Hi Folks,

I'm swapping a 1991 L98 from a Firebird into my car, and I'm not all that experienced with SBCs yet, so I have a few questions. I bought the engine as a long block with just the water pump and TPI intake. I'd like to upgrade to an aluminum waterpump as I think it's time to replace it, and I figure dropping a little weight isn't a bad thing. I just don't know what kind to get. I understand that after '87 the accessories went to counter-clockwise rotation, but since I have no other accessories, I'm wondering if I can't go another route.

I bought the car with a stock headed 4-bolt 350 from a 1970 truck installed already, but i don't know enough about interchangeability to know if I can just bolt everything form that engine onto my new engine. As I said it's a '91 L98 Block and I'll have AFR 195CC heads. So will everything from the '70 engine bolt right on? If I were getting all new, or mostly new pieces (I want a new Alt and maybe compressor as well), can I order for a clockwise flow waterpump as long as the rest is matched? Am I missing something here?

Thanks for any help.

 

The main thing you're missing, is what kind of car this is going in.

It's usually easiest to use the correct accessory bracket system for the car. The motor year doesn't matter, as long as it has bolt holes in the ends of the heads.

I don't think the TPI intake you have will support the older style of braket system (nowhere to bolt the upper alt bracket to). So that may answer the question for you all by itself.

 

It's going in a Volvo actually. I figured thirdgen would know best since it's an F-body engine, and the 350 block with AFR heads is a pretty common setup. I didn't think about the intake. I'm actually using an LT1 intake, I just mentioned the TPI to demonstrate the level of completeness. So what are my options for a AFR headed 355 with an LT1 intake assuming I have to start from scratch. Can I use the TPI accessory setup on the LT1 intake? (there's a TBI 305 at the local boneyard, but I assume those brackets are different). I don't really care what rotation I end up being, I just don't want to end up with new components that are worthless as they all spin in different directions.

Thanks,

Adam

 

LT1 intake, 350 in a volvo? I didnt notice the thirdgen relevance?? I sense, something coming, its cloudy, NO WAIT! Its a LOCK!

 

.

 

You'll need a different water pump, because the '91 has a reverse rotation pump, and the '70 has a standard rotation pump.

The flexplates will be different, because the '70 engine has a 2-piece rear main seal, and the '91 has a 1-piece rear main seal.

The '91 has a different angle for the intake mount bolts for the center two on each side, whereas the '70 are all at the same angle. The '70 intake can be modified by elongating those bolt holes so the bolts will go into the '91 heads. Of course, AFR heads will eliminate that problem.

That's about all that can be considered "thirdgen related" (only because people are often putting older engines into their 3rd gens). So, the promised padlock cometh...