Alright I have a 1984 Firebird Trans Am that originally came with a high output 305 and a T5. The 305 wasn't cutting it anymore so I built a mild 350 (.216/.238 duration cam, 305 heads revalved and ported - 10:1 compression, bored .30 over). I installed a zoom clutch and pressure plate to handle the difference in power (would the stock clutch have been fine?).
I have done many motor swaps in full size trucks and one where I just drop the trans (in a S10) and the others you could just slip the motor in. My question is what is the technique in getting another small block back into the firebird? I have tried a few techniques and they were all nightmares. I dropped the trans, I've tried taking off the driver's side motor mount (from the block not the shell on the cross member), and of course I tried just slipping the motor in the good old fashion way... nothing worked and I just wasted hours on end trying. It seems too tight to do with the firewall. The motor is partially dressed, I took the alternator, carb and power steering pump off, I left the water pump and balancer on the motor. Radiator and heater core is out. Distributor cap is off.

Any tips on doing this? I have never put a motor into a thirdgen but both times I pulled motors out of third gens it was a really tight pull. Should I bolt the trans back up to the cross member on the trans and put the strut(?) for the four link back on? What is the secret?

 

this isnt the right board for this but, I had no problem dropping my engine in. I did it as block, heads, intake and headers. I used a load leveler, set it in, slid the bolts through the clamshell of the motor mount and put the tranny up. At the same time as i swapped engines I swapped to 5 speed.



WOAH. Pretty sure someone moved this to the right board while I was responding.

 

I'm so confused. When I dropped the trans I was able to slide the input shaft into the pressure plate and I spun the crank until the teeth lined up but the bell housing of the trans hit the firewall about an inch before the motor mounts sat on the clam shells. Thinking about it now I feel like my trans was too far jacked up.

 

I put my trans up with the engine leaning back pretty good.

 

Either put the engine in (bellhousing on) with the transmission out of the way and then stab the transmission onto the engine, or put the engine and transmission together out of the car and stab them together.

I wouldn't be as worried about the clutch as I would about the life expectancy of the T5. The Zoom clutch might last longer in front of the T5, but the T5 would last longer behind a stock clutch (maybe).

 

I used five7kid's method with a small jack underneath the car to raise the bellhousing to align motor mount holes. Left the motor in downward tilt to install T-5.

 

Motor is in, need headers and a carb spacer now...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYexZS65W7Q

First fire up was earlier today. Four link is busted from the strut that runs to the trans and the drive shaft is out so it doesn't drive. Throttle is sticking on the carb, it is idling higher then it should, at like 23-25 seconds into the video is the real idle.