So I am finally get around to working on my old sweptline. Not looking to make a show stopper just a beater. We have it lowered now to where we want it so onto the next puzzle piece. It came from the factory with a granny geared 4 speed and we want to swap it for a torqueflite. I see upon inspection that the mounting points for this trans and the TF and nowhere near similar. My question is there a simple way to swap this over to a TF, or do we just need to get in there and fab something up. Just curious if there is a "factory" type swap we can do or not. FWIW the truck in question is a 68 D100

IIRC those trannys just hung there from the mounts at the bell.

Use the mounts from a 69-71 and it will make your life much easier. I have a 68 D300 for parts that has everything you need and a 70 D100 with the trans for a big block. The 68 uses a dash mounted shifter and the 70 uses a column mounted shifter, BIG difference! The 70 uses a trans mount.

You don't mention the engine, but if it's a small block, you can swap in an A518 with no trouble and get OD cheap.

Engine is a SB, although truck was originally a 383. Trying to do this as cheaply as possible. Truck is just a shop beater, paid a couple hundred for it as a running driving car. Drove it for two years as a daily driver. Am trying to keep the buying to a minimum. I can fab up a crossmember fairly easily and already have a nice TF and shifter. Was thinking if there was a craossmember out there that did not break the bank would go that way. I already have three racecars which is kinda limiting the spending on these other cars. Just need to get it up and running again and as reliable as I can so we can drive it again. Then onto the 64 Savoy Wagon

I just built mine ..

You need to cut the bellhousing crossmember out, build or get some spanners from an auto truck and get or build a transmission crossmember for an automatic truck. On the 61-68 trucks the bellhousing crossmember strengthens the frame where the rear of the leafsprings bolt on so you can't just remove it without frame strengthening.

I'm going through this myself. Sure is a beast getting the engine/tranny out!

R.

Just remove the bell crossmember and build a new one for the auto. The new crossmember should be attached to both the upper frame flange and the lower frame flange on both sides or it will break the frame flange off which every flange you use if only use one flange on each side, least that was my experience years ago. Gene

Here's what Gene was talking about.

and the transmission mount.

Have you been in my backyard at night taking pictures? It sure looks familiar!
Actually, thanks for the photos. I was under the impression that the crossmember was riveted in. Now I see there are bolts.

AlAguire, how do the mounts differ between 383 and 318?

Thanks,

R.

Shhhhhhh, some folks would not be happy if they knew I was in their yards at night.
The things is I just cut up an 84 frame to haul to the scrap yard and couldn't find what I did with the cross member. Had to crawl under my beater for the pic.

Well trans is out.What a PITA that was...Mine does not have a rear mount like that, in fact I even have a different yoke set up on mine. It had a mount on the bellhousing area only. That was the PITA to remove. Now we will cut that mount out and get the auto in and begin fabbing up some mounts for it. Converter and bolts showed up today. Time to get it in and see what we need to do.

Anybody want a perfectly good working granny gear set up complete

Al it should be easy to find the right crossmember in the Vegas area, I know I have seen plenty of 69-71 trucks in pick-n-pulls there lately.

I know you don't have that cross member. I was showing it to illustrate What Gene was telling you about the frame flanges.

I put a 80s auto crossmember in my 65 had to drill new holes
other than that no prob.

This is how it was done from the factory.

Looks like one cross member too many.