1969 Chevy Van 6cyl to V8 swap info needed

I am thinking about swapping out the 6cyl engine in my 69 Chevy 90 van with a 307 V8 & would like to get some info on any other parts that I will need to switch them out. I have a good 307 that I just pulled out of a 69 Chevy ton dually along with the motor mounts & all of carburetor throttle linkages. I also have the manifolds & all of the rest of the exaust system that I took off of the truck to. I am wanting to keep the 3spd manual trans & the main question is if the motor mounts will work of if I will have to get different ones. If so I would like to know the part numbers for them & if there is anything else that I will need. I would really like to have a list of all parts that I will need to complete the swap if possible. Any and all help, advise & suggestions would be greatly appreciated. The 6cyl engine it runs but I am having carburetor problems with it so I am considering going going ahead & swap out the engines if there is not a lot of extra parts that I would have to buy.

Don I believe 67&68 came with a 283 and 69 & 70 307

Yes I know that they came out with the 307 engines. I have a 1969 GMC Handi Van with a 307 with an auto trans that came out from the factory. My question is if the 307 that I took out of the 69 Chevy truck will bolt right up to the 3spd manual trans & the motor mounts for the 6cyl??? If it will not bolt up to the 6cyl motor mounts will the mounts on the 307 work or will I need different mounts??? Can I use the same radiator or will I need a bigger one??? I just need to know if all of the parts will interchange???

Don is correct the 1967 model was the first year available with the 283 V8 option & then in 1968 they started offering the 307 along with the 283 engine.

No the radiator in it does not have the tank on it. I do have the same radiator in my 69 GMC with the factory 307 in it.

It has a regular radiator with the cap on it. The cap is on the passengers side. It has a 250 6cyl engine it with a 3spd manual transmission. The 6 cyl engine run but I am still having carburetor problems with it. I rebuilt the carburetor on it but it won't idle I did take the carb back apart & flipped the gasket over cause as you suspected it was on wrong but after puting it back together & putting it back on it still won't idle. I am just afraid to buy a new carburetor & getting stuck with it of the engine doesn't run good. That's why I am considering on going ahead and doing the V8 swap of I don't have to buy a bunch of extra parts for the swap. I would like to really keep it original with the 6cyl but I don't know anything about the 6cyl engine in it.

Spraying carb cleaner in the carb makes it run better. I haven't sprayed the intake yet to check the carb to see if it is sucking air. I will give it a try I don't want to have to buy a bunch of parts to swap the engines out so if I can't figure out the carb problem I guess I could sell my 307 & buy a new carberator.

Who out there has a 68 with a 307??? I never remember anyone having that combo. The 70 model year with the 350 must be talking about 3rd gen, because never heard anyone with a early with a factory 350

G-Man I have only hade the 1965 & 1969 Chevy & GMC vans and have never seen a 1968 in person but according to Wikipedia the 283 was replaced with the 307 I am sure that you could probally get the 283 & maybe most of the people that bought them chose the 283 over it. I don't know a lot about the 307 engines but I do have one in my 69 GMC Van & based on the performance of it and previous 283 engines I would of went with the 283 myself.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Van

I understand what Don showed us and what it says in wikipedia I'm just haven't seen a 68 with a 307, just wondering who here has that combo.

I would like to know to cause if I would of bought one new in 68 I would of chose the 283 so I am curious as to if Wikipedia is correct on the information.
I have read other information before about the 2nd gen Chevy & GMC vans and it stated that GM started offering the 307 engines in the 1969 models.
So I wonder if maybe Wikipedia could be wrong???

I'm sure you all know that Wikipedia has lots of incorrect information, so you can't rely on that for "The Gospel."

So getting back to the question of the engine swap. Is the radiator with the expansion tank the only part that I will need to do the swap??? Will all of the other parts on the 6cyl set up work on the 307 or will I need more parts???

I'll probably catch greif for saying this ,but a radiator is a radiator, the expansion/surge tanks were there to fill the system because the rad sits so low in relation to the engine. The upright will work if there is room for it and I believe there should be, but it is designed for a 6. Might be a cooling issue might not , but maybe it would be about the same cost to add a core/recore that as to find and swap in the old V8 stuff? JM2C

The accelerator linkage will be different. Easiest fix for that would be to convert to a cable. Instead of the expansion tank setup I'd go with a new aluminum radiator. Unless your wanting to stay original.If your van is an original I6 van the radiator mount is totally different from that of the V8.

The radiator that is in it comes up to about an inch from the top edge of the dog house. I looks to be a 3 row radiator. I had a 1976 corvette years ago & it had a 3 row radiator & it cooled the engine good. I had read in some vette forums that some people with late 60's & 70's vettes had had cooling issues with the restricted air flow that they had to the radiator. I don't know much about the early vans but they kinda look to me that they would have more airflow than the late 60's & 70's vettes had. I know that I might get a reply that the vettes had a 4 row radiator in them but my vette had a 3 row radiator straight from the factory. Digz I know that you are building you 66 G with a 454 in it & would like to know what kind of radiator you are putting in it???

I'm making room for a 4core rad out of a 1 ton chevy truck but that may end up a custom aluminum before it's done. It has to lay in at a really odd angle and the plumbing will be scary. My orange van(350 V8) is running a 2 core aluminum that has only a little more surface area than the original 6 banger one had with electric fans and that does okay , but again I have it mounted low and in the air so to speak. In its original High position it ran warm because it was causing a severe airdam between the rad and engine at higher speeds. I would think that a 2nd gen with the larger DH wouldnt have that issue as bad. Personally Id try what you have , it can be changed out later if ya have to. or maybe just go right to an electric fan set up.

The van is an all original 6cyl 3apd on the tree. My 1969 GMC Handi Van has a custom made 4 row aluminum radiator with the original expansion tank also included with it. The original radiator that had came out in it was shot so the guy that had it before me had it custom made with the exact factory specs as that original with the exception of the 4 rows. I don't know much about the radiator that is in the van that I am considering on doing the V8 swap since I haven't been able to drive it much due to having carburetor problems. I might wind up having to replace it anyway if I get the 6cyl running good. I am no longer interested in having the bad ass hot rod stuff that I had when I was younger so the 6cyl running good would be fine for me. I am just afraid to start pouring money into it & it not be any good cause most of everyone else wants the V8 in them. This van is super nice condition & I really would like to keep it factory.

I kept the radiator out of the 69 ton truck that I scrapped. The truck ran good & cooled fine. Could I replace the one in the van with it without cutting any thing or any fabrication???