doshier2004

Ihave an 84' camaro and im trying to put a buick 455 in it. I got the motor mounts in but idont have a Trans cross member. Im putting a th400 tranny in it. How should i go about making a cross member for it?

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

1/4inch steel stock.... or whatever thickness you want to run, a welder and a few hours should do it.

gen3z

you can use the x-member for a t-56 swap,however a 455

Project: 85 2.8 bird

Good job!!!!!

By starting the thread w.work already inprogress, you negated all the nay sayers about the B-O-P engines in the Third gens.

I'm searching for the adapter crossmember, but no luck so far...

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Solve two problems at the same time - crossmember and torque arm from Spohn, our sponsor above.

http://www.spohn.net/product.cfm?productid=1301

Magilla

B&M Trans used to make adapters to bolt the stock control arm to T350's & T400's. They still might make them. You will probably need the short tail 400 (6") for it to work though.
I'd make it easy on myself and get a T350. It will hold up to a 455 pretty well.
I have a T700 in mine with a Global West Trac Link bar that removes the center arm connection to the trans and moves it to the trans x-member but it probably is the most expensive option. I had a T350 in it at one time and it went in no problem.
Here's a tip for your installation: If you're having trouble fitting an oil filter get a NAPA(and only NAPA) 1042. It's the smallest filter you can get that will fit the 455.
This is what my engine compartment looks like up and running just in case you're wondering what yours could look like when it's done.

TTA850

Hey Magilla ever been to E-Town,NJ with that car - maybe a few years back?I think I saw you there once, very nice job on the swap

If it wasnt you,still nice job looking at the pick.Keeping the A/C is a nice touch

Steve

SOLID LIFTER

Is your car the same one that was in Hot Rod a few years back? If so, awsome car man! That engine of yours is so mild yet so frickin quick! What was your 1/4 mile time again?

doshier2004

Also what about headers? theres not much room in there so how would i go about doing that.

SOLID LIFTER

I think TA performance is making or is going to make a set of shorties for the BBBs. I know that they're making them for the nail head motors but I'm unshure about the big block.
If TA isn't selling the BBB shorties yet I think your only choices will be cast iron manifolds or to fab up your own headers.

TA Performance

EDIT: I just checked on TAs web site and they are selling 400-430-455 BB Buick headers.

wm_sorg

That biuck 455 kicks ****. Tons o torque!

lt1g3n

what kind of motor mounts did you use, or adapter etc... i have a 455 olds motor thats going into an 86 camaro , im helpin my buddy out and we need some motor mounts that will work, thanks.

Magilla

Yes this is the car from Hot Rod, June 2000 and I have been to E-Town for the Pontiac or Buick days. I can usually race at either one.
I have exhaust manifolds that were ported by Gessler Head porting. The driver side fits no problem but the passenger side needed some grinding at the top of the "big ball" area near the upper outlet bolt. It gets very tight to the firewall. TA's shorty headers probably would do the same thing because they are supposed to come out to where the stock manifolds do. You might be able to modify them to fit. Standard long tube headers don't have a chance. I tried to fit headers with no collectors and 2 of the tubes dumped right into the sheetmetal where the x-member bolts up.
The real exciting part is hooking up the pipes to the manifold. I got some mandrel bends and cut them up to fit. The passenger side is a "rams horn" bend that starts out toward the trans x-member then makes about a 120 degree turn down and then toward the oil pan, then another 90 degree turn pointing it out toward the side, another 120 degree turn and it points toward the cat area. The driver side just comes down and turns to the passenger side goes across and bends toward where the cat was. Both pipes come together in a 3" y-pipe which hooks up to an aftermarket system in the stock location. It's not overly complicated when you start doing it but it does take time. I used a chop saw and tack welded the pieces together and let a pro finish the welding. 13 pieces in all. I have a picture which I need to find of the Y-pipe which I'll send later.
I was going for maximum ground clearance. If you're not worried about ground clearance you might be able to just drop them down under the x-member.
As far as motor mounts for the Olds goes I'd look into some out of a '68-'72 442/Cutlass car. I used a Trans-Dapt adapter to bolt the Chevy bellhousing to the BOP engine.
AC and cruise control still work. My best time to date is 11.57@117.25. That is through the single 3'' exhaust and Straight Line Performance (out of Michigan) muffler, T700, 3200 Stall 10" conv, 3.23 gears, 10:1 comp, 226I & 238E @.050 cam.(good idle) My best 60' time is 1.57 on BFG 255-50R16 Drag Radials. Unfortunately with those 60' times the stock axles aren't holding up too well. The last time I went racing at E-Town and Atco I snapped the driver axle on the second run at both tracks. Good traction. Here's a picture from E-Town where the axle didn't snap. You can's see the ripples on the downsized picture that well but they are biting.

z_power

Narrow version:

wesilva

iTrader: (35)

And SBC weight !!!

SOLID LIFTER

Very nice!

Magilla

This is what the "Y" pipe looks like on my TA before paint just for an idea of what you're getting into if you go this route.
Also, the first year after I did my installation, 1996, I saw a Camaro with a 455 Buick in it up at Lebanon Valley Raceway in NY. He installed a long tube set of headers but he cut out the boxed area going to the trans x-member and reinforced it by running a heavy strap of metal underneath the header.
Thanks to z_power for the help on reading my earlier reply. I had to go back and figure out how to shrink my picture to fit the page decently and keep it looking good.

TTA850

Magilla, again nice car

Not to take this off topic again but was wondering if your planning on going to the Pontiac Show & Go on April 10?I'll be there in a red GTA with a lil Buick motor in it

Steve

nolanr0413

how much does a pontiac buick olds 455 wiegh, i would love to put a 455 into my ta, im worried about the weight , welll not really worried but i dont wanna have to put aluminum heads to keep the weight off.

SOLID LIFTER

Both the 455 Buick and 455 Olds weigh in at around 600+ lbs., I think the olds motors may weight a little more than the buicks. Pontiac motors are a little heavier, weighing in at 650+ lbs.

EDIT: All of the BB BOP motors have huge X large intakes, just by switching from a cast iron intake and exhaust manifolds to an aftermarket intake and headers will put both an olds and a buick motor down to an sbcs weight.

Magilla

Hey nolanr0413
I got my Trans-Dapt adapter from Performance Automotive Warehouse(PAW). You would need some motor mounts and frame brackets from a Pontiac "A" body(Tempest/GTO) to do it right although there might be other chassis that would work. Make sure you get the right mounts for your engine because some of the earlier engines/chassis used different mounts. I'd check on one of the Pontiac sites.
After doing this swap I feel the Pontiac would probably fit better than the Buick because of the oil filter location and the availability of exhaust manifolds with many different outlets.
Unfortunately when doing a swap of this magnatude you have to be ready to spend some bucks to get it done right.
I'm still running the stock springs on the car. It has the WS-6 suspension so the springs have a pretty high rate and the front only dropped 3/8" or so.
What kind of pictures do you want? If you let me know I can send them right to you if I have them.

TTA850
I won't be making it out to ETown. That's lousy the day before Easter. I don't know if the car will be up to snuff for racing at that point, axles and all.
Check out the drivetrain board because I'm going to start a thread on rearends and axles and I'd like to hear about your setup.

nolanr0413

i can buy motor mounts from chief many horses, isnt that all i need and then a trans dapt. what frame brackets are you talking about.

Magilla

Motor mounts are attached to the engine and the mounts attach to the frame brackets which are attached to the frame.
Most manufacturers put rubber isolation in the engine mount but Chevy puts theirs on the frame mount.
Both bracket and mount need to match each other. Chief Many Horses might sell them as a (4) piece set. If not you should consult them as to what pieces you need.
That "Trans-Dapt" is a brand name, FYI.

dennis6

Are the mounts and exhaust the same for a Pontiac 455 as a Buick 455?

In other words, Chief many horses sell parts for pontiac motors, not Buicks. Will headers designed for a Pontiac 455, and mounts designed for a Ponticac 455 work with a Buick 455? As they do have conversion headers and exhaust.

jmd

iTrader: (4)

I don't see any reason that 78-88 Cutlass Supreme 260/307/350 mounts wouldn't work. Might want to run an engine strap style tie-down though; those mounts aren't the strongest in the world.

SOLID LIFTER

Nope. Buick, Olds, and Pontiac motors are completely different engines from one another! Nothing is the same except for the distributor cap.

dennis6

What motor mounts are you using?

LT1guy

iTrader: (1)

Glad to see more people putting 'alternative" engines into their third gens! My 87 TA is getting a 455 Pontiac, and my 85 a 500 Cadillac.

rich3114

Wow, I thought I was being original. I have aquired an 85 TA, and am rebuilding a Poncho 455 for it. I've already got the headers and motor mounts for the swap, and they are really quality looking pieces, but I'm probably going to send the headers out to be coated before the install.

My current engine setup is:

1972 Pontiac 455 bored .030 over, and decked even with the pistons.
1972 7K3 heads, milled .060 to bring the compression to 10.5 to 1
TRW forged flattops
H-Beam forged rods
308/320 duration cam with .602 lift
Victor intake w/ 1050 Dominator and 150 shot of giggle gas for emergencies.
TH350 with transbrake, and 3800 stall.

I've got most of the parts already, just need to get the block and heads prepped for install. I've got a lot of chassis work to do as well, and my time is being dominated by 3 kids, and a military career, but I get to work on it about 7-10 hours a week.

Is there anything I need to know about putting this engine in, that's going to make it easier? I've had Pontiac engines before, and an '85 Trans Am before, just never thought of combining the two before.

LT1guy

iTrader: (1)

You're further along than me, but it sounds like you about have everything covered. I'm using the Indian Adventures motor mounts (on a PA crossmember), and a Spohn torque arm/trans mount for the TH400. I'm building my own headers, since no one makes any that fit my requirements.

rich3114

Well, the headers were one of the most expensive single purchase I've made so far, with shipping, they were around $600 from www.chiefmanyhorses.com. Other than them, the 1050 Dominator will probably be the most expensive.