injected v8 conversion

[turbo304]

Hi everyone im a bit new to this i have a 77 model cf bedford swb which i have taken the old 6 out of and want to fit a newly rebuilt injected 304 but i have run into diffculty with the engine mounts.

Can anyone tell me what engine mounts fit this conversion and is there anyone out there who has done this before

Many Thanks
Glen

[Jason 253 CF]

Not too sure but check if the mounting points on the block for the mounts are the same as a 308 and if they are the same then you should not have a problem because many people have done 308 conversions on bedies a couple of people on here have 308's from memory. Also there is a company called tuff mounts that make heavy duty mounts for new engine conversions like 5 liters and ls1's to fit older cars so give them a try if you get stuck. Let us know how you go because I was think of an injected 5 liter to replace the 253 in the future

[Merlin]

the old v8 engine mounts bolt up but you have to remove the ally aircon mount and you have to fabricate a new alternator mount the early one wont do as the 304 pulleys stick out further . The alternative is to cut the existing mounts off the front end and fab new ones .as for those "tough" mounts mentioned I dont recomend them in a street car unless you dont mind excessive engine vibrations in your van .Mark has them in his van and we find them very harsh    Cheers Neil

[turbo304]

thanks guys that info has put my mind at ease  the van was originally a $500 ebay bargain and im looking forward to getting it finished.

[Zeeman]

The 253/308 motors bolt straight up to the original bedford mounts, with appropriate mounting rubbers.

The main problem, though is it positions the engine quite far forward in the engine bay, leaving no room for thermo fan etc, and less than ideal weight distribution.

In one of my old vans, the original mounts were cut and rewelded at the back of the crossmember by a certified welder. They were swapped L + R and turned around so they angled towards the back. The sides were boxed with plate for a bit of added strength. The were also a little lower, so the engine cover wasn't too big.

This leaves you heaps of room for radiator/fan/etc and keeps the handling decent.

[Hippo]

I am doing the same as Zeeman has explained, my mounts will be welded nearly in the
middle of the cross member which will place the harmonic balancer just over the steering
rack and the sump behind it. Because it's a Gen3 LS1 I had to make a plate to bolt the engine
mount onto the block, will post pics at end of March when I arrive back in Australia.

Dennis

[Hippo]

Addendum to last posting.
I just swapped the cut off bedford mounts L&R and they angled forward, because of where I have mounted the
engine mounts on the adaptor plate (at the very front) this positioned the bedford mounts close to the center
of the X member. The harmonic balancer sits in front of the steering rack and the sump behind the rack.
I still have to lengthen the mounts as they miss the X member by around 10mm or so. I used these mounts:
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Holden-V8-HT-HK-HG-engine-and-transmission-mount-NEW-/250772369773?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3a6332b16d

Dennis

[ben]

In one of my old vans, the original mounts were cut and rewelded at the back of the crossmember by a certified welder. They were swapped L + R and turned around so they angled towards the back. The sides were boxed with plate for a bit of added strength. The were also a little lower, so the engine cover wasn't too big.

This leaves you heaps of room for radiator/fan/etc and keeps the handling decent.

this is what im going to do but.......

because the motor will be behind the front end ever time you go over a bump you are pushing the front end forward and will put excess strain on the castor rod mounts because they are not designed to operate with the front end pulling away. you will run into problems eventually.. either beef them up or keep an eye on them. (rod fraska told me he had this trouble) i havent experienced this in my red van which has same setup with a small block chev.


ben

[turbo304]

Hey everyone thank you all for your info it has helped alot. Has anyone in New South Wales registered a bedford with a 5L recently because i have been told that the RTA will not register a bedford van with a 304/308 even with an engineers certificate.

If anyone has any info it would be appreciated because im starting to go bald over this engine 

[obsession]

yea you need to talk to "rubman"
he might be the 1 to chat to. Check the members list and pm him.