NEW MOTOR AS APOSED TO ORIGIONAL

[PHILLIP KILLGORE]

IS IT DIFFICULT TO CHANGE ORIGIONAL MOTOR TO MORE MODERN? ARE THER ANY PROBLEMS TO BE AWARE OF?

[Lynn 10923]

With what car are you starting, and in what modern engines are you interested?

Lynn

[PHILLIP KILLGORE]

i HAVE A 39 LASALLE. I AM TINKING OF CHANGING TO A MORE MODERN MOTOR. I HAVNT A CLUE WHICH MOTOR WHOULD BE BEST. I WANT TO GO FROM 6 VOLT TO 12 VOLT. THEN I THOUGHT INSTED THAT MAYBE I WOULD JUST CHANGE MOTORS. THEN THE STARTER AND ALTERNATER AND COIL, ECT. WOULD BE CHANGED AS WELL.AS FOR MOTOR I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS COMPATIBLE AND WHAT IS NOT. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Gday Phillip,

There is a large number of motors that you could "slot" into the Chassis of your 39 LaSalle, and transmissions as well.

I take it that you are wanting to make your car more reliable, in both engine, drive, and parts availability.

It all depends on whether you want to do any modifications to the firewall, chassis, suspension, etc, etc.

Next, do you want to stay ALL Cadillac, ALL GM, or a mixture of other brands.

If you plan on anything like a Dodge Viper power, you had better get ready to fit a set of BIG 4 wheel disc brakes, but, with any change for upping power, always consider upgrading the stopping power, and handling capabilities as well.  i.e. Tyres, etc.

Plus, dont forget the rear end, and ratios to complement the motive power you intend to end up using.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[Doug Houston]

So the Cadillac emgine of 12 years passenger service, including driving tanks through a 4 year war isnt reliable?  Six Volt electrical systems arent adequate?  Well, I suppose so, when you need to win a race. Dont forget the Chrome wire wheels. Theyll get you another 15 miles per hour. Happy hot rodding!!

[Randall McGrew CLC # 17963]

I still have a problem with changing out what is essentially a modern drive train.  I will admit that the transmission is still not up to par with the TH400, but the engine produces good horsepower and torque.  According to my father, the cars of the late 40s and 50s ran at 75 to 90 mph; nothing went that fast in the mountains nor should you.  And I thought the drum brakes were hydraulic.  Maintained and used with good defensive driving, should work fine for you.  I have driven cars from a 47 Cadillac to a 67 Mustang with drum brakes without a problem, and that is in Colorado.  You use the engine to slow the car, keeping the brakes cool, as well as pumping them rather than slow steady pressure.  But of course, if people are bent on relying on their cars to do the work, then more accidents will occur since the driver is reacting, rather than acting.  

I have no problem with modifying the car if that is what the owner wishes to do.  All I ask is that he keep it so the car could be restored to original should the next owner desire it.  Otherwise, I wish you the best of luck.  

You might check out the Modified Cadillac site for more information.  

http://www.modifiedcadillac.org TARGET=_blank>http://www.modifiedcadillac.org

[PHILIP KILLGORE]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPLIE. I KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THE CAR THAT I HAVE PERCHASED, EXCEPT THAT I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT THE FIRST TIME I LAYED EYES ON IT. I HAVE PAINTED IT AND NOW WILL DO THE INTERIOR. A FEW PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT THE 6 VOLT IS NOT THAT RELIABLE. I AM NOT CONVINCED. SO I ASK ALOT OF QUESTIONS. IN DOING THIS I LEARN MUCH. I JUST WANT A CAR THAT WILL NOT LEAVE ME STRANDED OFTEN. I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED A CLASSIC LASALLE. RIGHT NOW THE CAR IS ORIGIONAL. I PAID 17000 AND ANOTHR 6000 TO PAINT IT. THE INTERIOR WILL COST ANOTHE 3000 AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE. ANY WAY THIS IS MY NEW TOY AND I AM SO EXITED. THANKS AGAIN

[Diego Montefusco #21886]

youre lucky enough to own a WONDERFUL machine, keep it original and give her the new glory she deserves, with all her own bits... :-)

diego

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Phillip,

If you paid that much for it, then it must be in good condition, so leave it totally stock.

6 Volts will still keep you going, as long as you maintain the elecrtrics in good condition, and there is nothing at all wrong with 6 volts.

But, get yourself a Workshop Manual for it.   It will pay dividends.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

[JIM CLC # 15000]

05-29-05
Phillip, Should not be much of a problem to switch to any Cadillac engine, up to 1948.
I have a 1947 Cad. engine in my 1938 La Salle. The only thing I had to do was remove some of the rear engine "web" to install the starter.
If its any consolation, I agree with all who have replyed to your post. There have been several posts on this message-board concerning "switching to 12VDC". the popular openion is, dont do it. If you can pull-up some of the old articles about 6VDC systems, I think it will tell you what to do to bring your system up to par. There are "auto electric repair/rebuilding shops in all major cities that can rebuild your starter and/or generator. There are even some that will rebuild the voltage regurator. If you can, try to have a "spare" of each on hand.
You havent indicated your level of machinable ability, but if you have to hire someone to do all of your work, it can be costly,but, not as costly as "golf" however, if you dont mind "bending-wrenches", then it can be a plasent task. You will find yourself saying, "what can I do to it now to make it run or look better". A good "ground" on the starter system will help care the "hot-engine-start-problem". By all means, get a shop manual.
Good Luck, Jim

[JIM CLC # 15000]

05-29-05
Phillip, to continue, the best advice I can give you is to join the CLC, bet money you will say its the best $35.00 you ever spent. If you are not already a member, once a member, you can place "free-ads" in the "Self-Starter" monthly magazine, ask questions of the "questionable" CLC expert, or technican assigned to your year of car. Also, you will receive a lot of other information upon joining. ( see the "home-Page" of this web-site to join"
Good Luck, Jim

[Phillip Killgore]

i sent my dues for my first year last week. today i recieved my membership card. looking forward to being apart of what apears to be a fine orginization.

[Bruce Reynolds # 18992]

Onya Phillip,

Yes, this group of people is full of fine people, then there are a couple of us bastards that like having more fun than we are supposed to have.

Bruce,
The Tassie Devil(le),
60 CDV

P.S.   Welcome to the Club.

[JIM CLC # 15000]

05-31-05
Phillip, congratulations upon becoming a member. you will not be sorry about that move.
All members seem to be very good and will not steer you wrong.
Well, maybe there is one whos initials are BR, but he seems stable enough. He is smart enough to own and drive a Cadillac.
Good Luck, Jim

[Matt Harwood]

Changing to a new drivetrain will be much more work than maintaining the original--by several orders of magnitude! Engine swaps are never, ever "just a bolt in" prospect. Youll have to basically re-engineer every major system in the car to not only fit the engine in there (design motor & transmission mounts, figure out accessory locations and brackets, etc.), but get fuel to it (new fuel lines, pump, maybe even a new gas tank), electricity (new electrical system, plus getting your old gauges to work or replacing them entirely).

Then theres the drive train--youll have to figure out how to fit a modern transmission in there and get a clutch and shift linkage to it or rig an automatic shifter. Add a new differential under there because the original one probably wont be compatible with a modern driveshaft, which youll need because youre going to need a modern transmission, which youll need because of the modern engine.

Once you have that modern rear end under there, youll have to devise a new suspension, because your original suspension wont connect to the new rear, so now youre a suspension engineer, too. Make sure its safe and that the car tracks straight. You could probably weld some leaf spring brackets onto the original frame and rig it up that way. But it will definitely take some advanced fabrication. Id recommend including a rear sway bar, but that is just my preference.

And your original brakes wont work with the brakes on that new rear end, so youll have to upgrade the master cylinder and figure out what to do with the front brakes--either link the originals to the new parts somehow or re-engineer the front suspension so you can accommodate modern brakes there, too. If youve got a modern engine in there, youll be able to go much faster than the original, so you definitely need brakes that are up to the task. Dont skimp on brakes!

Then theres the exhaust system--it will be a totally custom job, so hopefully you can find someone competent to handle that or youre a decent welder and can fabricate one for yourself. As someone whos made his share of exhaust systems, they are never easy prospects. I usually buy a selection of tubing and bends and cut them to fit instead of trying to bend them using a bender (unless you have a bender, then use it!). Use stainless so you only have to do it once, because it is a big pain in the neck.

In summary, youre not talking about "just throwing in a different motor" this weekend and heading down the road on Monday. This is a total re-engineering of the entire car, a very big project indeed. This is exactly why there are so many unfinished rods out there and why even the finished ones are often showcases for exceptionally poor engineering (even if the craftsmanship is of acceptable quality). The pro-built rods cost what they do for a reason--its A LOT of work to do it right.

One of my most recent projects was putting a supercharged EFI 5.0L V8 in a Ford Ranger pickup truck. Even with a modern (1997) truck as a starting point, I had to re-engineer most of the trucks systems and figure out a lot of the problems I mention above. Starting with an old car without all the modern sub-systems will make it that much harder.

I dont want to discourage you from doing what you want with your car, but as someone who has built a few rods and done more than a few engine swaps, it is NEVER an easy prospect. When youre working with an uncommon car like a LaSalle, there arent going to be any kits to give you a head start, as there would be if you had, say, a 39 Ford. If you dont have the skills to tackle this, it will be a very expensive project to pay someone else, vastly more expensive than keeping the stock drive train in top condition, and probably more expensive than breaking down somewhere and shipping it home 50 times.

Old cars are not inherently unreliable. Their maintenance standards are different, and anyone who expects a 65-year-old car to run like their new car with fuel injection is in for a big surprise. But theres no reason a well-maintained original car with a 6-volt electrical system wont start and run and get you where youre going every time. To me, part of owning an old car is enjoying every aspect of it, including how it drives.

If you want a car that looks old and acts modern, buy a PT Cruiser or that goofy new Chevy HHR. But since you have a nice LaSalle in good condition, enjoy it the way it was made and take yourself back to an earlier era. It worked well enough in 1939, it will work just as well today. You just have to adjust your expectations and remember that it is an old car. Treat it accordingly and it wont let you down.

Hope this helps. Sorry so wordy.
--
Matt Harwood
Cleveland, OH
http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/index.html TARGET=_blank>http://www.harwoodperformance.bizland.com/1941buick/index.html

[Richard Sills - CLC #936]

Phillip,

As a CLC member, you are eligible to join the LaSalle Appreciation Society, a chapter of CLC devoted exclusively to LaSalles.  The members have extensive experience with LaSalles and can give you a lot of useful guidance.  For more information, contact chapter director Jack Hotz by phone at 856-429-0641 or by E-mail at "jackscaddy@aol.com".

You will also want to buy a copy of the LaSalle book written by two CLC members, Ron VanGelderen and Matt Larson.  Information about this book is also on the Club website.

Good luck,
Richard