I've been racking up the miles finally on the old truck, and I'm enjoying the heck out of it but I'm not exactly filled with confidence in the 360 that's in there now. It runs well, holds good oil pressure even when warmed up and idling, but I have no history on it so I'm a little reluctant to trust it. For all I know it could have 200,000 miles and went straight from the junkyard to my truck.Anyway, I've got a 312 out of a 3-speed '57 that I do trust ready to go in, I'm just waiting for the 360 to crap out someday. The truck has a NP435 granny 4-speed that I'm happy with since it really fits the way I drive the truck. I'm not planning to race it, just drive it around town and to shows once in a while.
Is there an adapter that will allow me to use the 312 with this transmission? I know I'll need a front mount and most likely a new bellhousing, and new exhaust pipes. The bellhousing that's in there now doesn't have the mount ears, instead there's a mount underneath the tranny bolted to the crossmember. From what I can tell by numbers and such, the engine and tranny are from 1973. The hydraulic clutch setup is still there and working with the 4-speed.