[packrat]

I'm just finishing up putting a 400 out of a 74 GP into my 79 GMC 4x4. I should have done this years ago. Really simple! This truck was bought new by my granddad and he used it hard, pulling horse trailers and a fifth wheel camper. It had the original sbc 400 in it when I got it but at 155K miles it was pretty tired. The final straw was when both starter bolt holes on the block had broken out, helicoiled and still wouldn't hold, chewed up flexplate and a worn out distributor that apparently is so sloppy that the reluctor hits the pickup and shorts everything out. Anywat, I had a good running GP with horrible rust for a donor, so I thought what the hell. I bought an adapter plate from Jegs for about $55. (Had to wait on a backorder. Not a popular swap, usually guys are going the other way in order to use plentiful BOP pattern cases on Chevy motors.) I was stuck with the Chevy TH400 because its a 4 wheel drive truck. I used the GP's upper metal motor mounts with the Chevy frame mounted pieces by notching the bottom mounts and sliding them back approx. 1 inch. I used the Chevy PS pump hoses on the Pontiac pump. Used the upper and lower radiator hoses off the Pontiac motor. I already had a dual battery system so the battery location wasn't a problem.I used the exhaust flanges off the GP to match the stock Pontiac log manifolds. Looks like there's plenty of room for headers if a guy wanted to. I think I'll modify the torque converter shield from the truck since it incorporates brace rods to strenghten the tranny. I thought this was a great, easy, cheap swap that some of you might want to try. I couldn't see spending a couple thou to rebuild the sbc 400 when I had a free engine sitting right here. Can't wait to see how the gas mileage and towing power compare. Wonder what I'll tear up first?!