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Chevy El Camino Big Block Engine, Transmission & Custom Driveshaft Fitment Check - StuffedProject Brutus Is Almost Ready To Hit The Road From the March, 2010 issue of Chevy High Performance By Sean Haggai Photography by Sean Haggai
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It's been some time now and we've been toying with the idea of finally getting the big-block between the framerails for good. Along the way we have hit some snags here and there for sure. Our initial trial fit revealed fitment issues with the headers and valve covers, and there was no means of fastening the transmission to the factory crossmember. Traditionally, Chevelle frames (including convertibles) have an open design which makes for an easier transmission crossmember swap or modification. On the flip side, our El Camino's frame is boxed which makes for any modifications to the crossmember more difficult. Currently there are no aftermarket crossmembers available for an El Camino. Additionally, our RHS 320cc aluminum cylinder heads have a raised exhaust port (0.500 inches) creating a different angle once the headers are installed. Add in the larger set of 2-inch primary headers from Doug's Headers and you can see the fit is a squeeze. Luckily though, we got in touch with Fab-tech in Chatsworth, California, and these welding pros are responsible for the likes of Al Jimenez's hustling 7-second second-gen Camaro. They design and build a lot of heavily modified street machines, so it seemed only natural to get them involved to line up our drivetrain with precision accuracy and design the perfect transmission crossmember to hold everything in place. To get the job handled, we hauled our El Camino over to their neck of the woods and brought them everything they needed to drop in the drivetrain. First, we bolted up the engine to the transmission and fastened the torque converter to the flexplate. Once we positioned in the engine/tranny combo, owner Jaime Voorhees checked measurements for the new crossmember. We polished off the install by adding polygraphite engine and transmission mounts from Performance Suspension Technology and secured the bulk of the components in place with fasteners from Totally Stainless, including bolts, washers, and nuts. We also installed our Doug's Headers and to finish off the install, the Fab-tech gang made sure to measure up for our Denny's driveshaft. We'll illustrate a full "how-to" in an upcoming issue. With everything all ready to go and the El Camino on the racks, the install took a better portion of the day. In fact, the Fab-tech team had the motor and transmission installed with the new crossmember before noon. Once the motor and transmission were set, we even show what to look for when measuring for the perfect driveshaft. Tag along as the gang from Fabtech gets our big-block and TH400 combination to fit our A-body El Camino. Quick Notes
What We Did
Fitted the El Camino with a complete drivetrain and measured for a custom driveshaft Bottom Line
We get the big-block and Turbo 400 to fit with a little fab work  To gain a better perspective...  To gain a better perspective of what we were in for, as well as a better illustration of the install, we headed over to Fab-tech in Chatsworth, California. It was there we rolled the El Camino onto the racks and manifested a plan of action. First, we would drop in the motor and transmission. From there Fabtech could measure and determine the best means of fastening down the transmission, which would then allow them to get the dimensions for our Denny's driveshaft.  Before we could install the...  Before we could install the engine, we fastened our new set of engine mounts from PST. These mounts are constructed out of Polygraphite, making them stronger than the standard OEM replacement style and still offer the factory mounting locations. Using our Totally Stainless bolt kit, we fastened the set down with a 3/8-inch socket.  With the hood removed for...  With the hood removed for better access, we mated up the engine and transmission and attempted to lower the combination into the engine bay. We learned that with the deeper aftermarket oil pan from Milodon, and added girth of the Turbo 400 transmission, the whole package could not be lowered in as one unit.  To clear our Master Power...  To clear our Master Power brakes booster assembly, we opted for a set of "clearance" valve covers from Moroso. These valve covers have the same exact fabricated look that we like, however the exhaust sides of the covers are clearanced to fit in tighter engine bays.  Once again we lowered in the...  Once again we lowered in the engine between the framerails, lining up the frame mounts to the PST engine mounts and slid in our bolts. Note: We left the engine mount bolts loose until the transmission was set in place with the new crossmember.  Next, we lifted the car up...  Next, we lifted the car up so we could slide the transmission from underneath. From there we placed a hydraulic jack underneath the transmission pan and lifted the transmission up to meet the engine block dowels. Once lined up we fastened our 7/16-inch bolts to hold the combination. At this time we were still using the stock crossmember to hold the setup until we could build our new piece.  With the combo in, we discovered...  With the combo in, we discovered it was pointing a couple inches off center. This meant our headers for the passenger side were going to hit hitting the frame and would need to be clearanced. To straighten the drivetrain, we loosened the motormount bolts on the frame to unbind the mess. Once Jaime straightened the setup, we fastened the engine mounts down for final.  Fab-tech decided the best...  Fab-tech decided the best method of holding the transmission would be to ditch the stock crossmember and build a completely new one since the stock one would not mount to our longer Turbo 400.  To begin, we fastened our...  To begin, we fastened our PST transmission mount (hardware included) to find a starting point. We also removed the stock crossmember and held the combination up with another stand.  Lucky for us, Fab-tech stocks...  Lucky for us, Fab-tech stocks universal transmission brackets. We grabbed their shelved piece which Junior Shostle modified to fit our TH400 application. Shostle installed the modified transmission bracket to the PST mount to assure a solid fit. Best part is, the new fabbed mount is flat-out perfect and will allow easy removal if need be.  While Junior was welding,...  While Junior was welding, owner Jaime Voorhees began work on fabbing up the frame mounts. Using angle iron stock, Jaime cut and used a 2x2x3/16-inch mild steel piece. Next, he measured the existing holes on the frame and made new holes in the brackets on the mill. Jaime then located the ideal center and radiused off the excess metal to round off the bracket.  Using some 7/16-inch bolts...  Using some 7/16-inch bolts and nuts, we mounted up the new brackets to the existing frame mounts on both sides.  From there, Junior finished...  From there, Junior finished up the transmission mount by attaching it to the bottom of the transmission using the supplied PST hardware.  With a keen eye, Jaime took...  With a keen eye, Jaime took note of the location of the transmission mount to either sides of the frame. He mocked up piece of 11/4x0.120-inch wall mild steel tubing and got to work on the bender. This piece would serve as a template to follow with on the final bar, which would extend to both sides of the frame.  Jamie grabbed a fresh piece...  Jamie grabbed a fresh piece of tubing and made sure it was long enough to fit between the framerails. Using the template bends from the mock up piece, he fabricated the new bar. All that was left was to weld the bar to the frame brackets and then to the transmission mount.  Junior started welding and...  Junior started welding and created a solid one-piece transmission crossmember, at the same time he tacked in the bar to the frame brackets. Once set, we removed the new Fab-tech crossmember and Junior continued his machine-like welds to the remainder of the bars' joints. It's one solid piece now!  Moving on to the headers,...  Moving on to the headers, we knew the space available was going to be limited. If it wasn't for the raised exhaust ports (often seen on aftermarket cylinder heads), our headers would have been a cinch to install. Because of the 0.500-inch raised exhaust port, it put our larger 2-inch headers in a bind against the framerails and our steering shaft. We should mention that we ordered up our Doug's headers in raw form to address the fitment issues, hence some surface rust. Once situated, we're planning to send them out to get coated.  Fab-tech was on target and...  Fab-tech was on target and we massaged any of the header tubes that were interfering with the frame. Using a torch, they heated the affected areas and flattened them with a ball-peen hammer. The passenger side was clearanced for the frame, while the driver's side tubes were clearanced for the steering shaft and frame. The good news is that any clearancing was minimal and thanks to the skills of Fab-tech, everything looks like it came right out of the factory.  It's taken a couple of years...  It's taken a couple of years to get our Elco to this point, but the drivetrain is within the confines of our El Camino and the 2-inch headers from Doug's Headers look great. All we need now is the proper measurements for our Denny's driveshaft. You'll appreciate how easy it can be with the correct diagrams and easy-to-follow instructions that Denny's offers. Stay tuned as we'll have a complete Step-By-Step on how to measure for a driveshaft and how to install one into your A-body.
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