Dynaflow or manual trans. Straight 8 engine block???

[Guest Duanesk]

How can you tell weather a 263 straight 8 originally had a dynaflow or manual transmission attached to it (engine does not have a flywheel)? Can a dynaflow engine be used with a manual transmission?

Thanks,

Duane

1946 56C

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Duane:

Look at the back of the crankshaft for a place for the transmission main shaft pilot bearing. If there's one there, it's a conventional manual transmission. If not, it's a Dynaflow engine. The crankshaft part numbers are found in Group 0.646 and are 1337372 for a 1949/1950 40-50 with Dynaflow and 1339819 for a manual transmission car.

Your car (1946) was of course a manual job. The subsitution is one way (Manual engine can be used with a Dynaflow, but a Dynaflow engine can't be used with a manual transmission, unless you dissassemble the engine and have a pilot bearing hole added. There are internal differences with Hydraulic lifters and different pushrods also.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest Duanesk]

Thanks for the helpful info Dave. I have one last question. Will a 1953 manual engine bolt up to my 1946 transmission and bellhousing?

Thanks again,

Duane

[Guest Mr. Solutions]

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: DaveCorbin</div><div class="ubbcode-body">...

The subsitution is one way (Manual engine can be used with a Dynaflow, but a Dynaflow engine can't be used with a manual transmission, unless you dissassemble the engine and have a pilot bearing hole added. There are internal differences with Hydraulic lifters and different pushrods also.

...</div></div>

Hi Dave

OK, so I understand things in general, but specifics, that is another matter - here's my dumb question for the day... Assuming a fully functional, self-contained etc. Dynaflow engine, why couldn't it be bolted to a manual transmission and expected to work (assuming all other parts are added to match, ie. flywheel etc.) What purpose does the pilot bearing hole serve, and why would the lifters & pushrods make a difference to the transmission.

[i am in fact in this boat - I have a fully rebuilt "Dynaflow" engine (and in the process of being rebuilt car) and a broken "standard" engine, but otherwise functional car, and while the one car is being rebuilt I was hoping to put the engine in the other temporarily to keep movin'. Both are 1951 vintage of the Special kind]

Thanks in advance, and be gentle!

Johan

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Johan:

Without the pilot bearing hole, you can't install a pilot bearing. Without the pilot bearing, the front of the transmission main input shaft has no support forward of the clutch. That will cause the clutch to randomly run out of line, destroying the input shaft and the main cluster gear in the transmission in a VERY few miles. When the teeth go, you lose the entire box almost instantaneously and may even break the iron case itself.

IF you're lucky, you might not be able to get the assembly together. If you do, see above!!

The fact that the lifters and pushrods are different doesn't impact the basic installation of the engine, but you might want to be able to service the engine, so you need to know what's there, as the result could be bent pushrods or dropping a valve into a running engine as you shear off the valve keepers.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Duane:

Short answer: Not sure. 1953 parts book gives two different part numbers for the upper half of the bell housing, one for 1940 thru 1949 Model 40/50 and another for 1950 thru 1952 model 40/50. However, the parts book does show the same lower half used from 1938 thru 1952 Model 40/50. This tells me the two upper halves are nearly alike, but I can't tell what the difference is.

I can tell you that moving any holes on the block is really expensive for the factory to do from a machinery cost point of view, so there has to be a very strong reason to do it, which usually means they don't.

Regards, Dave Corbin

[The Old Guy]

Duane

I installed a 263 in my 1940 and there was no problem with the bell housing match.

[Guest DaveCorbin]

Dear Old Guy:

Was that before or after the first jillion miles you've driven "Old Sweetie"?

(For the rest of you, Old Guy has driven that 1940 quite literally everywhere in the USA to BCA national meets for about 30 years, so an old friend just couldn't resist a small jab.)

Regards, Dave Corbin

[The Old Guy]

Dave

I drove the 40 from 1972 to 1976 with the original engine. Then I ran across a new ,on the palette, 263. It was too much to resist,and knowing the car was going to have the wheels run off, I installed it with a Ch**y truck clutch and a taller gear to make it more user friendly.

We just got back from the BDE in Wisconsin, and the odometer just turned 107,000 miles that it has run for us. I have run with bias tires fir all these miles, but coming home from the upper pennisula in a 40 MPH cross wind and driving rain has made me think that the next set will be radials.