caddydale

[79scottsdale]

hello,
I think that it is pretty cool that we are all caddy newbies. I think that every body here feels that they have heard the "what would it take to put the big cad in my Chevy truck" so many times that when you read this you will want to pull out some hair. So, I have the honor of putting this question first on the new board. What I got is a '79 scottsdale 4wd 400cid and th400. The cad is a '70 500 (no really) I got it about two years ago. There is no cylinder wear, my uncle and I pulled it out of a '70 eldo, I think I checked the crank number and I belive that it was checked out to be a 500 but it had the squashed peanut pistons. Did some '70 500's have the peanut pistons or were they all the binocular style? The truck has 4:11 gears and 35in tires. I have a trans adaptor, what else would I need? My uncle can fabricate, so I think that motor mounts won't be a prblem. I was also wondering if the eldo starter will work on the truck.
I know that this is a lengthy post.
thanks for your time

[KJC]

I believe the squashed peanut pistons only came in 472s.

[Gorf]

That's the first time that I have heard the term "squashed peanut". What does that mean exactly?

[cj2/500]

The eldo starter won't work, but your chevrolet starter will if it's 168 tooth. You might look into moving your engine mount cradle forward. I haven't done this but looks like a simple deal. I've heard of 348/409 engine mounts and BB Mopar mounts working with little effort. Just ideas :idea:

[KJC]

That's the first time that I have heard the term "squashed peanut". What does that mean exactly?
It refers to the shape of the dish in the piston, it kind of looks like the outline of a peanut shell. '68-'70 472 had them.

[Caddycarlo]

in 1970 the eldo got the first 500 cid motor and was 10 to one compresstion with the pistons described it was rated at 400 hp gross or about 260 net hp it should have the 250 heads ... in 71 the motor went down to like 8.5 or 9 to one with the big dished piston ....... the eldo starter bolts to the tranny not the motor and will not work without a new nose that will bolt it to the block from a rwd caddy but its guts are some of the highest hp of the caddy starters ........the bigest thing on your swap will be the ex as the eldo drivers side ex manafold will exit into the steering .......

[cadzu]

hey guys check this link out.

bout halfway down the page it has pics of all the diff piston designs

and a bunch of other good info

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/9364/guide/Engineid.html

[Caddycarlo]

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/9364/guide/1970.jpg


good link the picture above is of the piston in question from the link

[cadillac512]

http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Pit/9364/guide/68269bnoc.jpg

This is the true "squashed peanut" design like my '70 472 has.
Terry

[Caddycarlo]

this is true.......... i think larry called the 500 piston binocular

[KJC]

this is true.......... i think larry called the 500 piston binocular
Yeah, Cad Company still has this info in their catalog.
CC, do you know if Larry is still around? Someone said awhile back that they heard he had died...(don't remember who or where I heard it from)

[Caddycarlo]

he was very sick for a long while but I never heard he had died....... flash would know.........

[79scottsdale]

I guess that I have the 472. I was afraid of that, but it is a good engine any way. Later, maybe way later, I'll get the chance to look at the number on the crank, just to make sure. I'll see if the chevy stater will work when I get some time. I just began summer school here at the university so time is very limited for me.
thanks again.

[KJC]

The 472 is still a great engine, you should notice a big difference over your 400.