The Devastator

I'm starting a thread about my 92 camaro that I'm putting a big block in.
Hopefully some people can use some of the info.

I've had this camaro for a few years. It started out as a no frills stock 92 rs with the TBI 305 and 700R4 trans. Shortly after i purchased it, she fell victim to overheating and cracked the heads. I'm the type that if I have to pull an engine well by god there ain't gonna be no stock motor goin back in.
My father had an 11.5:1 327 layin' around in his shop so we figured it would work well in the camaro. It was the first engine he experimented with out of his first hotrod back in the 60s and it was gonna be my first hotrod so it was pretty cool. It got dubbed the heirloom engine by my buddies.
We ran the tbi on it with the modified 454 throttle body and a chip from tpichips.com. After awhile i aquired a tpi setup off an 85 vette. Got another chip from ryan harris at tpichips.com, converted it to speed density and ran that for a while. After about the second year the leaded heads valve seats let go and I was out an engine again.
Me and the old man built up a pretty good little 383 with dart Iron eagle 200 cc heads, an aggressive hydraulic roller cam and 10.8:1 compression. With some 36 lb/hr injectors and another chip from Ryan it ran like a top. But after about another year the poor gasoline quality and altitude in the mojave desert killed it too. She's been sittin for about two years.

I recently aquired a complete 30,000 mile 454 with a th475 trans from a 1978 motorhome for 500 bucks and I figured what the hell, it can't be that bad. After removing all the accessories from the engine we found that the exhaust manifolds were cracked, the harmonic balancer was getting ready to separate, and the timing chain was going.
After cleaning the engine and replacing the harmonic balancer and the timing chain we swapped the truck oil pan/oil pump for a summit passenger car peice we started to think about what else we would need to make this work. We found some adaptors to convert the chassis fuel lines to 6AN. Got about 30 feet of 6AN push on black hose from earls and a moroso return style fuel pressure regulator.


Last weekend we stuck the engine with a th200c trans for a test fit while we were waiting on the BMR torque arm relocation crossmember and full length torque arm.
The Hei distributor fit with no issues and the only problem I can forsee is exhaust clearance on the passenger side firewall. Also I replaced the cast iron intake with an edelbrock 2101. So the air cleaner isn't going to clear the hood.

Here's the most recent pictures of project. BTW don't flame me because I wrote a book and am a forum novice.

The Devastator

Heres some more pictures.

AlkyIROC

Lots of TGO members have a BBC under the hood.

Are those exhaust manifolds from the 78 motorhome? Is there enough room to run an exhaust pipe down from them? I don't think anyone has found a set of cast manifolds that will give enough access on both sides.

There's a sticky at the top of the forum on installing a BBC into a third gen.

The Devastator

Yeah I've been researching this conversion on the forum and the web for about a month before I started. There was a lotta useful info in that sticky too. Helped me a lot.

The manifolds that came off the engine were cracked all the way thru. The new exhaust manifolds are dorman passenger car peices part#'s 674-159, 674-161. I know the driver side downpipe is going to suck. I dont want it running under the oilpan like that silly oe setup. I might have to cut up that part of the floorboard. I'm probably gonna have to pound the firewall in a couple inches to clear that passenger side manifold too. This car doesnt have any HVAC equipment on it, so I'm not afraid of breaking anything under the dash.

Thanks for the info.

Air_Adam

How is the clearance between the manifold outlet and the firewall on the passenger side? I'm really curious as I have a similar manifold I was hoping to use on that side.

The Devastator

If you look at images 15 and 16 you can see the clearance between the firewall and the manifold outlet. Its not gonna clear without some kind of work. The flange is about an inch or two too high. We're either gonna work it with a hammer or cut that part out and work some new metal in.

The Devastator

Ok I worked on her all weekend. Got the oil cooler/fuel/trans cooler lines hooked up, BMR trans crossmember/torque arm installed, MSD 6A/blaster 2 coil/Spark plugs/wires/Probillet Distributor installed, Quadrajet carb rebuilt, fuel pressure dialed in at 4 psi, Vacuum lines/PCV connected, Timing set to 0 degrees base line 35 degrees total at 3250, Starter installed, accessories mounted, Battery cables run and connected.

Cranked it about 8 pm last night, checked for oil pressure, set curb idle to 850 rpm, locked the timing down and quit for the night.

Still gotta hook up the alternator, electric fans, fuel pump low oil pressure cutout, coolant gauge sender, power steering, oil pressure gauge sender, cut the hole in the hood for the air cleaner, put in the driveshaft, and clean up the interior.

I'll post some pictures tonight.

The Devastator

Well heres the pictures I promised earlier. Sorry it took so long.

We were working on it today. Got the throttle cable/shift linkage/driveshaft in the car. setup the wiring for the starter/msd box/fuel pump.

I'll post some more pictures when I take em in the next couple days.

The Devastator

more pics

The Devastator

...

greezemonkey

iTrader: (14)

You sure make it look easy Awesome looking swap..betcha you did it fairly cheap too.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

That is the long water pump correct?

The Devastator

Yeah its the long pump. I was gonna post some more pictures but I took her out last night and something in the tranny cooler circuit let go. Trans fluid everywhere. I gotta jack it up tonight and see where it failed and go from there.

All the accessories on that engine are re-used from that 1978 motorhome. The fans were cannabalized from a 5.7L Iroc in a junkyard many moons ago. I was looking at that alternator bracket yesterday and I am starting to think that won't clear the hood. I already decided to cut the hood for the carb/air cleaner but if that bracket won't clear I'll just wait till I get my march serpentine conversion before I put the hood on.

The Devastator

Well I worked on her the other day. Me and my help got the march pulleys and brackets put on. I was able to reuse the original metric power steering pump so I was very happy with that. Next weekend is payday and I'll be doing the sanderson headers and exhaust. I'll post when there is some more action on this one. Heres some more pics.

tony_cogliandro

iTrader: (3)

how are you ever going to stuff headers into that little space. want to see more - lots more.

tekkitan

iTrader: (1)

looking great. can't wait to see and hear more

planning a 496 build and swap and trying to absorb all the info i can

zemon1

Would you mind sharing the cost to date and projected costs? looks good too

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

With the bigblock swaps @ TGO, there is sooo much info & preferences that each one seems to go a lil easier than the last one! Keep up the good work & thanks for sharing!!

The Devastator

Thanks.

Here is the list of all the parts I've bought save for the AN line and fittings (probly about $200 bucks) I've splurged on alotta stuff here (anodized stud kits, lots of AN hose/fittings, etc.

total cost so far about 3 grand not counting all the shipping charges.

I'm gonna try those sanderson ceramic headers when I get paid next friday.(http://www.sandersonheaders.com/prod...products_id=32) $475 I'll probly just use a couple 40 series flowmasters routed outside the framerails and turn them out in front of the rear tires.

Next up is a built TH-200R4 trans. From there I'm gonna slowly replace the carburetor (speed demon 750), intake (performer rpm air gap), cam (roller cam with LS firing order), heads (something aluminum yeilding about 10:1 CR), Roller rockers. Then I'm gonna replace all my suspension components with BMR peices and then do a 9 inch conversion. Then I'll probably paint it. But this is a pretty good ways off in the future.

USED 454/TH-425 from a 1978 motorhome w/30k miles $500.00

Permacool oil cooler $200

BMM-30299 TH200 TH700 TH350 CHNGOVER KIT $95.95 (wound up being the wrong bracket)

FPP-1884R OIL PAN GASKET $37.95 (pricey, could be done cheaper)

LOK-ED5003 ENGINE DIPSTICK $51.95 (pricey, could be done cheaper)

MAA-4309 FUEL REGULATOR THREE PORT COMP $84.95 (was a little pricey for a regulator you could get one cheaper)

MSD-8433 DISTRIBUTOR CAP $28.95 (the cap on my MSD pro billet was broke)

PRO-141-251 CHROME TH400 TRANS PAN $8.95 (wound up being the wrong tranny pan. too shallow for the heavy duty motorhome trans I have)

RNB-674-159 EXHAUST MANIFOLD $89.95

RNB-674-161 EXHAUST MANIFOLD $85.95

SUM-G1891 TH400 FILTER KIT $9.95

SUM-G3510X OIL PAN-BBC BARE STEEL $30.95

MRG-P456 45DEG. PUSH ON-6AN $55.80 (the push on an fittings were for the fuel lines and brake booster vaccum line)

MRG-P906 90DEG. PUSH ON-6AN $27.90

MSD-8464 SPRING & BUSHING SET $11.95 (needed this to recurve my MSD PRO BILLET)

ARP-235-1902 12 PT. OIL PAN STUD KIT BBC $67.95 (could have reused the old bolts but i splurged)

LOK-SRK-4000 THROTTLE CABLE BRKT & SPRINGS $23.95

LOK-TC-1000HT THROTTLE CABLE $41.95

MOR-62510 MOTOR MOUNTS CHEV ZINC (PAIR) $23.95 (wound up using the stock mounts. I'll save these for the BMR tubular K member I'll put in later)

BMR-TA002H TORQUE ARM $229.95 (needed this to go with the crossmember for the th400)

CCA-2110 TIMING CHAIN SET BBC $34.50 (My timing chain was falling apart. Could have went cheaper but.....)

SUM-901010 OIL PUMP PRIMER SBC $18.95 (I wanted to prime the oil circuits prior to starting the engine due to lots of down time.)

ARP-200-1411 CHEVY V8 12PT TIMING STUD KIT $20.95 (didnt NEED this either. I just prefer stud kits to bolts)

ARP-200-7617 DART BRODIX & B&B 12PT VALVE $54.95 (lol this was supposed to be a stud kit for the valve covers. too bad THIS one only fits SUPER tall brodix valve covers)

CCA-2110 TIMING CHAIN SET BBC $34.50

HDA-3651 FAN CONTROL $45.95

ATI-925137 COOLER LINE FITTING $27.95 (for the trans)

LCT-37477 BLUE THREADLOCKER 36MI $14.95

LOK-TD-3350400FM TRANS DIPSTICK $80.99

SUM-220887 -08 90 SWIVEL HOSE END $59.80 (for the Oil cooler I installed in front of the radiator)

SUM-G1488B ALUM PLUG KIT 1/2 BLUE 4 PACK 1 $7.95 (for the intake holes/head coolant temp holes)

BMM-80735 CABLE 5FT UNIMATIC REPLACEMENT 1 $25.75 (I've had to buy THREE shifter cables. The exhaust manifold on the passenger side blows right onto the top of the trans and melts them.)

ATI-925137 COOLER LINE FITTING 1 $27.95 (could have reused my stock trans cooler lines but I wanted AN hose for this.)

MCH-20127 ALT BRACKET 1 $101.88 (all this march stuff was unnecessary. Turns out the stock alternator bracket fits. This stuff did allow me to use my original PS pump tho. That and its super shiny!!!)

MCH-20151 POWER STEERING BRACKET BBC 1 $121.95

MCH-7330 PULLEY SET 1 $229.95 (These are the overdrive pulleys for increased water pump and alternator output)

EDL-2101 INTAKE MANIFOLD PERFORMER 2.0 1 $129.95 (I pulled the intake for a rotted gasket. It was so heavy I just figured I'd go ahead and change it for fear of an overly heavy front end.)

SUM-220686B -6 45 DEGREE BLACK HOSE END 4 $55.80

TRD-2109 1" CARB SPCR Q-JET OPEN PLENUM 1 $25.95

BMM-80831 SHIFTER CABLE SUPER DUTY 3 FT 2 $85.50 (gonna start using these shorter heavy duty shift cables)

fbirdroller

iTrader: (1)

i have little knowledge of swapping in the BB into our third gens, but i was curious as to why you didnt put headers on it instead of using manifolds? i mean your already planning on modifying the body to accomodate the manifolds.

The Devastator

Well in the beginning I was trying to do this pretty quickly. But that didnt happen. I bought the manifolds because they are cheap. I got another paycheck coming and I don't have the exhaust on the car yet so I'm just gonna go ahead and try these headers. If they don't fit I can always fall back to the exhuast manifolds until I find a pair that does fit.

I had to clearance the firewall just to make room for the exhaust manifolds so I'm resigned to the thought of having to chop some more stuff up. I already removed the ac/heat so that helped. I removed all that stuff inbetween the nose and the radiator to make room for my oil cooler and increase airflow thru the grille. Over the 4 years I've owned this car I removed a lot of stuff.

The Devastator

Ok we worked on it some more last weekend and this is what got done.

We built turndowns for the exhaust manifolds. The passenger side was pretty difficult. It has to make an immediate 45 degree bend and then a corkscrew to come out in the factory location. Still, it can be done.

We tore into the carburetor again. One of the needles on the power valve was installed wrong (doh!). Turned out my pro billet distributor requires a PORTED vacuum source. It was hooked to a direct source and that was the cause of the hesistation (that coupled with a screwed up power valve).
I've had my fill of quadrajets for a while. I've got a 750 speed demon coming in the mail tomorrow.

I'll post some pictures this weekend of the progress. Hopefully we can get her to run decent. I've been having alotta tuning trouble lately (most of which was self inflicted) and she's been fighting me every step of the way.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Gettig there, i always forget where to put the vac advance after it has been a while. Glad to see you ditch the quadrajunk.

StringRust

iTrader: (2)

nice progress

The Devastator

Thanks. My father rebuilds quadrajets and was giving me some advice. Once tuned they are usually very good street carbs. This one is beyond saving with the facilities I have here though. It only runs right at Idle and 3/4 to WOT. This engine is definately waaaay too much for this car, and I dont even have mufflers or a decent carb on it yet! I love it.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Good to hear I am waiting on more money...and more money.

The Devastator

Lol yeah thats the main controlling factor isnt it?
I'm goin at this pretty aggressivley, dumping about a grand into the project every 2 weeks and it still feels like it takes forever.

The Devastator

Here is an update on the 454 swap.

I got my speed demon 750/2 ported carb spacer installed and dialed in. I've been having issues with ignition timing. According to the info I've gotten this carburetor it likes a lot of initial ignition timing (12-14 degrees). I don't have a bushing that limits the centrifugal timing lower than 17 so as to keep the total timing low enough for the altitude and fuel quality up here. Here is the closest i can get.
12 14 Initial
10 10 Vacuum
17 17 centrifugal
39 41 total

So I'm gonna go ahead and get the digital programmable 6AL2. This way I can lock out the mechanical centrifugal advance and dial the curve in with my laptop. This box also works with a map sensor so when I do get my 6-71 I can dial in the boost retard. Probably that knock warning kit too. And a wideband o2 sensor gauge. I'll update when theres some more action.

fasttax2

A big block is a tight fit. Especially with the large Dart head I'm running. Headers need to go in first and then I slide the motor and trans in between them. Here is a pic of my 540 ci in my 82' Trans Am.

The Devastator

Damn son! You running a dominator and a nitrous plate?
Have you had it on a dyno yet?

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Sandersons come in yet?!? I'm just as hooked on this as I was when I found booboosean's!! 6-71? Near future or a few yrs? Hey--thanks for posting! I'm anxious 'cause next spring we are going BIGBLOCK!

AlkyIROC

Raised exhaust ports and large tube headers always makes for a tight fit. My Ed Quay headers have dents in them to clear suspension components and my steering shaft is slightly relocated to clear the tubes. Each header tube is separate and goes into a slip on collector. It makes putting in the headers a lot easier when you put one tube on at a time. The trick is knowing which tube to put on in which order. I can't pull my starter off without taking off the header and I can't slip a socket over the #4 spark plug without loosening the #2 header tube. If I didn't have 2-1/4" primary tubes, it wouldn't be so hard.

The Devastator

I'm gonna order them when I order my new MSD box and knock warning kit friday. I'll probably get all that stuff next weekend. The 6-71 is gonna hafta wait until after my leave, and the rotating assembly. After I get the headers and exhaust figured out and put in an overdrive trans, I'm gonna drive it to mississippi. After I get back from there I'm gonna stroke it to a 496, put in an LS firing order solid roller cam, shaft roller rockers, and some better heads. Then the blower. So it "SHOULD" be together within a year. We'll see lol.

fasttax2

We made one pull on the motor when it was built N/A to see what it would do with the timing retarded and on 89 octane. It is built to be a twin turbo motor so I'm only running 8.5:1 and the heads are the 345cc Dart Pro 1 which is way to big for low compression N/A and it still made 620/630 first pull. I'm going to spray 250 to it on 93 octane until the twin turbo kit is done.

I'm running the Hooker super competition headers which are decent. Has one slip in pipe but I found it easier to just put them in first when doing the install. I can still get to all my spark plugs and the starter without loosening them or removing anything.

Here's a pic of what the car looked like last year when I had it out. It has spent this summer at the body shop getting repainted and will be out next spring for sure.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Do you " see the light at the end of the tunnel "? Must seem like some days you want to FTW & drive and other days WTF!?? Regulator looks like boost reference. Are you running a return line? What fuel pressure do you have? Getting things ready for the 6-71 as you go--smart plan!! fasttax-photo looks real good! (edit) Stephen--oohhh the things we do for fun!!! Tunnel ram looks intimidating not to mention the burn of alchy (ahh yes!!)

The Devastator

This is a pretty much stock car so I think the light is a looong way off. I still have to upgrade the brakes, install a 9 inch rear end, tub the rear, put in a roll cage, and the list goes on.

Thats the famous vac/boost reference moroso bypass fuel pressure regulator. I am using a walbro high volume mustang fuel pump (in tank). The instructions on this carb called for 6- 7.5 psi so I set it at 6.5 psi.

Thats a wicked setup man. Can't wait to see the turbos! I also have an 85 corvette. I intend to swap to a 572+ inch BBC and run STS dual turbos on that one. Its gonna have to wait for this car to get pretty close to wrapped up though.

fasttax2

I know how that goes. I have too many projects myself.

AlkyIROC

Light at the end of the tunnel? I've had my car for 10 years now and have finally slowed down on changes. Last winter was a new aluminum center section for the diff and some better heads. This winter might be a cam swap. There's no such thing as 'It's finally finished" no matter how long you own it. There will always be something you want to change or upgrade to make it better but you have to start somewhere.

The basic BBC swap is common but it becomes an addictive drug. Once you have it running, you'll find something needs to be changed and it never stops.

The nice thing about my tunnel ram and dual toilets is that it all fits under the short scoops. You don't realize exactly what's under the hood until it's opened. Look at this sig picture, does this really look like a car with a tunnel ram under the hood? I hate those huge Prostock style scoops. There's no need for them.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

LOLOL-can't let my bride see "...never done...addicting...more...more...more"LOLOL Ya-once I had a bigblock in my '75.Pulled the motor sold the body. Rebuild plan for the winter. Just gotta keep the bride from seeing "never..more..etc". No I wouldn't have even GUESSED there was a T'RAM in there! Alchy--love that too!

ModPog84z28

very nice, ive been sayin it for a while now, but im finally gonna get mine together here during the winter. the car only needs SFC's and a few other things. the motor is getting a billet 4.25 crank and speed pro pistons, along with a head fluff and the matched edelbrock air gap. scored a speed demon 850 for mine, should be good. neway good job on yours! it looks bomb, cant wait for mine!

The Devastator

Well I was drivin home the other day and my gauges went out. Followed shortly by the whole car. Turned out in the end that the alternator is dead.....

I got one on order it will be here tomorrow with the rest of my hardware. Whenever I get paid I'll buy a powermaster 200 amp but for right now I got a 100 amp one wire coming to get by on.

I'll update when theres more info.

GSRMmi31

How much did you buy the pulleys for. Also what company makes them.

GSRMmi31

What headers are running, i need some myself

The Devastator

I'm running the march serpentine conversion. If I remember right I think it was about 500 bucks for brackets and pulleys from them.

Right now I'm running dorman passenger car exhaust manifolds. I intend to try sanderson,s BB2 camaro headers. I don't want to run any headers that route primaries into my wheel wells so my options are limited. I may have to put them off till I can get the BMR tubular K member and A arms.

The Devastator

Ok here's what i got. I installed the MSD digital programmable 6AL2 and locked out my distributor at 38 degrees. Its pretty nice being able to dial in my ignition timing on the fly with a laptop. Its weird getting used to doing all the math though. This thing references everything by how much RETARD you are running from what your timing is locked out at. You would think they would have taken an extra 10 minutes and put an option in the program to specify your timing lockout so that the chart could be displayed in degrees advance. Oh well. Another weird thing about this box is it uses a standard MAP sensor for vac/boost reference, but the slots in the connectors are offset so that you can only use MSD MAP sensors. That's a little shady I think. Depending on how froggy I get this weekend I might take one of my stock map pigtails and put it on this box.

I guess somewhere along the line of my alternator dying, my fuel pump got killed. That or the sock is plugged up. I'm seeing about 3 psi fuel pressure at the regulator. I gotta replace that stuff with a pair of walbro's on the next paycheck. I'll probly do some moroso 8 mm plug wires and new spark plugs too. So the sanderson headers are getting put off till the next paycheck.

I'll upload some more pictures when I put the carb scoop on this weekend.

ZONES89RS

iTrader: (2)

Glad to see you are still moving along. I just dropped my block off along with my big heads and crank to have everything checked out.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Hey Devastator- I know this will be " fuel 101 "-- I've seen times where the fuel tank isn't vented enough & the pump labors too much causing overheat shut down. How is it vented & getting air displacement? Basic but over looked? Yea MSD makes only a few items that are interchangeable but when you go w// the better stuff it's ALL MSD. Glad to hear you're driving tho!!

The Devastator

I had forgot about that. I'll have to look into it. I removed the cabon canister 3 or 4 years ago when I did the smog delete but I beleive I put one of those valve cover air filters on the line.

The pump died yesterday on the way into work. The gauge on the out side of my regulator says 0 psi at idle. When I tear into it this weekend to change the pump and strainer I'm gonna look into that carbon canister line.

Thanks for the help.

t-top havoc

iTrader: (3)

Mine died on me 2 wks ago going to wrk @ 4:30 am in medium fog on a country 2 lane road. Turned the switch off for the pump ( couldnt hear it ) I felt the relay & wires but nothing was even warm.Took the gas cap off,turned the pump back on & heard it kick on, gave it a few seconds to fill the bowls, and started up. About 5 mins total downtime. Drove another 20 mins to wrk without another issue.
After wrk ( 13hrs ) started up & made it home w//no issues.

Drove it a week w//no issues. That's what made me think about my friends advice yrs ago. Maybe that was MY issue. Hope there's something for you to try anyways. Good luck!

The Devastator

That was the first thing I tried when it started acting up at the gas station. I removed the cap but it had no effect on the pump. This may get put off till next week or that weekend.

At lunch today I'm gonna crank it and see if it'll maintain fuel pressure. I've got another walbro pump in my elcamino I converted to TPI. That car is getting scrapped so I'll cannabalize that fuel pump and upgrade the fuel pump wiring on the camaro while I'm down there.