I have a 1980 cutlass supreme with a stock 260 v8 motor and a 200 transmission. I recently purchased a Buick 350v8 motor and 700r transmission out of a 1972 skylar. What all would need to be changed on my cutlass to make the motor and transmission fit? Would all the be a easy job. What parts do I need to purchase?
Motor swap
- Thread starter Lit_kris
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You should have bought an Olds 350, it would drop right in. I am positive a 72 Skylark did NOT have a 700r transmission. It should be a th350
Sure, you will need Olds motor mounts. To change motor mounts you will probably need to pull the lower control arms. You need an Olds Guy from this site, I'm more knowledgeable with Pontiac and Buick
Anything can work, just a matter of how much money and time you want to put in it.
The mounting bolts for the frame portion of the motor mounts can be got at without having to pull the lower control arms, although with them out of the road it is significantly easier. The crossmember has slots cut in it that allow a wrench to be inserted that will pick up the bolt head or nut while you undo the nut or bolt that holds the mount on. Two or three of them. Re-installing the new mounts is the reverse of removing the old ones BUT I agree that you do have go with the later frame mounts for the G-Body chassis, Olds or Buick version. That replacement motor came from an A-Body and the earlier mounts are physically different, particularly in terms of which half bolts to which location. The older mounts had the rubber biscuit as part of the engine part of the mount. By 1980, the biscuit had become part of the bottom or frame half and the top had become a shell or "clam" One of my other threads has pictures of the G-version mounts on it because i had to deal with them as part of Project Regress.
What the pictures show is an un-modified upper engine mount for a G-body and what the complete mount, upper and lower, look like when attached to the motor and the crossmember. Don't sweat the upper mount in Pic 2; that particular one got some serious 4.5 love in order to get some clearance for the headers that I wanted to run. From the factory it would look like Pic 1. The other thing about these is that the factory rubber insert for the lower mount has been replaced with a urethane version. They are available as a part number from Energy Suspension or similar. To install them you do have to split the lower mount, which is cutting a couple of plug welds, and then doing the swap and a bit of work with a Mig to re-mate the halves but it is not difficult.
Nick
What the pictures show is an un-modified upper engine mount for a G-body and what the complete mount, upper and lower, look like when attached to the motor and the crossmember. Don't sweat the upper mount in Pic 2; that particular one got some serious 4.5 love in order to get some clearance for the headers that I wanted to run. From the factory it would look like Pic 1. The other thing about these is that the factory rubber insert for the lower mount has been replaced with a urethane version. They are available as a part number from Energy Suspension or similar. To install them you do have to split the lower mount, which is cutting a couple of plug welds, and then doing the swap and a bit of work with a Mig to re-mate the halves but it is not difficult.
Nick
As said an Olds 307, 350 and 403 are a direct swap, everything fits. It isn't just the mounts. You need the pulleys and all the accessory mounts for a Buick engine. Neither will work off the 260. It can be done with all the right parts.
Extremely easy and been done many times. The bolt holes in the front cross member that you're using will not be the holes that the SBC will utilize. The SBC will only use 3 of the 4 mounting holes because one will be hanging off from the crossmember - it's not an issue though.
I’m pulling the 260 motor and 200 transmission out and putting a 350 Buick motor with a 700r trans in
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