1988 Superchief Engine Swap

beaverman · October 17, 2015, 06:04 PM

Hello all, now to the forum here, have been lurking and reading for a while , planning to change out the tired 454 that I have for a built 472, (454 bored out) question is, has anybody else here tried this and whats the easiest way to pull the motor, disassemble the front end and pull straight out or pull the drivers eat and pull motor out the drivers door? if that happens I'll have to pull the top end apart and pull the block separate, any help would be appreciated.

Rickf1985 · October 17, 2015, 08:41 PM

I was looking at my Chieftain when I had the front of the motor apart and the body comes across the front with no breaks. This would prevent coming out the front. This means out the drivers door. I don't know if the Superchief is the sane front body though.

beaverman · October 17, 2015, 08:46 PM

Rick, I think it does, can't see where the upper front clip would blot on and the core support appears to be welded, this is going to bite having to dismantle and pull the block alone and then reinstall and try torquing
the heads and such with the block in the frame!

lemortede · October 17, 2015, 09:15 PM

I think that I saw some one mention that they pulled the front axle?

beaverman · October 17, 2015, 10:47 PM

This is not a straight axle rig

Rickf1985 · October 18, 2015, 10:29 AM

Not a straight axle and welded cross members. Out the door is the only way short of cutting the body and repairing it.

beaverman · October 18, 2015, 08:20 PM

That's what I figured

let the fun begin !!!!!!!!!!! D:oH!

cncsparky · October 18, 2015, 08:42 PM

Quote from: beaverman on October 18, 2015, 08:20 PM
That's what I figured let the fun begin !!!!!!!!!!! D:oH!

Be sure to take lots of pics and share them here. What are the specs of your "472"?

legomybago · October 19, 2015, 01:16 PM

Some have gone out the front windshield too I read....

A 454 short block will fit through the main standard coach exterior door. I've done this.

DaveVA78Chieftain · October 19, 2015, 08:32 PM

Jkountz - 460 through a side window http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=item;id=425

He took a lot of pictures of the old motor before he pulled it so he could remember where everything went. It helped out tremendously when he put it back together. Vacuum lines, hoses, wires etc were all a breeze to relocate on the new motor.

Getting ready to yank out the old!!

Taking the old one out throuh the side window

It helps to have some strong backs and weak minds when you do this!! The guy here could probably have just lifted the old motor right out!! Here we are using two cherry pickers one in the RV and one in the bed of a pickup. Check out the clearance we had between the boom arm of the cherry picker and the interior light of the RV!! Now thats close!!

A hole where a motor used to live

Rickf1985 · October 20, 2015, 08:19 AM

But why gut the entire vehicle and pull the window out when all you have to do is raise the engine straight up and put wood under it. Move the hoist out side and come in through the door and grab the motor and come out the door. Seems to me it is a lot less work. I can't imagine trying to maneuver a loaded engine hoist 90 degrees inside of a motor home! Plus, once you extend the lifting arm past the legs it will lift the rear of the hoist.

legomybago · October 20, 2015, 10:59 AM

What Rick just said is EXACTLY what me and my Grandpa did. Pulled the couch and chairs out of the way, laid down plywood, dismantled the picker and put inside the coach, lifted short block up and out into the living room, took the picker back apart and set it up outside the coach door, then dragged the short block across the plywood to the door, and picked it up and out with the cherry picker.
No matter how you go about doing this job, it's a ton of work. Just have to pick your poison!!

legomybago · October 20, 2015, 11:02 AM

I just re-read your post again Rick. What your saying makes a lot of sense if you have a drivers side door. I like that idea. My Grandpas rig didn't have a drivers door. I wonder if you would have to remove the steering column to have room to get the beast out?

Rickf1985 · October 20, 2015, 12:13 PM

With the seat out and the wheel forward there should be plenty of room.

TerryH · October 20, 2015, 12:38 PM

Rick's suggestion to raise and block the engine first may also make it easier to remove the intake and heads before taking it out the door.

beaverman · October 20, 2015, 08:59 PM

Quote from: cncsparky on October 18, 2015, 08:42 PM
Be sure to take lots of pics and share them here. What are the specs of your "472"?

454 bored .90over, shaved the deck on the block and shaved the heads just enough to clean them up and flat, motor has a 268 comp cams cam and lifters, tru roller rockers, heads have been ported and polished & gasket matched, edelbrock air gap intake with a 780 holley street avenger carb, Stans headers , double timing chain, high volume oil pump, K&N 8" filter in a ram air cleaner box, will have a 3" exhaust with a cross over at 42" back from the rear of the block to equalize pressure and will install flow max flow through mufflers, I had this motor set up in a 85 Suburban 3/4 ton 4 x4 that got t boned 7 years ago and was getting 20 to 21 miles per gallon on the flat with cruise on, plenty of HP to climb, I know that I'll have to modify the dog house a bit to get the intake, carb and air cleaner to fit but so be it, tired of driving a gutless pig on the hills and the crappy mileage, now when this is done the next step is to find a decent used gear vendor, under/ overdrive unit, will disconnect the A/C pump but keep it mounted for the next guy or future use,( not much need for it here in Washington state) and eliminate all the pollution crap !!!!!!

beaverman · October 20, 2015, 09:04 PM

Dave VA, thanks for posting all those pics but man that;s just WAY TOO MUCH WORK !

, went out to the MH, last night and today, it's at my sons place, ( no room here), took some measurements and gave it all another good look, out the door she comes!, this will be an after the holidays project, working on a major kitchen remodel and new flooring at the moment, will take some pics as it progresses and post in the appropriate area of the forum!

Rickf1985 · October 21, 2015, 09:58 AM

I am glad to see someone else finally has figured out the right combo for a mileage motor in a motorhome. I have been beat up here several times for suggesting that they can be built. You have just about exactly what I have put together in the past with the exception of the overbore which really makes no difference as far as the end result in mileage. I am real anxious to see how this works out.

legomybago · October 21, 2015, 10:22 AM

I love hot rod motorhomes...Whenever you get a chance to hear a great sounding exhaust rumble on a motorhome driving by it's cool. Not too many around anymore.

beaverman · October 21, 2015, 11:43 AM

Quote from: Rickf1985 on October 21, 2015, 09:58 AM
I am glad to see someone else finally has figured out the right combo for a mileage motor in a motorhome. I have been beat up here several times for suggesting that they can be built. You have just about exactly what I have put together in the past with the exception of the overbore which really makes no difference as far as the end result in mileage. I am real anxious to see how this works out.

Rick, like I said this motor has been sitting in the corner waiting for a project, dang thing only had a little over 5000 miles on it when the suburban got wrecked, the Burb was not an everyday driver around town it could get really gas station friendly, when I tell guys the mileage that we were getting they look at me like I'm trying to blow sunshine up their skirts, most folks don't realize that the trick to getting good mileage in big blocks is letting them breath as much as you can and rolling on the power instead of stabbing the accelerator!

Bago, I know what you mean about the rumble, my wife would drive that burb with the same exhaust set up to work once in awhile and just idling through the parking lot the rumble would set off alarms in the parked cars, nothing like driving a thumper motor of any type if you an old gearhead !

DaveVA78Chieftain · October 21, 2015, 09:21 PM

QuoteDave VA, thanks for posting all those pics but man that;s just WAY TOO MUCH WORK !

Door or window will be a lot of work. If I remember correctly, Jkountz did not have a driver compartment door to utilize.

Jupp318 · October 22, 2015, 07:28 AM

Has anyone put an LS motor into a Winnie? I have what would be called a Pontiac GTO in the US (2006 Monaro VXR in the UK) which has a 364cu in LS2 in it. I regularly get better than 24MPG out of it, and I'm not try to break any MPG records with my driving!. I would imagine an injected motor could be setup to be real economical.

Rickf1985 · October 22, 2015, 09:41 AM

I think you would find that you would not get the torque you need out of that motor to pull the weight. It is torque that moves weight, not horsepower. There is no substitute for big cubic inch motors for torque. Let me rephrase tat, Torque at a usable rpm for a motor home. I know some of these modern small blocks put out impressive torque to go with the high horsepower but it is at 3500 rpm. Not practical for a street driven pulling motor.

cncsparky · October 22, 2015, 12:40 PM

To pull the engine out of the drivers door, do you think its necessary to setup the hoist two times? Is the reach long enough to pull the engine out of the hole, reaching through the drivers door? Set the engine on some boards as someone said to re-rig, then the rest of the way out the door?

legomybago · October 22, 2015, 01:57 PM

Quote from: cncsparky on October 22, 2015, 12:40 PM
To pull the engine out of the drivers door, do you think its necessary to setup the hoist two times? Is the reach long enough to pull the engine out of the hole, reaching through the drivers door? Set the engine on some boards as someone said to re-rig, then the rest of the way out the door?

In a perfect world....But you know what?