'84 TA New Engine, Injection swap
01-11-2017, 02:22 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 1984 Trans Am
Engine: 350/357 Chevy
Transmission: 5 Speed Manual
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Posi
'84 TA New Engine, Injection swap
All – I have a 1984 T/A, 5.0 H.O., Manual trans, 3.73 rear.
After hearing a bad engine sound (rod knock maybe?), I parked the car, and it sat in my garage for 20 years. I want to get the old bird on the road again with a more capable power plant, and I like the idea of the GM crate engine as a solution. Keeping it small block (an LS swap is too high $$), the ZZ6 sounded like a great choice, but the local GM rep suggested that I might not be able to run that engine with fuel injection, due to cam design and low vacuum. I’m keen on fuel injection as the ultimate configuration because A) the stock carbureted engine had heat soak issues that FI would solve, and B) I believe a modern injected setup could pass smog inspection without all the mid 80’s messiness, making for a simpler and cleaner engine bay, and C) I might get better mpg with FI. I’m sure my questions may have been asked before in various threads, but time and technology march on, and there are new engines and FI solutions on the market to choose from. Abubaca has commented (on another thread) that all the GM crate engines are very injection compatible. What solutions have forum members recently implemented? Are you happy with the results?
Capabilities and budget:
While I can turn a wrench, my problems with the T/A go deeper than my comfort level. Obviously, the fuel system, radiator, brakes, tires, and battery all need some care. I’ve decided to let a good shop handle the chore because even trying to fire up the old engine is beyond my skill set. I have 6K set aside for the major parts outlay, but know that all the smaller issues and shop labor will push the costs higher.
Goals and expectations:
Primary goal is a non-temperamental, but very fun, street car. While I have been known to do SCCA events and ¼ miles, they would be rare for-fun days. I expect that 350 to 400 hp would be pretty peppy compared to what must have been around 250 SAE net (190 brochure) for the old 5.0L H.O. engine. Since costs are a concern, the stock M5 tranny and 3.73 diff would stay in place for as long as they’d hold up.
I have an email out to West Coast engines, who claim to have several 350 solutions that are carbureted and “smog legal”, but I wonder what they’ve done to the carb to make that happen. The old Rochester would never support their quoted hp figures, and a modern carb would never have all the emissions junk that smog checks expect.
After hearing a bad engine sound (rod knock maybe?), I parked the car, and it sat in my garage for 20 years. I want to get the old bird on the road again with a more capable power plant, and I like the idea of the GM crate engine as a solution. Keeping it small block (an LS swap is too high $$), the ZZ6 sounded like a great choice, but the local GM rep suggested that I might not be able to run that engine with fuel injection, due to cam design and low vacuum. I’m keen on fuel injection as the ultimate configuration because A) the stock carbureted engine had heat soak issues that FI would solve, and B) I believe a modern injected setup could pass smog inspection without all the mid 80’s messiness, making for a simpler and cleaner engine bay, and C) I might get better mpg with FI. I’m sure my questions may have been asked before in various threads, but time and technology march on, and there are new engines and FI solutions on the market to choose from. Abubaca has commented (on another thread) that all the GM crate engines are very injection compatible. What solutions have forum members recently implemented? Are you happy with the results?
Capabilities and budget:
While I can turn a wrench, my problems with the T/A go deeper than my comfort level. Obviously, the fuel system, radiator, brakes, tires, and battery all need some care. I’ve decided to let a good shop handle the chore because even trying to fire up the old engine is beyond my skill set. I have 6K set aside for the major parts outlay, but know that all the smaller issues and shop labor will push the costs higher.
Goals and expectations:
Primary goal is a non-temperamental, but very fun, street car. While I have been known to do SCCA events and ¼ miles, they would be rare for-fun days. I expect that 350 to 400 hp would be pretty peppy compared to what must have been around 250 SAE net (190 brochure) for the old 5.0L H.O. engine. Since costs are a concern, the stock M5 tranny and 3.73 diff would stay in place for as long as they’d hold up.
I have an email out to West Coast engines, who claim to have several 350 solutions that are carbureted and “smog legal”, but I wonder what they’ve done to the carb to make that happen. The old Rochester would never support their quoted hp figures, and a modern carb would never have all the emissions junk that smog checks expect.
06-14-2017, 09:03 PM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Haslett, MI
Posts: 900
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Car: 1984 Trans Am WS6
Engine: Minirammed 385, 396 RWHP
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.73 Moser 12-bolt
Re: '84 TA New Engine, Injection swap
Hi there Blackbird,
It's been a few months but I just saw this message.
Honestly, there are many new plug and play ECM solutions out there and all of them are being used successfully with big cams. My cam is bigger than the ZZ4 cam. I run a 230/236 duration @ .050" on a 112 LSA, in a TPIS Minirammed 385 stroker engine configuration. Speed Density, FAST XFI. It's their premium system.
However there are now a significant number of standalone ECMs that will fill the bill for your engine. Same thing with intake systems. There is the Holley Superram that many here on this board use.
By the way, that old CLCC Rochester of yours was good to 750 cfm. I think you will find it good for 350 HP or more with the right hanger and metering rods. I had my CLCC quadrajet putting out 262 RWHP on my cammed 305 H.O. and I was turning 14 seconds flat at 101 MPH on the drag strip with that combination. When the engine went closed loop at cruise, the quadrajet still managed a respectable 19 MPG on the highway. Of course, I never did quite clean up the idle when the engine was warming up, but I very quickly moved to EFI back then (like, 2004).
I'm making 400 HP to the wheels with a gen1 SBC, and it has a rather snarly cam to make that kind of power. A $2000 junkyard pullout 6.0 liter LS engine from a Chevy Avalanche only needs a $500 camshaft to exceed those power figures, and it would come with a full wiring harness, computer, and probably an electronic controlled automatic transmission.
see:
http://www.lowmileageparts.com/2003-...B#.WUHq8WgrLb0
It's been a few months but I just saw this message.
Honestly, there are many new plug and play ECM solutions out there and all of them are being used successfully with big cams. My cam is bigger than the ZZ4 cam. I run a 230/236 duration @ .050" on a 112 LSA, in a TPIS Minirammed 385 stroker engine configuration. Speed Density, FAST XFI. It's their premium system.
However there are now a significant number of standalone ECMs that will fill the bill for your engine. Same thing with intake systems. There is the Holley Superram that many here on this board use.
By the way, that old CLCC Rochester of yours was good to 750 cfm. I think you will find it good for 350 HP or more with the right hanger and metering rods. I had my CLCC quadrajet putting out 262 RWHP on my cammed 305 H.O. and I was turning 14 seconds flat at 101 MPH on the drag strip with that combination. When the engine went closed loop at cruise, the quadrajet still managed a respectable 19 MPG on the highway. Of course, I never did quite clean up the idle when the engine was warming up, but I very quickly moved to EFI back then (like, 2004).
I'm making 400 HP to the wheels with a gen1 SBC, and it has a rather snarly cam to make that kind of power. A $2000 junkyard pullout 6.0 liter LS engine from a Chevy Avalanche only needs a $500 camshaft to exceed those power figures, and it would come with a full wiring harness, computer, and probably an electronic controlled automatic transmission.
see:
http://www.lowmileageparts.com/2003-...B#.WUHq8WgrLb0