Car is currently a tired 305 and the car has had so many mods done by the previous owner its not worth keeping it #'s matching. Lets face it, muscle cars are supposed to have well, muscle and a 305 is anything but. I know putting a 400 in is possible, but whats involved in this exactly? Is it pretty much bolt in or is a lot of custom work gonna be required? The car currently has a 4 speed siginaw in it, I assume it won't be able to handl the power, whats a good 4 speed I can use? For that matter, what year/car should I search for to get the engine from? I plan to build the engine, so the stock hp numbers aren't that important i suppose, as long as the size is there. Thanks, any suggestions are appreciated.

 

This might help

http://forums.performanceyears.com/6...1&m=5886040952

This might help too:

http://www.pontiacgroup.com/enginepa...part/10776.htm

Enjoy


Andrew

 

good info

http://www.classicfirebird.com/hand/hand.html

also be careful of your choice of heads. I am building the 6x4's.

 

Thanks for those great links guys. Looks like this won't be too bad. What do you guys suggest in the way of tranny's, driveshafts, and rear ends? Thanks again

 

The th400 is practically bulletproof from the factory, but I chose the th350 for lighter weight and better gearing. I'm also putting in a narrowed 12 bolt rear in mine. What ever you use you will need the subframe connectors and a lot of traction help... lift bars, etc. I'm going to check into Denny's Driveshafts for an aluminum one. Are you planning on a basically stock engine or are you gonna beef her up while its out?

 

well, my plan is to get around 400 hp. And this is gonna be a street car, maybe occational drag strip, maybe. So getting traction isn't that much of an issue, I'll just have to control my foot at stop lights. I was planning on putting sub frame connectors in way before i decided to go the 400ci route, so those will definatly make there way into the picture. I feel like an idiot for even asking this, but what exactly is the th400? Like what years can I find it in, and is it a 4 speed manual? I wanna keep this thing feeling "old school" no 5 speeds for me Anyway, thats all i can think about at this point, now I gotta start collecting money and parts. Anyone wanna buy a 305 with a built top end?

 

TH 400 = Turbo Hydromatic 400. The most bulletproof 3 speed automatic made by GM. You should find it behind most 455 and 428 equiped cars. You can find one from an Olds, Buick or Caddy as well. Since all those engines had the same bellhousing bolt pattern.

Where are you from? I have a Pontiac 350 and a TH 350 trans that I will practically give away.

I am in the Chicago area.

Andrew

 

The th400 and th350 are 3 speed automatic transmissions. widely popular in the seventies. I'm not a manual tranny fan so someone else needs to help there. I still suggest modifying the rear suspension, you want to be able to take off in it...lol. This is my first attempt at this and I'm FAR from being done, so I'm learning also. You really should join PerformanceYears.com, great (best) advice for older Poncho engines.

 

Andrew... Ya beat me to it...lol

 

It would be hard to install a manual trans, since you will have to figure out how to make the clutch linkage work.

Andrew

 

well thats no good. Its gotta be manual. I'm from northern NJ btw. Thanks for the offer, but I've got my mind set on a 400.

 

82TS, i've got a Saginaw equiped 82 ...too. Lucky for us, our bellhousings are universal (C-BOP). You don't have to change squat. The Pontiac will bolt right to it. You may have to get a Pontiac flywheel. See the two empty bell housing holes on top of the bell? 1 and 11 o'clock? Starter bosses on both sides? It's a cool bell.

I'm doing the same swap, (i think), not sure if i'm going with Pontiac or Olds right this second. I'm leaving the Saginaw in till it pukes. I'll put in new syncros though. I'll take it easy, it will last for a while. When it's gone, i have a M-21 (or M-20, not sure) but it's the coarse spline (10) Muncie. Same spline as the Saginaw. I'll need lift bars, or a torque arm kit because the Muncie has no provisions for it.

Keep in touch.

 

Thanks a ton for the info. so the clutch linkage, shifter etc etc will all remain the same? thats awesome. This makes everything that much easier then. Now I might actually be able to stay within some kind of budget The siginaw seems pretty sturdy, my 305 is putting out somewhere in the range of 275 hp and after seemingly endless burnouts and speed shifts the trans still shifts ultra smooth and seems to be in great shape. Impressive for 120k miles. So will a clutch made for a 82 TA fit or will a different sized clutch be required? Mines shot so I plan on getting a centerforce dual plate clutch. One last thing, is hood clearance going to be a problem? Thanks a ton guys, this forum kicks butt.

 

oh yea, 82 TRANS AM; are you on AIM? if you are my sn is "Ta rx7" my emails: slegers@nac.net. hit me up sometime. later

 

After seeing that mount/header kit, i'm going with the 400 Pontiac. The Olds would be cheaper because the motor is ready to go, but headers would be a pain.

I don't think the flywheel from the Chevy will fit the Pontiac, so one would be needed with the correct amount of teeth (same # as Chevy?) Otherwise, the Z-bar, fork, ect. will all stay the same. Width of block could be a concern where the z-bar mounts on the side of the block, but no biggie.

To answer an original question, pretty much any manual trans will fit that bell. Except the crocked T-56. And really, that would too. A Muncie will fit fine. M-20-22. Clutch disk depends on what spline it has. Our cars stock had a 10 spline or wide ratio. If you found a close ratio, you would need the fine spline disk. Pressure plate stays the same, but not sure about the T-10 for that.

Most parts books list our cars with T-10's. Our cars are probably close in assembly date. 8/9/82. I've never ran across another Saginaw 4-speed T/A. It's a topic in History on this board. They are like Bigfoot.

Do you have your build sheet? If not look under your back seats, and under the carpet in the "well".

I'm dreaming about a six speed for mine. 5th gear at 1:1 and a deep 6th gear overdrive.

Not on AIM.

I'm going to start collecting all the info i can. A/C, bracketry, hood clearance, ect.

 

If you are dreaming of a six speed then you have two choices. One is the Richmond 6speed. That is the trans that I am using on my GTO. It will bolt to a standard Pontiac bellhousing or Pontiac Lakewood scatershield.

The other option is the T56. Here is a link to a company that has a modified version of the VIper T56. It too will bolt to a standard Pontiac bellhousing or the Lakewood scatershield.

http://www.ddperformance.com/GM%20T56.htm

Both of these trannys will use a standard clutch setup with a push style throw out bearing.

Just a note. The Pontiac flywheel is definitely different then a Chevy one. On a Pontiac the starter mounts on the drivers side.

Andrew

 

Thanks again for all the info. I'll take a look to see if the build sheet is still there this weekend. I was told by a few people its a siginaw, reverse is down next to 2nd.

 

If my memory serves me right, I think a Muncie had 7 bolts on the cover and a Saginaw and T10 had 9 bolts.

Andrew

 

I know that Indian adventures mounts are no longer availiable. Check out the comparison with the Butler performance mount. Does anybody else think this will work? Also from the pic posted earlier in this thread, isnt the mount used upside down? This may be the issue with the stock hood fitment. Just sayin.....

Also, If the engine side mount were inverted in this photo, it looks like there would be more room to lower the engine another inch or two...Any opinions out there? I ask knowing there is never a shortage. As you know what opiniopns are like, right? They are like as#holes, every body has one. LOL!!!

 

Also, If the engine side mount were inverted in this photo, it looks like there would be more room to lower the engine another inch or two...Any opinions out there? I ask knowing there is never a shortage. As you know what opiniopns are like, right? They are like as#holes, every body has one. LOL!!!

 

I wanna know more about this swap also..I have a 69 400 and planned on putting it in a 76-78, but a third gen would easily be a cheaper car to find locally for me, and I miss my z28 lol

So it seems like the motor mounts aren't a major deal, and you can use the 700r4 with the adapter plate on the pontiac motor, I've also been told the 79-80 TA 400 long tubes work with a third gen, can anyone verify that? Also how bad is the wiring to do on this swap? That's my biggest concern..

 

68-70 GTO D-port headers work with very little massaging, do yourself a favor and find a used set for mock up for about $50.00 bucks you can't go wrong, lemme know how you made out I'm a Pontiac Guy and race a 1968 Firebird, that happens to have a Third Gen also.

 

Subscribed!!

 

 

Do y'all understand that you are subscribing to an 8 year old thread? I doubt the OP will be providing updates

 

 

id also look into a built 200r4 since it will bolt to the 400.