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Griff's thread about nothing in particular.

You can use a TH400 that came behind the caddy engine ,by removing the super long output shaft and tail shaft installing the shorter 4x4 tail shaft and output shaft..those Chevy to B-O-P adapters work,but moving the trans back even slightly requires spacers between the torque converter bolts and flex plate..which may end up being a weak point--the bolts have to be special length and hardness to survive long..

A 700R4 would likely grenade behind a 500 in short order...by the time you built one up strong enough to handle it,a 4L80E would probably be cheaper--but much more complicated,being electrically controlled...but do-able..

I've researched online how to install a 500 in a GM truck,one site I found years ago showed a guys "Chevrollac" ,a 2wd pickup that he installed a 500 in simply by bolting a hunk of 1/2" steel plate where the factory small block motor mounts bolted to the frame,and that allowed factory Eldorodao motor mounts that use one stud to bolt to the 1/2" thick flat plate...

He said the install was almost "too easy"--it required a seam on the firewall where it met the trans tunnel to be flattened over with a hammer to clear the drivers side valve cover,and he added the stock small block exhaust bolted up to the caddy manifolds with only slight tweaking..he did have to find a rear sump eldorado oil pan & pickup ,that will likely be the hardest part to get reasonably..

I know of several people who installed caddy engines in pickups,we sold every caddilac engine we had at the junkyard quickly--some guys settled for the 425 and 368 engines when that was all we had--BBC engines here are getting scarce (at least carbed ones),and fetch 1000+ bucks easily if they run,period..so the caddy engines became a popular swap seeing more of them were still around..

I "think" some years of the 368 engines came with factory EFI,a throttle body setup I think,I could be wrong though,they may have had a multi-port..--I'm more familiar with the 4 bbl engines like the 68-76 472's and 500's..
I think a good Q-jet tuned right on a stock 500 should be able to deliver 12-14 mpg if driven sanely...tromp on it once though,and a gallon will vanish in a hurry..
 
82355 said:
No.

Probably a TH400. I honestly don't know.

Martin
Click to expand...

Martin, you make me laugh. You seem to have the entire option chart memorized for every year of square-body production...but multiple times you haven't bothered finding out what your own trucks have. I find that lightheartedly funny. :haha:

:thumb:
 
I didn't know you could put a 4x4 output shaft in the Cadillac TH400, if so, that makes things alot easier.
Spacers on the TC bolts sounds like something I don't want any part of.

Using a piece of 1/2 inch steel is what I planned on using for motor mounts, following the montra of "If it looks dumb, but works, It isnt dumb"

Also, the Cadillac engines are dirt cheap, compared to big block Chevys here. For example, from the same junkyard, a 73 Tall deck 366 in a bus, was $400, while the 500 in a 71 Eldo was $150.

And, craigslist prices reflect that.
 
campfire said:
Martin, you make me laugh. You seem to have the entire option chart memorized for every year of square-body production...but multiple times you haven't bothered finding out what your own trucks have. I find that lightheartedly funny.
Click to expand...

It is a C20 I bought for parts. The 500 Cadillac means nothing to me. A 2wd transmission means nothing to me. Especially a BOP 2wd transmission. Also, it has a 500, so it is clearly not stock, so knowing what was available from the factory does little in this situation.

Martin
 
The Griff said:
For example, from the same junkyard, a 73 Tall deck 366 in a bus, was $400, while the 500 in a 71 Eldo was $150.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't buy either of those.

It is supply and demand. People are still using trucks with tall deck big blocks in them. No one needs a 500 Cadillac.

Find a short deck big block. and move on.

Martin
 
Again, I'd have no issue running a 396 or 454, Its just that the 472/500 is something I've always wanted to put in a truck.

That being said, I'll haul away that 500 and trans for ya, free of charge.
 
82355 said:
It is a C20 I bought for parts. The 500 Cadillac means nothing to me. A 2wd transmission means nothing to me. Especially a BOP 2wd transmission. Also, it has a 500, so it is clearly not stock, so knowing what was available from the factory does little in this situation.

Martin
Click to expand...

I'm not making fun of you, Martin. Your answer makes sense. It just caught me off guard. You are quite meticulous with the options tables (which you clearly care about), but not with this hunk of iron in front of you (which you clearly don't). I just found the contrast funny, as most folks are the other way around. :cool:

:D
 
I was hoping someone would ask.

The Cadillac is only about 40 lbs heavier than a 350. You can take a late 70's 500, put earlier heads and pistons in it, and have over 400 HP and over 600 FT LBs. Then the Caddy is capable of getting stupid good mileage for what it is, In the land yacht it came it, it wasn't impossible to get over 20 MPG.
And although the Caddy doesnt have the aftermarket support, with a better intake and cam, they can hold their own with some newer diesel trucks.

A friend of mine used to have a 63 C20, first he put a tall deck 427 in it, then a few months later he put a 472 cadillac in it, and the caddy blew the tall deck out of the water on the torque front, and got almost 18 MPG on the highway, when the tall deck only got around 9.


By no means am I hating on big block Chevys, like I said, I'll probably end up running one, I'd just like to run a Caddy.
 
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Speaking from first hand experience, its easy to get a Chevy bell housing to bolt up. Adapter plates do not require the use of spacers between the flex plate and crankshaft. The starter jumps out plenty far to grab the ring gear.

Caddies don't get near the mileage everybody claims. Mine did an average of about 9, of course this was in my crew cab with a whole lot of tire. All the claims of being close to a diesel in torque and mileage just aint true. At least not in my experience. Sure, it had some power, no doubt about that. Would it pull a trailer and never bog down on that hill, no. More pulling power than a 454 but nothing like todays modern diesel. Not even close.
 
For the record, mind had a NV4500 behind it. very easy to do. Drill a clearance hole in the back end of the crank and knock in a pilot bushing for the transmission input shaft. Put your adapter on and bolt the trans up. Done deal.

Some will tell you the hole you drill needs to be done by a machinist. Again, not true. Drill it reasonably straight and call it a day.

I probably still have a billet flywheel around somewhere that would help you out if you want it.
 
I was gonna say I've never seen the mileage claims playout. They are powerful motors though. Plus they look great. Much better looking than a big block
 
I kind of figured the mileage was a bit too good to be true, but honestly as long as it gets the same as, or better than a BBC, I'd be Happy.


Though all the 15 MPG getting 700 Ft lb making 5 speed shifted Cadillac fun is good and all, but no use if there is no truck to put it in.

As much as I do like the Blazer I've got now, I keep thinking I'd rather have a 3/4 ton pickup.
 
I really like them. I just don't like the claims you find online. I guess people trying to justify why they spent the time and money to do the swap. I did the swap because I wanted to. Still got one of my motors.

I like the distributor in the front. I like the firing order and some of the other mechanical aspects of the engine. Pretty cool how light they are compared to a BBC. We put my blazer with the 513 caddy on a chassis dyno and put out 300 plus horse at the wheels which is pretty impressive. Same engine with a few tweaks will find its way into my Camaro at some point.
 
Another thing I'd like to add to the list of plans for the truck I don't yet own, I'd like to do an 8 ft stepside, But that might be next to impossible to find.
I know Diesel4Me and Campfire both have them, but as far as seeing them in person, I've only ever seen two, both white C20's, one a 67, the other an 84. Both of them in amazingly good condition, and both for almost $20K.

But that might be something that only works out if the truck I find needs a bed.
 
This is the reason I shouldn't be on CL at 2 AM

http://mattoon.craigslist.org/cto/5516232540.html

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We went to the 2007 Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Drove down in a buddies 1972 Cadillac with a 472.

Got 11 miles to the gallon there and back, all highway miles.

Plus they are a really ugly engine compared to a big block Chevrolet.

Martin
 
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