Jon's 521 L20b 5 speeed

[jon521]

well here we go, i have finally got the engine and tranny. not sure how soon this will be going in, either next week or the week after that. here they are

 

by the way, the ac pump has already come off and will probably be for sale soon

[yello620]

Jon, i could use a the alternator mount to the block if you end up with a spare. :D

 

So what is your plan for this motor? Rebuild it first? Or, is it supposed to be a good running motor?

[.sunlover]

Remember, l16 oil pan in the 521, too close for comfort to the tie rod with the l20 pan. Otherwise a direct fit on the 521 motor mounts. I believe I had to fab a 5 speed adapter to mount my tranny, but you got skills, no sweat. More power to you, literally :)

[.sunlover]

d510addict was also looking for the steel l16 alternator bracket, seems to be rare. Just so you know.

[datzenmike]

I installed a car L20B in my 521 about 33 years ago. I might have changed the oil pan but I sure don't remember doing it. Likely I would have hammered the pan in for clearance.

 

Being a car L20B it had the 200mm clutch that matched the 521 bearing collar too. Just lucky.

 

That a '79 truck motor and tranny???

[jon521]

yellow620

if i have an extra one i will let you know, i will have to take a look

 

as for the engine, it is supposed to run. it was pulled about 2 and a half months ago, and was kept inside. the plan is to just put it in.

 

.sunlover

ya i was looking at hessianbens thread, and if i use the 620 front driveline, i dont have to shorten my driveline, so i have to do is shorten the trans mount and move the carrier bearing forward about an inch or 2.

 

mike

ya the engine is out of a 79, not sure about the trans tho

[Jayden71]

I like this!!!

[yello620]

Jon, i have the 620 driveline if you are interested. Still has a decent carrier bearing on it too.

[jon521]

Jon, i have the 620 driveline if you are interested. Still has a decent carrier bearing on it too.

 

 

Jason, i have the driveline, but i may be interested in the carrier bearing. i will have to see if this one will bolt to the stock one first.

 

i know the carrier bearing will have to be relocated about an inch or 2 forward, and i need to raise it up a bit because of how i have my truck lowered, so hopefully i can that fix all at once with some square tubing.

[jon521]

taking the engine and tranny into my schools shop tomorrow to start cleaning it and getting it ready for paint. my schools shop is the place where the shop will be done, we have a 2 post lift, 2 welders, transmission jack, cherry picker, almost every hand tool needed, and alot more, so it will be a nice place to do it.

[jon521]

Planning on begining to paint the engine tomorrow. will try to get some pictures! planning on starting to pull my motor monday. since it is being done at school, i cant work on it during the weekend :(

 

 

might be a dumb question, but i have to get my engine in and situated before mounting up the trans and cutting the mount for it to fit correctly, right? i know it would be easier to manouvor the tranny around with the engine out, but i wont know exactly where the trans should sit without the engine in, therefore could throw off the amount of trans mount that needs to be removed ending in an incorrect fit, right? or am i crazy?

Edited September 15, 2011 by jon521

[wayno]

This is how the PO of my truck did my tranny mount conversion, it has worked for 15+ years, although it is not how the stock mount connects to the cross member as stock version has two bolts on top also. Datzenmike I beleave has a photo with lines drawn on the photo and measurements so the mount can be modified ahead of time.

[jon521]

i see. i going to shorten my mount as seen here

Second, as far as the trans mount I just cut about 2" and welded it together ust the original 4 speed trans mount & bracket. You will need to measure and cut yours as needed.

 

 

but as it says "cut yours as needed", i wont know whats "as needed" with out my trans AND engine in right? or can i measure and cut before i put my engine in?

[wayno]

i see. i going to shorten my mount as seen here

 

 

but as it says "cut yours as needed", i wont know whats "as needed" with out my trans AND engine in right? or can i measure and cut before i put my engine in?

 

This situation was differant than yours, you already have the L block mounts, charlie did not, he had to make his engine mounts also, so his engine was centered in the 520 engine compartment after he knew/did what modifacations he was going to make to the firewall. I think that datzenmike knows the exact amount that needs to be removed for a 521 5 speed modifacation as they(L521s) are all the same mod.

[jon521]

alright, thank you! i will send him a pm

[jon521]

he said he only had the amount the driveline needs to be shortened. i think i figured out if i measure from end of the bell housing on my 4 speed, while it is still in the truck, to hole in the trans mount, then measure the distance from the end of the bell housing on the 5 speed to the hole on the trans for the mount, and find the distance.

[DanielC]

I would suggest you set the engine on its motor mounts, attach the transmission, and then modify the transmission mount to fit the transmission. That worked for me, putting a long 5 speed transmission on an L-18, in a 521.

[jon521]

I would suggest you set the engine on its motor mounts, attach the transmission, and then modify the transmission mount to fit the transmission. That worked for me, putting a long 5 speed transmission on an L-18, in a 521.

 

 

it worked pretty good? it wasnt too hard to manourvor or anything?

[datzenmike]

 

This look right. In addition to shortening the mount it needs to be lower. My 710 has a similar 4 speed and when I installed the long B type 5 speed it sat too high almost hitting the top of the tunnel.

 

 

Stock location of mount

 

 

Finished mod lowered it 2 1/2" I think

 

Installed

 

 

.

 

.

[wayno]

 

This look right. In addition to shortening the mount it needs to be lower. My 710 has a similar 4 speed and when I installed the long B type 5 speed it sat too high almost hitting the top of the tunnel.

 

 

Stock location of mount

 

 

Finished mod lowered it 2 1/2" I think

 

Installed

 

 

.

 

.

 

POS computer service, it just dumped my whole reply, freaking slow shit service. Sorry guys, I had a wisdom tooth removed today, and I am wondering about the wisdom of having it removed when it did not hurt. Datzenmike, we are talking about 521 trucks at the moment, it doesn't have a removable transmission cross member, it has a bracket that bolts on to the cross member, that bracket is what needs modified, I thought you had a photo showing what needs to be removed with a measurement, charlie69 has one, but he modified his 520 firewall, so none of his measurements would apply to this, but the idea is the same.

[jon521]

well in hessianben's build i didnt read anything about a height problem, unless i missed something. i sent him a PM about heighth problems. in his build thread i read that all he did was shorten the mount 1 7/8ths inches and move the carrier bearing forward about 1 inch.

[DanielC]

"it worked pretty good? it wasnt too hard to manourvor or anything?"

Mounting the 5 speed went OK, no problems I can recall. I did not move the carrier bearing, I just had the front half of the drive shaft shortened, and put a yoke that slips into the transmission on the shortened drive shaft. I moved the hole in the plate, for the shifter, that covers the hole in the floor of the cab, by cutting out a new hole in it, and taking the metal from the hole and welding it in the old hole location. I had to get a speedometer cable from a 240 Z because the speedometer pinion is on the right side of the five speed, and on the left of the original four speed. I did not hook up the wires for the neutral or third gear switches, because the five speed does not have them. The reverse light switch works fine.

 

I have pulled the transmission out of the truck, to replace the clutch. that is pretty much the same as with a four speed.

 

Again, this was done with a L-18 engine. There might be a issue with the L20-B engine being about 3/4 of an inch taller, I do not know.

[wayno]

"it worked pretty good? it wasnt too hard to manourvor or anything?"

Mounting the 5 speed went OK, no problems I can recall. I did not move the carrier bearing, I just had the front half of the drive shaft shortened, and put a yoke that slips into the transmission on the shortened drive shaft. I moved the hole in the plate, for the shifter, that covers the hole in the floor of the cab, by cutting out a new hole in it, and taking the metal from the hole and welding it in the old hole location. I had to get a speedometer cable from a 240 Z because the speedometer pinion is on the right side of the five speed, and on the left of the original four speed. I did not hook up the wires for the neutral or third gear switches, because the five speed does not have them. The reverse light switch works fine.

 

I have pulled the transmission out of the truck, to replace the clutch. that is pretty much the same as with a four speed.

 

Again, this was done with a L-18 engine. There might be a issue with the L20-B engine being about 3/4 of an inch taller, I do not know.

 

What did you do about the transmission mount? You left it stock?

[jon521]

"it worked pretty good? it wasnt too hard to manourvor or anything?"

Mounting the 5 speed went OK, no problems I can recall. I did not move the carrier bearing, I just had the front half of the drive shaft shortened, and put a yoke that slips into the transmission on the shortened drive shaft. I moved the hole in the plate, for the shifter, that covers the hole in the floor of the cab, by cutting out a new hole in it, and taking the metal from the hole and welding it in the old hole location. I had to get a speedometer cable from a 240 Z because the speedometer pinion is on the right side of the five speed, and on the left of the original four speed. I did not hook up the wires for the neutral or third gear switches, because the five speed does not have them. The reverse light switch works fine.

 

I have pulled the transmission out of the truck, to replace the clutch. that is pretty much the same as with a four speed.

 

Again, this was done with a L-18 engine. There might be a issue with the L20-B engine being about 3/4 of an inch taller, I do not know.

 

alright well i will give it a try with the engine on its mounts. according to hessianben's build thread, he avoided shortening any drivelines by using the front half of a 620 driveline, and moving the carrier forward. i guess the answer is i will just have to try and see what happens :)

[jon521]

got the engine painted today. sorry for the pictures not heing very good, will try to get some more on monday. it still has the masking on it.

also the oil pan is not painted because that is not the one im using