Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Hey all, me and my buddy Todd have begun tearing out my perfectly good 305 in order to drop in a hot little 350. This is the first engine swap on a late model car for both of us, so everything is a new experience.

Once the 305 is out, I plan to clean up the engine bay by painting old brackets and whatever else I can think of. It is my only car so I have until late August to have it running - In time for me to get back to college.

I have already done up most of the suspension on the car, so after this I will have pretty much gone through everything. A T56 swap will come next, after the new 350 is running smoothly.

I'm putting this up to post pictures of the work as well as a spot to ask questions if we get screwed/stuck.

The Car:



The New Engine:



Progress?


Me on the right, Todd the Toad on the left.


Working into the night with 251 million bugs attacking.



Right now we are just about ready to pull the 305. Just a few more bolts....

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Clean lookin' Z you've got there.

"Atascadero, CA" and "hot 350" raises red flags. You have emissions there, right?

You are sticking with the TPI, right? Did you plan the build with that in mind?

Bugs sure do like those florescent lights.

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Yeah, everything has been done with emissions in mind. This will be a legal eagle... or at least legal enough to pass. TPI is staying.

The lower engine/trans bolts are out, so tomorrow I think we can get the 305 out of the car and start cleaning things up.

More progress:

Cadillac

What are you doing with the 305?

Boat anchor?

Nice looking replacement engine. What's the story there? Crate engine? Local builder? Lift duration/expected output?

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Not much progress was made today unfortunately. I had to work and the sun was setting by the time I was able to work on her. I have been having a hell of a time getting to the upper transmission/engine bolts. I have the bottom 4 out but I can not even see the top three from the bottom or from the top.

You guys have tips for this? I have a ton of hoses blocking everything from the top, and I just can't see em, let alone get a wrench on them from the bottom. Any hints on this would be much appreciated!

But to answer your question Cad, I am not quite sure what I am going to do with the 305 yet. I would love to keep it and maybe do something with it in the future, but I might not have the space. I love that 305... The thing was always damn reliable, just lacking a little power that's all. It would be cool to throw some heads on it and maybe a super charger and drop it in a rat rod or something.

Also the 350 was built by a local builder. He usually builds engines for the local sprint car guys. The guy is a master with heads. The engine he built for me is not for a race car but a solid daily driver which is what I intend my Camaro to be. I would be very happy if my HP reached 400, but I don't think it will make it there with stock runners. I think it will be in the high 300 to low 400 HP ballpark though. If I put on a SR or something then I bet it would be in the 400s. Just speculating though.

The cam in it has .487"/.495" lift and 212/218 duration.

I tell you this, my Camaro is being built to be driven, on the street and on the track. She wears her rock chips with pride and always will.

87tpi

iTrader: (5)

Eric and I got my top tranny bolts from the top in the engine bay after we got the intake off. We had to move that huge piece of harness out of the way but they finally came out.

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, we were able to get them out after dealing with that damn harness. I hate how the wires are routed in this car. All the 20 year old brittle plastic clips and hoses are snapping as well... It is frustrating.

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Whoohoo the 305 is out! Now I have a few days of cleaning and painting ahead of me.

Today I finally got to do something that I have dreamed about for a very long time. I got to stand in my engine bay!

ssean92

iTrader: (10)

congrats on the removal of the boat acher

i_love_thirdgen

iTrader: (3)

I have to say your swap is really enthusing me to get off my lazy butt and start ripping the 6 out of mine.

P.S. I love the fink staring down the roc' in your sig

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

A couple of pictures from yesterday:

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

I have another quick question here... Can't use the search function so, what is the best way to put on my new motor mounts? Do I have to take off the damn A arms to get to those nuts?

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

The Google search function works.

No, you don't have to take off the a-arms, but with them off access is a cinch. Of course, taking the a-arms off w/o the engine in there isn't all that easy, either.

85_ZED28

nice! keep the pics comin'

Abird4u2nv1

iTrader: (-1)

I find it easiest to do have 2 people to do the motor mounts(unless you take the a arms off, but i don't). One person under the car holds the wrench in that horrible position on the nut in the frame, the other loosens it from the top. I've done it many times, I can do it without dropping the nut off he wrench, but I'm a mechanic and do it all the time, you may want to make sure to have a retractable magnet handy just incase you drop it in the frame.

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

i changed mine with that method, one guy working from under the car the other working the bolts from the top. i found that 3/8 extensions, swivel joints and crows-foot ends work great. and i dropped almost all of the nuts when they came loose and they all managed to fall out of the a-arm pocket and hit me in the face. took 2 hours, but the nuts are hard to see on the passenger side.

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Thanks for the tips on the motor mounts. I got the passenger side mount out in 10 minutes or less. I just hope I am not going to pay for that when it comes to putting it back in.

As for any updates, not really any. I have been pretty busy with work so the only thing that has happened is a few brackets have been painted, one motor mount is out, and all of the sensors and plugs have been switched to the 350. I will post some more pictures when I actually have something decent to take a picture of.

Tobias05

i remember my 305-350HO motor swap, keep up the good work!

I know anyone can say this, but you're gonna wanna get some gears and a stall behind that motor of yours. 305 to a hot 350 is gonna be a huge difference, but adding the correct gears/stall to that 350 is gonna be even bigger.

I ran around with my 2.73 open rear end and 1200 RPM stall converter behind my crate motor for two years. its a whole nother story now.

wish you guys the best of luck! i should have taken a couple extra days when i had the engine out to paint things and swap in some new motor mounts, i was just too excited!

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

That is definitely the plan. The next thing on my list is gears and trans. I think I am going the T56 route but i'm not sure. The thought of a built 700R4 with a nice shift kit excites me... yet so does that T56.

Anyway, what all did you have to do to get your new torque converter working ok? Did you run into heat issues with the 3200 stall?

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

The engine is in and all I really need is a day or two more to fire it up... Hopefully. Just routing wires and stuff now.


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Also, I am curious if you guys can tell me where the two broken wires go to as shown in the following picture. The brittle plastic broke during the tear down process and they never got marked as to what they were...

five7kid

iTrader: (14)

Wires? Do you mean vacuum lines?

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

That's what I mean. Not sure where those two go.

Edit: I think the one circled on the right goes into the EGR... Can anyone confirm this? I am not really sure where the one on the left goes though...

Camaero

iTrader: (2)

Posted this in the Nor Cal forums:

Today I was able to finally fire up my 350. What a great feeling it is to have all of your hard work come together and make a brand new engine come to life. Thanks everyone on these forums who have helped me get this thing going.

My dad took a short video of it which you can see here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSiOK1FFh38

We had fans hooked up blowing on the Jet Hot coated headers, which was suggested if breaking in on a new engine.

jyoungst

nice 350 i have 224 duration wilth 490-490 882heads sounds great ...

//<86TA>\\

iTrader: (14)

looks good, nice job, now only if i can finish my swap before it snows

i_love_thirdgen

iTrader: (3)

i'm in the same boat 86ta

9D1BURD

VERY nice write up, good work. Reminds me alot of when i did the exact same thing.

Did you ever find out where your vacuum lines went?

I believe that the one on the right is for the egr solenoid. The left one could be your HOT/COLD selector that would run the divertor valve i think. Or it could be the line that runs you selector for floor heat/deforst/upper vent.

I think.............

defense19goal

Badass build dude... really inspiring best of luck with your newly unleashed horsies!

(old thread, i know)