Need info on 230 to Dodge 270 swap for truck

[Drew M.]

I am considering swapping out my 230 for a V8 to get higher revs being the truck has 5.83 gears (Dodge M37). I found a 270 poly locally. It is from a 1956 Dodge car that had an auto trans. Will the 270 bolt up to the 230's bellhousing and flywheel (4-speed)? Thanks.

[Drew M.]

The flathead 6 bellhousing is not the same as the tiny hemi/poly bellhousing.

The tiny hemi/poly uses an 8 bolt crank flange - so later LA smallblock flywheels can't be used being they are 6 bolt.

On the good side, the pilot bushing i.d. between the 6 and tiny V8's is the same.

[David Bemis]

Drew,
I'm no expert, but the answers are out there. Start by going to WWW.Uglytruckling.com. This company makes kits for this. I believe that the bell bolt pattern on the 270 is the same as for the 318/340/360 and their bells will bolt to your tranny. The flywheel/starter issue I am myself trying to get clear. I am putting a 270 into a Carryall. I will need to use a "floating power" bracket for the front as my block doesn't have any "ears" at the front like most early hemis for the front mounts. I don't know if this common with the 270 or not. Good luck.

[Dana]

Dave, also hang out at the dodgepowerwagon.com forum. The M-37 forum (Big Electric) has been down for a few weeks, don't know if it'll be back or not, but the Power Wagon guys know the M-37s also. There's one guy that goes by 'hemiman', he's stuck a 241 in his M-37 and the original four-speed bolted right up (just added the pilot bushing) then he made some motor mounts. I've never seen the truck, but he did send me photos of the motor mounts.
Good luck with the project!
Dana
Milford, NE