The Swede

I have bought a 63 Starfire 394 to put in my 60 Olds instead of the 394 from 62 which was mounted before. Now I need som help!

1. I still have the jetaway hydramatic and not a slim jim in my car. Shall I use the flexplate from my old 394?

2. The 63 engine has a another waterpump with a new design of the engine mounts. Will this work in my car?

Is there anything else I need to know?

Very thankful for answers!

/Jon

Oldsguy

Jon, if either 88coupe or olds64 don't read your question and answer here, you might send them a private message. They both have had experience with the 394 engines. There is another person but I can't think of his username right now, oh well, maybe later.

59-59-59

I have always wanted to do a '62 394 swap to a '57 - '60 Hydramatic, but went with the TH- 400 conversions from Tanson instead..Anyways, I was thinking of using the flexplate from the '59 or '60 394's, because just look at the '61 - '62 'flexplates. It uses a series of springs on the flexplate and from personal experience, I have no idea what the springs do, plus they were always cracked in half anyways. Plus, where on Earth would you get new springs from? To answer your second question, what is different about the front motor mounts? All 394's have the same front motor mounts, BUT the '63 and '64 394's have the aluminum front cover, versus the cast iron front covers from '59 to '62. Good luck with this conversion...

KQQLCAT

59-59-59 Did you have to cut your floor for the TH400 to fit?

88 coupe

PMs, dealing with technical issues, defeat the purpose of these forums. My responses to them (if I bother to) usually contain a similar statement.

I did not reply, to this thread, because I do not have any positive answers.

Norm

Oldsguy

Norm, I know you like to have accurate and good information for the benefit of all. I wasn't implying use of the PM to keep anything private, just thought you might have missed this particular post, that's all. A secondary benefit to these forums and perhaps primary to some, is to get their problems resolved, not thinking about the benefit that could be gained if everything is kept public. Thanks for the reminder that this is a public forum.

88 coupe

I knew that. I just took advantage of the opening, to put my opinion out there.

And thanks for setting me up, to do it.

Norm

The Swede

Thanks for the tips man!



Very thankful for your answer! Hopefully their will be no problem with the transmisson, I just take all the parts from my 62 engine which is mounted to the trans right now.

If I get you right about the engine mounts. It doesn´t matter if i have the aluminium or cast iron front cover, the engine mounts will be at the same geometrical place either way?

/Jon

59-59-59

I didnt have to cut the floor, as the '62 394 and Tanson conversion went into a 1959 Oldsmobile, and that car has all the room under the transmission tunnel to fit practically anything. To answer The Swede, the 394 mounts are identical - in fact arent all 303 324 371 and 394 identical? In fact, a friend of mine had no problems swapping a 394 into a 1956 Olds, as it was a direct bolt in

88 coupe

Same with my '50. '49 and '50 are identical.

Left exhaust manifold was the only problem

Norm