Hey guys, I'm trying to start a project in ripping out a stock 2.8 Six out of my 89 Fbird and putting in an engine that is at least a 350. I have spent about an hour checking out the offers they have in Autozone. I looked up a fully remanufactured engine with about 85% of its parts new, not remanufactured. The engine also has a 2 year waranty but does not come with heads, valve cover, carb or fuel injection throttle body (i'll have to get those myself). The overall price will be around $1900. Is this a good deal?

Second Question: I have almost no experience in swapping engines and while looking at Autozone I also noticed they only have auto transmissions available. Asking around the manager told me that that transmission is the same transmission as in my firebird (stock 2.8 V6 engine). This confused the hell out of me, he said that I can hook up the 350 to the trany I have in there now. Is this bull or is he right? I was under the impression that I would have to get myself a new trany that can handle the 350 I will put in? Or can I use my V6 trany and just get a torque converter?
(sorry I will post the name and type of transmission on here as soon as I find out)

Third Question: I am going to look around for even a better deal on an engine and ask for opinions on tranys and other parts. But can I go even a larger size than a 350 without needing any body modifications? Where can I get more information on how dificult and expensive it will be for me to put in a 405 in my firebird?


I appreciate anyone responding to this, I know its quite lengthy and that I can overwhelm you with my questions. Unfortunately I just do not have the experience or expertise in swapping engines, even though an old friend of mine says he swapped a 305 for a 350 in his 78 camaro in 2 days , I still have doubts.
Is there a guide or manual I can buy that goes into the details of an engine swap? Most stuff I find online is very vague and not very descriptive.

Thanks for taking yer time,
Dan

 

What do you guys think of instead of getting new engine and possibly trany, about finding a donor transam or camaro that has a 350 in it and doing a swap on that? Not as reliable obviously but easier?

Thanks,
Dan

 

Welcome aboard.

That Autozone rebuilt shortblock is no deal. You can buy a brand new performance shortblock from GM for $1500, a whole entry-level 350 engine for $1400.

Although the V6 and V8 overdrive trannys both use the same shifter and are both called TH700R4, they are not the same. A V6 tranny won't bolt up to a V8 engine, and vice versa.

Look over posts on V6 to V8 swaps. You'll quickly see that the number of things that need to be changed warrants a factory V8 donor car, even if you don't use the engine from it. By comparison, the 305 to 350 swap in a '78 Camaro is a walk in the park.

Don't know where you live, but if emissions is a factor, a factory V8 donor car is the only sane way to go about this.

 

Thanks for the info! It realy helps. I live in NY, and I suppose getting a donor car would be a money saver as well.

Can you please point me in the right direction of where I can find an array of good firebirds or camaros that I can use a s a donor car? I've looked on Autotrader and no luck.
'

Thx,
Dan

 

The best place to look for a donor car would probably be a junkyard. I'm sure you could find quite a few in the yellow pages. Just give them a call and see if they have ANY third-gen F-bodies available. I found quite a few (Phoenix,AZ) with severe rear damage, but the front end was nearly mint. A used engine with low miles is just as good as a newly rebuilt motor. That's definitely something to take into consideration (saves you some money too!!). Also all the brackets, wiring harnesses, the ECM, and other small misc. parts would be something you would need if you just bought a rebuilt motor from Autozone. Better off finding a donor car and swapping parts. Good luck!!

 

Best bet is to buy an already rebuilt 350. If it was done right (0.30 over, etc) it will be a very strong running engine and will cost only a fraction of what a new crate motor will cost and will eliminate most of the headaches of an engine with 120k miles on it.

 

Icepack212 what part of NY are you from? I have a Thirdgen Shop around Albany, NY and have 18 thirdgens. I have lots of 350's and complete parts cars including my 97,000 mile 350 TPI engine that i will be selling complete as a running motor with computer.
Extreme

 

What about a swap on a 85 Trans Am that has a 305TPI to a 350TPI... IS that hard? 85's didnt come with 350's just to let you know.

 

Hey Extreme, I was wondering about that 88 Camaro Conv. 305...
What is the price on it? Think you could get me some pics? Send them to ajm_shorty@hotmail.com I got an 85 T/A to trade if your interested....Hardtop,Nice Interior..Ripped Driverseat but thats about it...Could use a paint job...but not in direneed,305TPI,No rust.

 

Some advice from someone that has done the V-6 to V-8 conversion. One nice thing about 3rd gens is that they're everywhere. Before you undertake a v6 to v8 swap, you might consider how plentiful v8 F-bodies are. If your Firebird is in pretty good shape, you should consider selling it first. Then, go find you a V8 Firebird with the stuff on it that you want, and then work on it. It will already have everything installed that's for a factory V8. Make sure you don't buy something that's someone elses V6 to V8 conversion.

I find great deals on Irocs/Z-28's that the current owner is anxious to sell. Many of these cars I come across have already had the TPI or TBI yanked out because the current owner didn't know what the hell he was doing and couldn't properly maintain his/her fuel injected hotrod. These are great buying opportunities!

I think too often, people underestimate what is really involved in swapping a motor into a car that was not originally built with that particular motor. My first experience was with an 85 S-10 I converted from a 2.8 V-6, to a 350 TPI. It cost at least twice what I'd budgeted! It was sweet when I got done with it, but a lot of work and a lot of money. With your Firebird? Sell it first, then find you a good deal on a solid V8 Camaro or Firebird, whatever your preference, and go from there. If you're new to FI hotrodding, you would be wise to start with a car already in driving condition and learn to work on it. Then start planning your motor build-up. Be patient with it. The more thought you put into your project and what you want to finished car to look and perform like, the better it will turn out and the more fun you'll have with it. There's plenty of guys out there who jump into a project only to run out of money and interest a third of the way into it. I'm thankful for them, cause I pick up great deals on cars and parts and make em work. But, you don't want to be one of them.

If you're hell bent on converting your V6 Firebird to a V8 - find a complete motor and transmission together! Try to get the accessories, the wiring harness, the charcoal cannister, the air cleaner, the ECM - basically the whole nine yards. Don't forget the motor mounts, radiator and anything else you can pick off the donor car. V-6 transmissions won't work behind a V8. I know someone will tell you your V6 standard 5-speed will work behind the V8. Yes it will bolt to the V8 bellhousing but a V6 tranny is not rated for the torque specs of a V8. It's a safety thing here. You don't want to risk an accident or life and limb over the cost of the right part. Do you?

Think it through very carefully before you kill an otherwise good Firebird. Somewhere out there is a young driver who'd love your car to be their first. Sell it to them and start fresh. You'll save a bunch of money if you do.