Hi all, new to the site. I have a gen vi 454 that I will be putting in a 89 iroc 5.7. Need suggestions on a oil pan that will fit in. I also heard I should install new front springs. Anyone know where to get a set. thanks.

 

i heard you dont have to change the front springs. but its probably a good idea. i also heard that a 454 with alum. heads and alum intake weighs the same as an all iron 350. but i dont know if that is true or not.

 

thanks for the input josh. I am using the stock L-29 heads but hope to shave some weght by losing the a/c and getting a fiberglass hood.

 

I don't think you'll get many people offering suggestions on how to install a Vortec Mark VI engine but here's what you need to know about installing a typical Mark IV BBC.

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...swap-info.html

I ran V6 springs in my car for a couple of years. My front weight isn't much more than a fully equipped SBC street car. I need to reweigh after this winter but I was around 1800 pounds on the front wheels.

 

personallly i wouldnt put the 454 in the camaro just for the sole reason that the 454's arnt gms finest motor. i always thought that a 454 would be cool in a camaro tho cuz hardley anyone does it.

 

I like the swap when it's done in this type of manner, Click Here....

 

I got the block for free. Only being used for street and a occasional run at the track. Trying to build with a 3 grand budget. I could have stroked the 350 but just want to be different. Also like the big block sound.

 

I think it is a great idea to put a 454 in a 3rd gen. If you are sure that you can pull it off, I say go for it. It may not be ideal but it sure is awesome.

 

I have been doing my homework on the swap should bolt right in. I am trying to find out about a oil pan that will clear everything. The one listed in another thread for a chevelle pan has been discontinued. I will have engine back from machine shop next week and will start to assemble. Should have it in the car by July. Ill post some pics.

 

Any non truck BBC oil pan will fit. I use a Moroso 7 quart pan on mine.

The truck pans have a longer sump.

 

Thanks for the info Stephen. I thought I needed a special year pan. I have another clearance question. I will be using a performer rpm airgap intake, I believe this will not fit under the stock hood. Any hood suggestions. Maybe a 3 inch cowl I was thinking. thanks again.

 

The last time my hood was flat was when I had a 383 under the hood. It had a Weiand Xcellerator single plane intake (low profile) and a Holley. I had a regular 14 x whatever air filter on it. The air filter may have used a drop base. I can't remember. It was 9 years ago.

The picture of my car above in my sig has a 2-1/8" cowl on the hood with an aeroscoop attached. 3" might be pushing it for street use in a third gen. When I had a 6" cowl on my car with the tunnel ram air filters poking through the top, I couldn't see over them.

Now that I run an alcohol injection system, I don't need or want the filters and everything just fits under the scoop.

The engine last year


The engine this year

 

That is a saxy beast. The alcohol setup looks sweet! I also got a set of long tube bbc headers for $50 from a guy in town.

Ball-Z: Summit should have the chevelle oil pans. Last I checked they were pretty cheap too. I'm in the same boat as you too, I'm putting a 77 454 with TH400 in my 89 RS. Should get the motor this week!

 

I also am going to be putting a 454 into my 87 camaro but I need to know for sure what headers to use. Ive read the thread about the patriot headers being a close fit and headman having a set of equivalent headers as well for 150 ish. Im not into spending a 1000 plus on lemons headers right now either. Are the hookers the way to go and if so what is the part #?

 

Hookers are the cheapest and the worst fitting. The best headers are a custom made set. The hookers are a good street header with 1-7/8" primaries and 3" collectors but they're not a great race header.

I run Ed Quay headers. 2-1/4" primaries with 4" collectors.

 

Thanks for the pics Steve, it helps to get a visual. And man that engine is sick! What does that pull at the track.

 

Hey Blue, thanks for the tip. I did not see that pan on summit before. I bought it today was 167 bucks and came with gasket, pickup and oil level tube. Saved me some money. Would like to hear how your swap goes. Thanks.

 

I was out last night for some T&T with the new setup. I had issues on all 4 passes but I still ran a 9.523 @ 142.13 mph and I didn't try tuning it yet.

On one pass part of my throttle linkage fell off and the engine went to an idle at half track. I still ran a 10.96 @ 85 mph coasting across the finish line.

 

I also was going with the hooker headers part# HOK-2226HKR from summit for $499. Would like to hear how your swap goes. And if you have done any suspension work to hold the power. Thanks.
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Hey Steve that is insane. Once tuned sounds like youll have an eight second car. Would love to see it go down track. I live in N.H. and everybody seems to run mustangs at the track, not to many camaros.

 

Ball-z, would you mind posting the summit part numbers you ordered? I'm going to have to order what you did cause my donor car is a truck with the deep pan. I get the truck/engine this weekend!!!! Woot!

 

Wow! The Hooker swap headers are up to $500 now. A few years ago they were only $400. They're still the cheapest swap headers but they are not a direct bolt in swap. $1000+ for a set of real race headers is still a good deal if the car doesn't see any street use.

 

Blue, the part # NAL-12495360 is from summit. It is for a one peice rear main. It will work with Gen V/VI 454. I saw you said yours was a 77, I think that is IV.

 

Hello Friends, I have a 1985 camaro with a stock LG4 & T-5 Borg Warner. I am also interested to install a 454 BBC. I have some questions.

Is it true that i have to relocate the cross member and frame engine mounts? Is it true that i have to change the fuel pump?
Is it true that i have to cut and weld the frame to fit the 454?

When i talk to friends about this swap, almost all of them tell me that is not a good swap. Mine have T-tops. do i need to add supports to the frame/chassis? I am in doubt what to do.

Please I want some help before i buy the engine. Thanks a lot. Claudio

 

Hope you don't plan on keeping the T5.
No.
Since the fuel pump is mounted on the engine, yes.
No.
These cars need subframe connectors, regardless of the engine.

I don't suppose you read the BBC sticky in the top section of this forum.

 

From what I have read and heard is that the 454 will bolt right in using stock cross member and stock small block engine mounts. I got my 454 engine back from machine shop today. I have to assemble it and I will be installing it in a few weeks. Good luck with your project.

 

The BBC and SBC share many common features. They use the same bellhousing bolt pattern. The motor mount positions on the side of the block are the same distance from the transmission. The BBC is a longer block so the extra length will go forward. Using SBC motor mounts will work however because of the BBC's slightly wider width, the mounts on the block sit slightly lower to use the same mount position on the frame. Using SBC mounts will just move the BBC up slightly. You probably won't even notice the difference. BBC mounts are shorter to keep the block lower.

 

Hey Steve wanted to get your input on removal of engine. Would the best way be to remove engine and trans together. Also if trans is out should I mount it to the 454 and install them together. Thanks.

 

Although it's normally done with engine/tranny, I've always pulled my engine with the tranny still in the car supported by a jack. Once the engine is out, I put some long bolts into the bellhousing holes on either side of the tranny and use a bar across the frame rails to support it.

 

i would like to see some photos of the engine sometime soon. i think it will look snap!
im doing the exact same thing but going to stroke the 454 to a 496.
my 1st plan was a 383 but i just sold the 350 block that i was going to use and i changed my mind and i whent big block. more then 100 more cubes of engine upgrade :P i couldnt complain.
tho my car had a 305. im kinda excited and scared to drive in my car once i get the engine in there. i have no idea what its going to feel like or anything.
by the way. what oil pan did you order again? and your manual tranmission isnt going to last to long.

 

I will get some pics this weekend posted. Pistons and crank are in it. Going to try to get it together asap, waiting on some new bolts. I would have liked to stroke it but have a limited budget. Maybe in the future. Im exited to see what its going to do myself. The oil pan I ordered was from summit. It is a 69 chevelle pan. The trans I have in the car is a 700r4 auto. I have read that it will not live long but my budget is not enough to upgrade. Are you assembling the motor yourself.

 

Im sad to see there isnt much info on a bbc swap. I might be buying a 454 10237297...454.......96-up...4-bolt, Vortec 7400", "L-29" Gen.VI. I wanted to know if anyone knew if the 700r4 and all the accessories will bolt on to the big block. Also the gen VI is fuel injected? Can you convert over to carb and use an in tank stock tpi fuel pump? 89' iroc 5.7 tpi

 

I am also thinking of going with a big block for my Maro. Oh, wait! I've done that already . The 496 was pulled to fix some issues that came up, then we decided to upgrade alot of stuff. Here are a few pics

 

?????

There's a sticky dedicated to the swap with links to full write-ups. It's brought up about once a week on the Engine Swap forum (i.e., ).

How much info do you need?

 

Engine looks good. Intake looks high what did you use for a hood. Also what issues did you run into.

 

so on the third gen what is better to use the bbc mounts or the sbc mounts?

 

Both will work fine but there are no BBC mounts specifically for a third gen.

 

alright kew i guess ill use the sbc ones then

 

bump....

I'll hopefully have the new pan and pickup tomorrow. The new engine is in the garage waiting to get put in. Start pulling the V6 out tonight. Current goal is to get it in and running with a new carb. After that it will come out and get a new intake and cam.

How is everyones swap going?

 

The swap went great got the 454 in with no problems. Took it for its first drive today and wow I have never felt power like this in a car in my life. The thing is completely sick. Only got on it a little and it was breaking loose the tires like I was on ice. I can not imagine what it will do when I put it to the floor. Only issue I am dealing with is my power steering. Mounting the pump to the block. I tried to post some pics but website would not let go through.

 

How did you get your driveline to work? Mine is the short shaft truck tranny with the bolt on yoke on the end. I was informed that you can use a special short slip yoke over this if you change out the output shaft seal.

 

I used the 700R4 that went to the 350 I took out. It bolted right back in. Im not sure about the slip yoke.

 

BALL-Z
Wsup, read your post's.... Exceptional! I will experience the same emotions when i drop the BBC 427 into the 84'. Do you have you have notes that you compiled (trails & successes) with your build up? If so please send them to my e-mail @ fr33man92000@yahoo.com. Thanks Man.

 

I Just dropped a 468 BBC in my 86 Iroc. I hated the thought of tearing the car apart since it has alot Or should i say had alot of options. But my son has a 2nd gen firebird that we were putting it in but he came across a 402 bbc and it went in his and so i had no place for the 468. but in reading this post I also bought the patriot headers and they are well worth it. alittle clearance issue on pass side Nothing a sledge hammer couldn't fix. and now I can pull them in and out with the motor in. I didn't have to clearance the motor Mount on the drivers side at all.


My son complains that my engine bay looks cleaner than his. More Pics can be seen at cardomain search for Jhainer01 there is a few 3rd gens on there. so far this project has been rather cheap. the car was 1100 about 200 in paint the bbc was 2000 from the wifes ex- husbands father out of his 75 vega drag car ran 10.40's with this motor. the carb is a 980cfm solid cam and roller rockers. he didn't remember the specs on the cam all he could tell me it was over 600 lift and over 300 duration. I was told it's around 600 hp I don't really know until i run it. the hardest part of putting this motor in so far has been getting it past the oil pan here's a pic of the motor out of the car note the pan


MY question Now is Transmission. I put the stock 700r4 behind it knowing it won't last. well my son has a 700r4 behind his 402 that is bad so he pulled mine out for him to use since mine is fine. I have a th400 long tail and I wonder if it will work. I figure i will have to shorten the drive shaft but that isn't an issue what i am worried about is the torque arm. any suggestions??

 

when i had the bigblock in my 84 before i blew it up and went back with a 355, i just ordered an oil pan for a 71 chevell with a 454, and i used the patriot headers 8012 that were talked about in the sticky, and as mentiond in the sticky they will fit quite nicly if you dent in the pass side frame rail as mentiond, but the engine it self fit like a glove, it was fun while it lasted!