buick 455 swap

[crisp]

anyone know anything about a buick 455 swap into our trucks?

[Kaiserman]

Several people have swapped them into civilian full size Jeep, which came stock with Buick 350's form 68-71.

Usually you need a body lift to clear the heater core housing, but that may not be an issue for you if you don't have a heater.

Not sure if the stock FSJ B350 frame horns would work with a 455, the blocks are wider iirc. But you may be able to make them work. If a 350 bell housing fits a 455 then you should be able to one from a 350/T18 rig (like mine) I would think it would work with the T98 since the two trannys are so similar. Novak or advance may have an adapter kit for this swap.

[crisp]

no i dont have a heater. how much firewall modification would i have to do?

[randyscycle]

Fisherman did a 350 Buick swap in his M715. You may want to PM him, as he has a lot of info on his.

I seem to recall he used a 350 Buick bellhousing and then had to swap the input shaft in the T98 as well.

[Kaiserman]

Non if you adjust the motor to fit where the stock 350's woud have sat. You can mount a stock FSJ cross member to your frame (holes are probably there) to mount your T98 to. Then modify the length of your jack shaft based on how far/close the tranny yoke is to your 200.

The main parts you would need (that I can think of off the top of my head) would be the correct bell housing, motor mounts and what ever it would take to make the clutch and transmission work with the 455. And a radiator.

It may be cheaper/easier to get a T18A/D20 from a FSJ that came with a 350 then to use your T98. You would also get rid of the transfer case heat issues that way. You might be able to use stock civilian driveshafts.

[fisherman]

A dana 20 won't last very long behind a 455. You will need engine, motor mounts from a fullsize jeep truck. BOP bellhousing and flywheel. The t98 can stay in the stock location. You will need to install a t18 long input shaft and carrier bearing from a standard J truck four speed t18 into your t98. Stock 11 inch clutch, I went hydraulic. Mock everything up off your stock trans location. There should be plenty of room for the 455 and radiator. You can modify the stock grill by moving the radiator drivers side support over to allow the 455 four core to bolt right in. Fan clearance shouldn't be an issue. However heater clearance may be an issue if the 455 is wider? Other than that it is pretty easy. The hardest part is finding a BOP bellhousing from a 4 speed J truck and finding the carrier bearing and input shaft. The bellhousing and input shaft are long. Make sure your pilot bushing is new. I made my own the first time then had to have a proffesional Al help me make new ones out of the correct materials. So far so good and I love the torque of my buick 350.

[Kaiserman]

Aren't the BOP T15 bell housings the same as the T18 bells? The bell housing isn't any longer then any other bell, but they use a 6" or so spacer behind them in between them and the tranny. Wonder if that is the same as the T15 spacer as well?

D20 are a lot stronger then people give them credit, a fair amount of them are living under FSJ's with big blocks with no problem.

[crisp]

so, im if hearing correctly, i need to get a t18 input long shaft, and a BOP bellhousing, t18? t15?

[Kaiserjeeps]

The 455 is the same width as the 350. There is no body lift needed to clear the heater. It's tight back there in that corner but the 455 will not take up any more space there. The 455 is longer not wider. My 69 waggie and the 70 are sitting right here. I have 350 and a 455 also right here. I am not sure why there is or was a fit problem for anyone. It is proven or "I heard"?

[Kaiserman]

It is proven or "I heard"?

It's proven by several people on IFSJA, but maybe they used some sort of aftermarket motor mounts?