Cadillac 500 in a J20

[SeaBeeJ20]

I am so stupid when it comes to forum searches. Please forgive me for my ignorance. I just acquired a 79 J20 that had the quadratrac system. I was thinking of pulling all of that out and putting in a cadillac 500 as I had built the driveline for a previous truck. This would include a cadillac 500 engine a turbo 350 and an NP 205. The tranny and case are from a 72 GMC and I have all of the mounting brackets as well. Any thoughts? Anyone ever done this swap before?...

HELP!!!!

Thanks for allowing me to join and become a member. I look forward to any and all advice!

Martin

[Achilles]

Here is one:

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=87724&highlight=caddy+engine

[SeaBeeJ20]

Thanks Achilles...

I know all the specs on my engine. I was hoping for someone who had done the swap already and had written it up. I suck at forum searches.

[Cecil14]

There's a good couple people that have done the swap. Look for caddy 500, cadillac 500, 500, caddy, cadillac, etc. Go till you find what you're looking for. Try google if that doesn't work. All the threads here are indexed on google.


aa

[SeaBeeJ20]

Thanks Cecil 14,

I spent abotu two hours last night going through threads and found one with step by step instructions. I look forward to performing my swap and giving detailed instructions as well as current pricing for parts and possibly even youtube videos for people to see this transformation happen.

All the Best!

Martin

[Cecil14]

Sweet - I look forward to seeing it done!

Do you think the TH350 is going to be up for the torque of the 500? It's a pretty beastly motor.


aa

[SeaBeeJ20]

Cecil14,

Yeah.. the 350 can handle it easily. I have a friend here that is a tranny guy and he basically puts all of the 400 parts in the 350 and makes, what was a short lived tranny from GM, a TH375. You turn down the drum and you can add more clutches etc. Pretty simple process and a mild shift kit and the torque monster is handled.

My only real concerns are in the front DANA 44.... yikes,,, I have blown two of those out on my 88 Dodge W250 with a 360.. so im kind of nervous. DANA 60's seem to be harder and harder to find. I would like a DANA 60 but... I will have to wait until one comes my way I guess. I have been looking for a while but to no avail.

Martin

[Cecil14]

Yah...I can definitely see a D44 getting nuked with that much torque. If you were running a driver's drop I'd say go for a hi pinion Ford D44. That would help a bit, though it still probably wouldn't cure the problem. Can't say as I know of any easily obtained HP pass. fronts, though.


aa

[jaber]

Thanks Cecil 14,

I spent abotu two hours last night going through threads and found one with step by step instructions. I look forward to performing my swap and giving detailed instructions as well as current pricing for parts and possibly even youtube videos for people to see this transformation happen.

All the Best!

Martin

I know I'm pulling this out of the past, but I'm looking for the same info and can not find the thread you type of here. Did you by chance save it?

How is your project coming? Are you still doing this or did you change directions?

Thanks.

[bigun]

PM crazy_ jeepman

[Elliott]

My front D44 held up fine with a 500ft/lb 401... it's going to really depend on your driving style, the size wheel you are running, if your bearings have slop and what shape your u-joints are in. With a slushbox the front will hold up even better that with a std tranny, remember, the Caddy rear axle wasn't any D60... Another thing, it seems most of the guys running the Buick 455 are still running the Dana 20 transfer case so if that's holding up for them the D44 ought to do fine if it's in good shape.

[JeepsAndGuns]

My D20 has been holding up behind my 401 pretty good so far. (knock on wood) And I have gone through, a few burnouts...lol I have sheared off a set of spider gears in the rear axle. But other than that, not really any problems.

[COLOFIREMAN]

And PM Tad, he has older pictures of the one that was in River-Beast

[Crazy_Jeepman]

I know I'm pulling this out of the past, but I'm looking for the same info and can not find the thread you type of here. Did you by chance save it?

How is your project coming? Are you still doing this or did you change directions?

Thanks.

What would you like to know, and what rig are you putting it into? As far as the Dana 44's holding out I guess it is going to depend on tire size, gears, and type of wheeling you are going to do. I put a Warmed Over Caddy 425 in a Blazer, and that is way down in specs from the 500. We put a Welded 14 Bolt in the rear when he destroyed the stock axle, but he has brought it back for two front diffs, needs a 3rd one now. He also destroyed a 208 T-Case, sheared the output off. He wheeled the same Blazer set up the same way with the stock 350 without wrecking anything that he is now, but he says he is having much more fun now . I am currently looking for something to put my 500 into......... I think I want some Fun

Here is a Video of his Blazer placing 2nd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oNj6ZOgwXg

[jaber]

OK, I got a Caddy 472 out of a '79 Fleetwood, a Buick bolt pattern TH400 out of a '71 J-truck and I was wondering what I would need to put it into a '75 J-20. I have been looking at this,

http://www.mtscadparts.net/servlet/the-47/SFI-Flexplate/Detail

an was wondering if I would need any kind of spacing? Will this bolt to the Buick style TC?
Do I really have to do the Hydro boost right away(will eventually) or will it fit with the vacuum booster?
I know I'll need to do something with the rad, and motor mounts, but was there any years the oil pan might work. this one seems to be a mid to rear sump, the oil pan is more to the rear, but seems to run quite a ways forward.

Plus, I'm looking for any extra parts that anyone wants to get out of their way. As long as they work for this.

Thanks for your time and experience....