OK, heres my deal. i got this really nice 1987 camaro LT with a 2.8 mpfi motor 2 weeks ago. i also have a 1978 camaro z28 (350 with 350 turbo trans) that the frame rail fell out of, but the 78 only has 72,000 miles on it. if i used the 78 as a donor car, how difficult would the swap be? i borrowed my neighbors shop, that used to be an indoor car dealership, and have every tool imaginable. so im not worried about lack of resources.

 

Welcome aboard.

Go ahead and use the '78 engine, but you really need an '86-'87 vintage Camaro factory V8 donor car. It will have what you need to actually put the engine into your car. Very little of the '78 car, outside of the engine, will do you any good.

If you have emissions inspection/testing to go through, this is doubly true.

 

welcome to the boards!! The swap will be well worth the effort. i did about the same exact swap, and i loved the project, and it didnt really take that long, and u are lucky with all those resources.

if you have emmisions testing it will be a lot harder swap, just like five7Kid said

How ever there are a few things that you will have to get:

A new drive shaft, I custom made mine, but you can get a used one from a 82-83 camaro with a 200c tranny.

i would buy the turbo 350 kit from summit i think it is $85, it includes everything u need for the tranny swap, but i made my own mounts and it worked fine, but it is a PITA

you will need a V8 radiator, i dont think the one from the '78 will work

you will have to use the V8 motor mounts from the '78, but u might want to invest in some new ones, pretty cheap

thats all i can think of right now, but there might be more
Good Luck!! its well worth it

 

Im really lucky. there is no emissions testing were I live. If my 350 is almost stock, do you think i could get away with using the 2.8 radiator? cause im running onto a really tight budget, and i really dont want to spend the extra $125 if i dont absolutely have to. i was under the impression that one of my 2 driveshafts would fit on it. what is the difference in length?

 

the 2.8 radiator wont really work cuz the inlet and outlet are on the oppisite sides than the V8, so the hoses would be crossed, so i guess it could work, but wouldnt be pratical at all. if you are on a tight budget, i would try to fit the '78 radiator, my guess is that it would just be wider, but i think it could be done.

the drive shaft from the '87 i know wont be the right length. i dont know if the one from the '78 will work, but i doubt it. u will have to find some one with some more knowledge than me, sorry i cant answer that.

what i did for the driveshaft is bought a longer one than what i needed out of the junk yard from a monte SS. then took it to the the shop and cut it down to length on a lathe, then welded it back together. It was pretty easy todo, took about 2 hours total, then i put a dial indicator on it, put the balance wieght oppisite side of the highest spot on the drive shaft. turned out perfectly balanced.

 

You can do some work to the radiator mounts and make the older radiator fit in the newer car, but the 2.8 radiator just will NOT work on the 350. Also, if you have a tight budget good luck. No matter what, engine swaps tend to cost twice as much as expected. If you need the car to be driving during that time you might want to wait... (This is not a weekend job) As for the tranny, I don't know. Also you can get a used radiator from the junk yard for cheaper than 125.

 

alright, thanks for the info. if you have any more tips, i would greatly appreciate it.

 

is there any other ma jor modifications, that the car will need in order to get it working? and did you encounter any problems when you were swapping your motor, that i might run into?

 

camaros were made for SBC, so it is really easy to just drop in. your tach will be off, you will have to swap it out for a V8 one. the oil pressure sender will have to have like a 45* elbow to make it fit on the back of the block(unless there is one that will work from the '78) the motor mounts should just bolt up to holes that are already there. the biggest thing for you will be the tranny swap. I would strongly suggest the kit from summit to put a turbo 350 in a third gen, it will make the swap go a lot faster. and it was a pain in my *** to make all the brackets for mine. And just get a used drive shaft and have it shortened, or get a 82-83 third gen with a 3 speed auto tranny. feel free to ask any questions you might have, ppl on here will help you out tons. Good Luck!!

 

alright thanks. Yeah, i have a performance parts store in town that will sell me the tranny kit for $85 or close to that. I have my old 5 inch autometer tach that i put in my 78 as well. Im really hoping this turns out well, because im stuck driving a 94 hyundai sonata til its finnished.

 

lets not forget the fuel pump issue...also rerouting the breaklines...and fuel lines....carb linkage....speedometer...hoses..hood clearance.....front spings....swaybar..exhaust......wiring...alot to remove! Get a v-8 radiator at a wrecking yard..mine cost 15.00......There is nothing "Easy" about this swap....accept maybe pulling the old 2.8 and tranny!!!

 

did i read that right??? i could have used the 200c driveshaft that i took to the landfill behind my 700R or only the 350?

 

the driveline off the v-6 will work for the v-8 with the 700r4...the 200r driveline will work on the th350

 

I'm doing the same swap right now. I'm going to try to finish the project over my xmas break (currently a student at Iowa State University). Two questions: I have to replace the swaybar? And how should I go about rerouting the brakelines? I noticed they'd be a problem. Here's where I'm at: The old motor and tranny are out. I swapped speedo gears with the new tranny that went in. Although, a friend took the torque arm off the old one and when I put the new tranny in I forgot to hook it up. What would be the easiest way to fix this? Looks like I may have to unbolt the crossmember to drop the tranny down to get the torque arm mount to bolt up to the tranny. Anyway, I finished putting one of the new front springs in and realized that they both need to be out to get to the tranny mounts. So, as of now, the car is sitting with no springs and no engine. Once I take care of the motor mounts, the engine should be ready to drop in. Thanks for any help with my questions.

 

fast89RS: No you dont have to change the sway bar. i havnt yet and it works fine, i am going to some time in the future just for the better handling. i just re-bent my brake lines well away from the engine and headers and everything. I didnt even replace any of the brake lines, there should be enough movement in them to re-route them. bolting up the torque arm up should be very easy, you shouldn't have to drop the cross member down at all to bolt it up. Just take another look at it and i think you will realize how easy it is. Good luck on the swap, you should be able to finish it up easy on a christmas break.

 

you have to move the brakelines back on the x-member...the holes for the clips are there...as for the fuel pump you will need a adjustable fuel pressure regulator...Malory makes such an animal for around $80. The stock pump has way too much pressure...you want 5-7lbs for the carb...most likely the FP wont run after the swap you will have to rewire it or swap it out.