Engine Swap - S10 V8 Conversion 101: Volume 3

1. To begin the swap, the old engine was removed. The driveshaft was unbolted, along with the transmission. All wiring and connections were unplugged and labeled. The engine mounts were then unbolted, and the engine was picked out and sold to a junkyard.

2. Since we were building our own engine mounts, the easiest way to center the engine in the frame was to measure from the inside of the framerails to the center of the crankshaft. The engine should sit at a 6-degree angle, tilted rearward.

3. Once we had all the measurements of exactly where the engine would need to be mounted, Bobby measured the engine mounts and cut them from 2x1/4-inch flat stock.

4. The bolt holes were measured using the corresponding bushing, and then marked and drilled.

5. The sides of the mounts were rounded to clean up the appearance of the overall engine mount.

6. Here's a look at the three pieces that will become a motor mount.

7. After double-checking all his measurements, Bobby welded the mount together.

8. The mount was welded to the frame on all sides to support the weight of the 350-cid small-block.

9. The engine mount is made from a 1/4-inch-thick steel triangle, which was traced and is consistent with the motor mount holes on the block of our engine. This piece also consists of 1-3/4-inch tubing and two pieces of 3/4-inch tubing, both of 0.120-wall thickness. The length of the 1-3/4-inch tubing corresponds to the size of our bushings as well as the width of the motor mount welded to the frame. The length of the 3/4-inch tubing determines how high our engine will sit.

10. After all the mounts were built and welded together, we dropped our mock-up motor back on the frame. We then bolted up all the mounts to check our measurements.

11. We bolted on the Advanced Adapters Slick Fit headers to check the clearance of the motor mounts. It was close, so we took the necessary precautions by having the headers and entire exhaust system CermaKromed by Caps Brite Hot Coatings in Fresno, California, which will help protect the bushings from heat.

12. Once the mounts were in place, the new motor was bolted to the frame so we could finish installing the pulleys and accessories.

13. Not only did we want our motor to run good, we also wanted it to look the part. We continued with our hot-rod theme by using Billet Specialties Hot Rod hardware to finish off the motor.

14. The pulleys are an important but often overlooked aspect of engines. When strength counts, you want something that can withstand the test of time. We bolted up a Billet Specialties water-pump pulley because it looks badass and is machined from 6061-T6 billet aluminum, offering incredible balance and strength.

15. Next, we installed a Billet Specialties crankshaft pulley featuring the same high-quality craftsmanship.

16. To add to the character of our motor, we decided on a Billet Specialties flamed, oval air cleaner.

17. The alternator bracket from Billet Specialties includes easy-to-read instructions that outline the steps to install the bracket and alternator.

18. With the alternator installed, the engine really began to take shape.