i used the dissasembled engine for mock up.
the first thing i did was completely remove the engine crossmember. u can retain it w/ some trimming, but i never intended on keeping it so i pulled it out. next i boxed the frame from the frt bumper horns to behind the frt spring's rear shackle (i know this has been a topic of heated debate here lately, but that is the way i decided to do it good or bad & this is also not what this post is about). next i put the 500 & the t-400 in the k5 suspended from a cherry picker in the frt & the tranny crossmember in the rear. did a lot of measuring & decided on the best all around locale for the eng. we did try to get it as low in the frame as we could w/ out fear of getting into the frt axle & steering components. the new engine mounts & crossmember are made from 2" .120 wall D.O.M. except for where the bushing is & that is the same material but 1.75". one side of crossmember is missing a kicker brace. i used 2 stock t-case crossmembers i modified the frt one to clear the frt d-shafts i also had to make some 1" spacers for the 203 adapter to sit on. i modified bbc headers & had to shorten the pass side one to clear my front d-shaft. my 500 is from a 75 eldo so i had the good oil pan everyone wants. i used a bop t-400. i used dyno max headers w/ header flanges from M.T.S. i used 2 spring eye bushing assembly from O.R.D. to make the engine mounts. the pics are small & low quality do to me being on dial-up still. here are the pics:
2 doubler crossmember pics:
4 engine crossmember pics:
header pics
doubler installed
the first thing i did was completely remove the engine crossmember. u can retain it w/ some trimming, but i never intended on keeping it so i pulled it out. next i boxed the frame from the frt bumper horns to behind the frt spring's rear shackle (i know this has been a topic of heated debate here lately, but that is the way i decided to do it good or bad & this is also not what this post is about). next i put the 500 & the t-400 in the k5 suspended from a cherry picker in the frt & the tranny crossmember in the rear. did a lot of measuring & decided on the best all around locale for the eng. we did try to get it as low in the frame as we could w/ out fear of getting into the frt axle & steering components. the new engine mounts & crossmember are made from 2" .120 wall D.O.M. except for where the bushing is & that is the same material but 1.75". one side of crossmember is missing a kicker brace. i used 2 stock t-case crossmembers i modified the frt one to clear the frt d-shafts i also had to make some 1" spacers for the 203 adapter to sit on. i modified bbc headers & had to shorten the pass side one to clear my front d-shaft. my 500 is from a 75 eldo so i had the good oil pan everyone wants. i used a bop t-400. i used dyno max headers w/ header flanges from M.T.S. i used 2 spring eye bushing assembly from O.R.D. to make the engine mounts. the pics are small & low quality do to me being on dial-up still. here are the pics:
2 doubler crossmember pics:
4 engine crossmember pics:
header pics
doubler installed
