Here's my reply to you: The engine and trans I used came out of a 71 Polara 383 with all acc. and trans.
1) I have power steering. Replaced pressure valve in the 1971 pump with one out of the 1980 pump and used original hose to the Diplomat.
2) Used factory SB spool mounts. Bolted right up and I didn't have to drill or cut them like you did.Which weakens them.
3) If you use the trans mount to your body it will bolt up to the 727 trans and bolt right up to the crossmember with no modifications.
4) Any headers will work. I have Black Jack headers from the 70's in mine. Also tried my son's BB Hookers for an Abody also fit. Depending on which headers you use you can use a small starter.
5) A C body 187 oil pan works great. Car runs 11.50
6) If you have your car lifted on stands you can put the engine and trans in together. I know this is how I done it.
Here is the deal. I did this for a mostly drag race car.
1. I have manual steering.
2. Used factory late model BB spool motor mounts.
3. The tranny mount (not the cross member) needs a little modifications.
4. Hedman Hedders 78030 work great in a Volare.
5. I put in a cheap 26" aluminum radiator with the upper and lower ports matching a BB.
6. Milodon 30931 oil pan
7. I am using manual brakes. You can stick with PB but you will need to find a different power booster that will clear the valve cover. An A-body one might work.
Details:
Using the stock motor mounts will put the engine about a 1/2" further forward then using the Schumacher conversion mounts and a little taller. What I did was got a set of beat BB motor mounts and drilled some 1/4" holes through the rubber on the engine side of each mount. (They sit just a little wide and you need some extra give. I also trimmed the extra rubber and metal off the front and back of the motor mounts making them flush to the spool insert front and back. If you don't do that when you get it in the K frame mounts it tweaks the engine so it sits crooked in the engine bay. You will need to buy a bunch of flat washer and cut slots out of the bottom. When you trim the spool ends it leaves a gap on the K-frame mount and you have to fill the gap before you tighten down or you will never get them tight. I did that with cheap washers.
The only mod I did on my K frame was on the passenger side at the front of the motor mount. There is a long thin v fin towards the front of the car. I took a grinder and cut it off because the engine block hits it.
The tranny mount has 2 slots. You need to cut them open on the end that goes to the front of the car. You will then be able to have enough adjustment to get it connected to the 727 tranny. If you weld you can extend the slots.
I used the headers listed above. There are 2 styles of BB headers (that I have seen) this version will not work, Hooker Headers 5209HKR. It has the 5 tube cross over and the 7 sticks out. The 7 will not clear the steering.
You cannot use a small starter or modern starter. It will hit the header tube. They sell expensive indexable style starters that will work. I just bought a old style 440 starter (It has a longer motor and a little more torque) For those that will ask, I did try banging some clearance in a headers tube to fit the small style starter. I got the tube to half the original diameter and gave up. Not worth it to loose that much flow in 1 tube. I have not had an issue with heat saturation to the starter yet.
For a drive shaft I went and found one out of a 70 station wagon and had it shortened. I would not recommend using the small diameter drive shaft. I have a mild 400 and it feels radically different launch then my 375hp 360.
I also chose to cut part of the fender well out on the passenger side to make it easier to get to the #6 spark plug. All the rest are easy. If you don't want to go that route you can drill a 1.5" hole in front of the #6 and get to it that way. The plug wire will still be a pain.
Oil pans: I started with a 699 (this is a number stamped in to the bottom of the pan ... Follow this link for an oil pan breakdown:
http://www.440source.com/oilpans.htm) But the one I had did not have any baffles. After talking to a friend that has been racing BB Mopar for 20 years I switched to the Milodon listed above. He said that with a good launch and no baffles ( i am not exactly clear on what he considers a good launch
His car runs in the mid 10's.) you will starve the bottom bearings. He then warned me that it could still be done with a baffled stock oil pan so I chickened out and ponied up some cash. Back to oil pan options.
Mopar pans 699, 971, and 187 should fit fine. 971 is best just due to the extra room from the front of the pan to where the sump starts and you can still buy one from Mopar 5007807.
These are all 5 quart pans and if you are just street driving. I would just find a used stock pan and go for it. Most generic aftermarket oil pans are elongated 187 pans. Using a 187 or 699 might require a little trimming on the lip on the back of the k frame where the sump sits.
Do not try to put the engine and tranny in together. The engine hits the firewall and prevents the oil pans from clearing the k frame. I tried!
I also chained down the driver side of the engine since I beat up on the motor mounts quite a bit.
There is no reason that this could not be done with a 440 but the extra 1/2" a side is going to make the passenger side even tighter fit.
If you have your act together there is not reason that you couldn't put a BB in your F or a normal weekend. But they will be long days.
Dan...
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