i just bought an 89 Trans Am and i am planning on swapping the 8cyl from the trans am and putting it into my firebird. i have everything i need cause i got the whole car (except the exaust). but i need directions like how "ked" did with the 3.4L swap. anyone know of a link or a book i could order or something? thanks

 

1) Take numerous pictures of both cars before you touch anything.
2) Open the hatch of each car.
3) Start to disassemble, labeling everything on both cars as you go, and take more pictures as things come apart. Don't cut anything. Put the parts from the V6 car into the back of the V8 car, and vice versa (except the engines & trannies - they won't fit in the back).
4) Anything that attaches to or feeds the engine, or looks different from one car to the other - change it.
5) The A/C can be removed from each car intact without releasing the refrigerant. Kinda nice to have it out of the way as the engines/trannies are pulled.
6) Reassemble in reverse order (reassembling the V6 into the V8 donor car is up to you - I didn't).
7) Change the tachometer.

 

thanks, the picture idea i especially think is a great idea. any other info/pics would be very helpful.

oh yea and the car i am swaping it into is a standard and the one im taking the engine out of is an automatic. is that going to pose a problem?

 

Not if you put in the automatic, too. The V6 manual tranny stuff won't fit on the V8.

I assume you knew I was also talking about changing out wiring harnesses and computer. It really isn't that bad, because the harness will all come out as basically one piece from each side of the kick panel. The wires that go to the transmission are part of the engine harness.

Now that I think about it, I switched the A/C's between the cars when the engines were out. Actually easier than trying to do it with the engines in, and it doesn't really get in the way of the engine removal/installation.

There are too many variations between the models/years to be much more specific in the details of the swap.

 

do the dash harnesses need to be swapped too? i thought i read of people not swapping them and getting it to work... then some not working...

 

with a different bellhousing, clutch, flywheel and fork it will

 

that suff expensive??

 

about $400 for good quality

 

oh okay thats not too bad at all then. actually couldnt i just take all that stuff off the 89 TA??

 

Make sure that the power wires are in the dash harness for the injector drivers. When i did my swap one had power the other didnt!! IE only ran on 4 injectors and yes it did run. Just not good. Good luck.

 

i thought the T/A was an automatic


ummmmmm, not to be mean, but are you sure you want to attempt this?

 

ha ha i dont know why i typed that...oh well

 

here are some pics of the TA im using for the swap

 

..

 

ehhhhhhhhhh

TBI


it would actually be easier for you to buy a complete TPI setup for about $400 and use that instead

that way you can avoid the adjustable fuel pressure regulator you'll need which is about $100

and you can use your current ECM

lets put it this way.......TPI would just be easier because that technically what you currently have

good luck

 

You'd have to change the same amount of stuff whether TBI, TPI, or CC carb (fuel pump about the only possible exception). AFPR is a good idea with any of those systems (assuming the in-tank pump is retained).

 

i was looking at some schematics though five7kid, it looks to me that the MPFI V6 harness can be turned into a TPI harness pretty easily, you just have to make sure you know how to cut and splice

for the two extra injectors, this is batch fire fuel injection, so you can just tap into the exsiting injectors wire




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thats how the wiring diagram shows the injectors wired

so when i do my swap i am just going to splice the two injectors in

 

and extend the wires that need to be extended

 

i did a V6 to V8 swap and it wasnt to bad. I didnt have a donor car though. i built the V8. good thing i had acces to a junkyard for free. the only problems i had were the clutch, bell housing and flywheel, and the motor mounts. for the motor mounts i got some new ones from NAPA and welded them in. if you want to use the bolts you have to take most of the front suspension off. and for the bell housing and what not i used the bell out of a firebird in the junkyard and the flywheel out of a 60 somthing chevelle with an I6 and a 3 speed. the clutch and pressure plate was from NAPA and the clutch is for a 4wheel drive blazer and the pressure plate is for a regular old small block.
I know it sounds like a mess but it works good.

 

is that everything you had to replace?? what about the gear ratio? if possible could you guys make a list of everything i need to swap out of the TA to my bird?