Has anybody heard of a northstar engine being swapped into a thirdgen? I'd love to have that engine. Dual overhead cams that EAT fords 4.6L DOHC engine for breakfast. I almost completely forgot about the engine until this weekend. I was talking to a friend about how GM never had a v8 with DOHC...How much hp were those things making and did they just bolt up to a 4L60 or what?

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, Jon (350 TBI! getting 23mpg highway)
91 Red RS w/grey int, sq stereo (Alpine v12, kicker solo, MB quart premium etc)AIM: JPrevost

• Holley 670 TB unit w/ 1/2" spacer/adapter
• Edelbrock RPM vortec intake
• 350ho 330hp vortec crate motor
• 8" harm. balancer
• Stewart stage 2 water pump w/160 thermo
• SLP tri-y headers to full 3"
• Rebuilt trans w/ SLP shift kit
• Centerline 16x8's all around
• 36/24 mm sway bars
• Full poly bushings, even motor mounts
• SLP LCA and panhard
• Alston SFCs
• Edelbrock 3 point STB
• Global west steering brace aka wonderbar
• Eibach pro kit springs
• Bilstien high perf. struts and shocks
• All this and I still have AC

My websiteAny questions?

 

Slight problem... almost every one of those is hooked up to a FWD tranny, and thats where the fun begins. It put out 300hp stock, but theres not a whole lot more in it. If you were going to go to all that trouble, IMO the LS1 would be easier and better.

 

one of my buddies works at a caddy dealership and he tells me those engines are junk, theres always new recalls on them. you can probobly pick up an lt1 and 4l60 for what you would pay for one of those things

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89 Camaro Rs
-Stock Tbi 305 with a lot of damn miles
-Edelbrock Z28 TES Headers
-3 inch Catco High Flow Cat
-3 inch Edelbrock Catback
-14x3 Summit Open Element Air Cleaner

Stereo
-Pioneer DEH-P4100 cd player
-Polk Dx9 6x9s

79 Jeep Cj7

 

you wanna twin cammer.......find an LT5

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91 RS W/carbed 350, Vortec heads, performer rpm, Comp cams Xtreme energy 224/230 duration and .477/.480 lift. BFG Drag radials. 3.42 posi,Corvette servoed 700r4, 3000 stallconverter. Edelbrock TES, 3inch cat, flowmaster with single 2.5 inch exit.
Best time yet to come
12's?? :crossthumbs:

This is a Pic of my car in race trim www.tbns.net/billyjay/camero.jpg

Yes I know how to spell camaro- so dont ask. I didnt make the link

 

The problem with trying to put a Northstar engine in any RWD car is that all of the acessory drives are on the back of the engine
over the flywheel.

 

Funny how my friends fathers 98' caddy STS has about 280,000 miles on it(Due to driving from Ny to california 3 to 4 times a year and other places)and the northstar engine still holds its own. Hes never changed a gasket, only has done the mild tuneup and oil changes. He bought the car with 36 miles. I love those northstar engines, in compared tests they seem to have an advantage in reliability to me.

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92' camaro
New 305 block TPI conversion, Flat top pistons,Bore over .30 Forged parts all around,Edelbrock intake,ported plennum,ported corvette alluminum heads, accel cam,52mm throttle bodie, SLP runners Home aid cold air induction, Air foil,ford SVO 19lb injectors,fuel regulator,cloys timing chain, comp alluminum roller rocker arms and pushrods MSD 8.5 mm wires, bosch plattinum plugs, hypertech cap & rotor and coil, Edelbrock TES headers, free flowing catalytic converter and a 3 inch force II flowmaster exhaust system, and a 3 inch cutout,Zoom multi friction clutch, T-5 tranny,billenstien shocks&struts.
Soon to come!!!
Procharger system 12lbs o boost.
New paint job(hawaiin orchid purple)Cast alluminum ZR1 rims w/ 275 tires.
Favorite quote: "where ever u go, there u are"

Other car;
1971 plymouth Duster
Mods:340,edelbrock victor jr. intake, 650 4 barrel holley, heddman headers,40 series dual flowmasters, cold air intake,4:10 gears, just got a new paint job and cragar rims with 315 tires in the back.
:Yeah its not a chevy but damn how many 71' dusters have u seen in the streets.

 

ive read that 2.8 700r4s can be modified for northstars.you will have to turn the intake around backwards for clearance.i can't remember what else

 

i think the bottom line here is that it is too big of a pain in the *** to be worth it. all that work and hassle just to say you have 4 cams. not to mention that there are VERY few hotrod parts for those motors, and if there are any, you can bet they will be expensive since the market is caddilac owners.

there are accessories on both sides of the motor. most are on the proper side, but the water pump is on the back side driven by the cam chain or some crap. my dad has a 275 horse version in his 95 seville and they do have good power. those old guys driving them probably have no idea how much fun they could be having, hehe.

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88 S10
Dropped 3/4
18" Boyd Coddington Timeless 5s
Dart equipped 406
12.20 @ 115.25 mph

 

I've seen lots of Northstars in Street Rods. I think Troy Trepanier did it.

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'88 IROC TPI 355, '69 truck 4-bolt, fully balanced, 9.75:1 compression, fully ported '70 truck heads(for now), Harland Sharp 1.6 Roller Rockers, Comp Cams CS 252AH-12, ported '86 TPI converted to speed density, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster 3in. exhaust, Edelbrock TES headers, all emissions equipment is still intact, plan on burning my own chips, many more mods and parts on the way as time and money permits =(
Best E.T. with TBI 305: 16.11 @ 82mph
Haven't been to track with new motor
If you have any questions on converting from TBI to TPI email me at jdkchevy70@yahoo.com
In memory of Dale Earnhardt, I'll miss cheering for that black #3 on raceday!!!

 

And in Fieros too, but guess those aren't thirdgens, huh

 

No, but if they can do it we can.

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'88 IROC TPI 355, '69 truck 4-bolt, fully balanced, 9.75:1 compression, fully ported '70 truck heads(for now), Harland Sharp 1.6 Roller Rockers, Comp Cams CS 252AH-12, ported '86 TPI converted to speed density, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster 3in. exhaust, Edelbrock TES headers, all emissions equipment is still intact, plan on burning my own chips, many more mods and parts on the way as time and money permits =(
Best E.T. with TBI 305: 16.11 @ 82mph
Haven't been to track with new motor
If you have any questions on converting from TBI to TPI email me at jdkchevy70@yahoo.com
In memory of Dale Earnhardt, I'll miss cheering for that black #3 on raceday!!!

 

I dont think theres any doubt it can be done. First, I would compare costs for the engine, sensors, harness+ecm, and tranny. The LS1 is going to be a little more, but not much, special deals aside. Thats where, IMO, the departure comes in. The LS1 has more cubes, and from what I have seen a bunch more potential. And theres none of this FWD/RWD funny stuff involved.

At least if I was gonna spend that kind of cash, thats what I would do.

 

Ditto on using the 2.8 V6 700R4 for Northstar RWD conversion. Read this several months back in Hot Rod.

Mike

[This message has been edited by 95Z28A4 (edited April 17, 2001).]

 

I was just wondering, I don't plan on doing the swap but it was an idea I was just toying with in my head. I was curious if anybody has put one in a thirdgen and I guess nobody has. About putting an LT5 in if I want DOHC...yeah right, the cost of one of those engines is crazy high. It might equal out after all the time spent on making the northstar fit but still...I would have liked to have seen it in a thirdgen.

------------------
, Jon (350 TBI! getting 23mpg highway)
91 Red RS w/grey int, sq stereo (Alpine v12, kicker solo, MB quart premium etc)AIM: JPrevost

• Holley 670 TB unit w/ 1/2" spacer/adapter
• Edelbrock RPM vortec intake
• 350ho 330hp vortec crate motor
• 8" harm. balancer
• Stewart stage 2 water pump w/160 thermo
• SLP tri-y headers to full 3"
• Rebuilt trans w/ SLP shift kit
• Centerline 16x8's all around
• 36/24 mm sway bars
• Full poly bushings, even motor mounts
• SLP LCA and panhard
• Alston SFCs
• Edelbrock 3 point STB
• Global west steering brace aka wonderbar
• Eibach pro kit springs
• Bilstien high perf. struts and shocks
• All this and I still have AC

My websiteAny questions?

 

Friend has an STS with the 32v Northstar. Had to have engine replaced, 12 grand no labor.
Think of the mouse you could build for 12 grand....
Lingenfelter anyone???

 

Tim Allen(from tool time) build a 385hp northstar STS, forgot the mods he did. I remember nothing was custom done besides the resinators, so im sure u can modify a northstar.