With 170 cubic inches, it was dependable, but a powerhouse it wasn't.
It was a simple idea. The '67 Valiant we introduced last month ran fine, but the reliable 170-inch Slant Six that was given residence between the front tires just wasn't what I had in mind. Sure, these engines can be built to produce some respectable numbers on the dyno, but not without some serious mods, and let's not even mention the difference in the sound. So, in this next installment of Project Valiant Effort, we investigated some things you may want to consider if giving your six-powered ride two more cylinders. There are different ways to accomplish this--the way the engine gets mounted, the suspension, and even cooling needs can be covered in a variety of ways. Hopefully, we can give beginners some information and perhaps add to the knowledge of the more experienced. In the end, we want to make this thing run well and keep it together long enough to make a pass or two at the track.
(A) A friend told us he had a '71 360 he would sell. When we got to hishouse, he also had another 360 and an 83/4 rear from an A-Body he threwin with the deal. Not bad for 250 bucks, eh? A nice thing about buying acomplete motor is that usually all the bracketry and pulleys you needare already on the motor. This saves expense and the time spent tryingto find the miscellaneous items. | 
(B) Ron thought the engine had fairlylow mileage, so a quick inspection of the plugs and bearing surfacesshowed good indications. With high hopes, we cleaned and painted theengine and brackets and installed a spare Edelbrock Performer intakethat came with it. We topped all this off with a Holley HP 650 carb andCrane 25 ohm wires. The HP series carb may cost a little more than astandard 650 but will stay with the engine longer during our upgrades. | 
To physically mount the V8 where the six was, either change the K-frameto a V8 unit or do what we did and get Schumacher Creative Services'swap kit. The kit came with the motor mounts, tranny mount, and allnecessary hardware. We also got their new torque strap kit, which goesfrom a motor-mount bolt to a bracket that mounts to the K-frame. |
The exhaust can be tackled by buying those quiet A-Body V8 manifolds orgoing the easy route like we did we did--headers. We chose Hedman Hedderswith a 15/8-inch tube into a 3-inch collector. The Hedmans are coatedinside and out, and for performance you can't beat a good set ofheaders: Hedman also sent us a crossover tube, which helps performancethrough a scavenging effect. Regardless, the six's skimpy exhaust wasn'tgoing to cut it. | 
To mount the tranny to the motor, the bellhousings are different. In thecase of our Valiant, we didn't want a three-speed tranny for obviousreasons. So we bought a 23-spline 833 tranny from a friend for $200.Since we needed a bellhousing, another friend sold us a Lakewood safetybell for $40. It may be heavier than the factory unit, but keeping theflywheel from coming up through the floor like a buzz saw seemed kind ofimportant. It pays to ask what your buddies have sitting in theirgarages while doing this type of stuff. | 
The six-cylinder engine uses a longer throttle cable than the V8 unitand will need to be changed accordingly. You can find one at a swapmeet, salvage yard, or through the street-rod aftermarket. |