major swap difficulty in Saudi Arabia

[amirgw]

Greetings from the desert and sunny land (110F).. Saudi Arabia! I am a new owner of a 1968 M715, just purchased it from a military liquidation (more than 200 M715s were sold as scrap metal, only about 20-30 are saved from the burner!)

anyway, long story short, I've been doing some research on swaps and I am planning to do a major swap (not myself but through a professional mechanic) unfortunately I am not a mechanic i know some stuff here and there but I have a demanding job and family! but I need to fix this truck to share it with my 16 year old son.

the suggested swap is to buy a 454 GMC 4x4 truck or Suburban (or Chevy) either damaged from a flip or a side/back accident, or old (1978-1986). pull out everything attached to it and install it on my M715 (i.e. engine, differentials, transmission, fuel system, steering system, etc…. ) basically it will be a GMC covered with an M715
there is two main reasons for this choice, 1- lower cost 2- easy to do and maintain by local workshops.
the problem is the following: my mechanic is an old fashion guy, no internet or PC interest or time! Only two languages none of which is English! My second problem, how can I explain the language being used by professional M715ers here is extremely difficult for me to understand, for example neither him or I will understand DANA 70 or 60, CUCV axles.
The way that all mechanics over here understand which spares to put is to tell him for example, I need to install the following:
1991 GMC truck 454 engine
1986 ford transmission 4x4
1979 GMC differentials
Etc..
Plus, no one has any idea what is an m715, so You cannot imagine my frustration over here!

Amir

[brute4c]

The engine is actually easy to install...one of our members, Barrman, posted this:

Take a 1/4"x4" piece of flat stock. Trace the engine side of a Chevy motor mount onto the plate. Drill out the 3 holes and bolt it to your engine. Leave the stock 230 motor mounts in the frame. Set your engine into the truck where you want it. Mark on the plate where the 230 motor mount holes are. Remove the plates, drill and tap the holes. Cut off all un needed metal and put the plates back on. Your Chevy engine is now bolted in. These have become known in our world as "Spicer Plates." That is because a former member, Spicergear, made these up and actually took pictures and told other people about them.

I did this in April of 2005 with my 396/NV4500 combo. Here is the drivers side installed taken from under the truck then.


Here is the passenger side. I didn't have the hole drilled yet. This was taken while I was setting it up.




These are those plates off the truck:








For the trans mount, you may be able to do what Barrman has done there too...see this thread for more info:

Magazine article about SBC install

Hope that helps get ya started.

[amirgw]

Thanks a lot brute4c. Is my suggested GMC/Chevy full swap doable? Or am I going to have issues?

Amir

[brute4c]

I know people have done it...its probably the most common type swap...though I havent done one, many others have.

[Ronner]

Depending on what your intended use will be for your truck you might want to make sure that the donor vehicle that you are going to get is a 1 ton or at least 3/4 ton. Be a shame to have such a capable and heavy duty running around with a fragile 10/12 bolt axle combo.
Also you will want to make sure you don't get an electronically shifted t-case.
If you do want that light running gear you might be better off just doing a body swap than switching everything to the 715 frame.

[randyscycle]

I am using a 396 Chevy engine (same external dimensions as a 454) and TH400 transmission. The rest of the drivetrain is stock. It works very well, and is one of the easier swaps I have done.

[ryanroo]

i am using all GM parts as well. most are from a 1986 K30 chevy truck. i did lots of modifications and took a different route than some others who did similar swaps. i just recently started driving the thing and i am very pleased with how it came out. it runs down the road very well at 65 MPH. it should also be capable off road but i havent tested that yet.

there are tons of pictures of what i did in this marathon thread

found one

ryan

[rossfender]

im in saudi too, and have a 715.... where are you loacted and what shop did you use ?