i got a 92 camaro with a 3.1 v6 and i got a 500 big block out of a caddy that i maybe thinkin about putting it in how hard would it be

 

Pretty hard. It's one of those things where "if you have to ask..."

 

It's about the same as putting a 455 Olds into a third gen but a little bit harder. With a lot of time, money and planning, anything can be made to fit but don't expect suggestions on how to do it.

 

so pretty much i am on this by my self

 

Someone somewhere has probably done it at some point, and might have some tips for you, but don't expect any support from the aftermarket for anything you do. It'll all have to be custom work.

A 500 Cadillac isn't a "big block" in the same way that a big block chevy is. It's its own unique animal.

 

i figuerd that there wasnt much out

 

Caddy 500s aren't very related to the Chevy big blocks, so it would take a LOT of custom fabricating, custom fitting & custom parts. Did I mention all the custom work you'll hafta do?

And Caddy 500s are HEAVY. So there goes any chance at a decent weight distribution.

 

isn't that what aluminum heads are for?

 

And there are so many aluminum heads available for that thing, and they're so cheap too.

Liberal use of aluminum would put it within range of the weight of an all-iron small block, at only maybe 3 to 5 times the price and infinitely more hassle once everything's said and done.

 

I saw a post about a kid doing it with his dad, let me find it:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/engi...-dyslexia.html

He doesn't say much about it, he has some pictures. You can see that motor is a hell of a lot tighter of a squeeze then my big block swap.

500:



My Chevy big block:




I don't know if the bellhousing is the same pattern on Cadillacs as it is on Chevys, they make adapter plates to save you time; this way you can run a chevy trans and crossmember if you prefer. Or you can go ***** out and swap trans, make a crossmember, and find yourself a driveshaft that fits.
All I can say is smash the hell out of the framerail and corners of the firewall before you attempt to put the motor in. I wish I did that, I had to chop my frame rail and gusset it.

 

I'm pretty sure you meant both statements VERY sarcastically. right? You can build an entire small block chevy, for the price of some aluminum Caddy 500 heads!

 

I especially like the hole cut in the hood for the distributor cap.

This is one of those cases where having an engine is no justification for trying to install it in any particular vehicle, especially a 3rd gen.

 

I was joking too, I've seen aluminum caddy heads, but saving pennies won't get them for ya!

 

ok so it isnt going to be cheap or easy to build but in the end it will be badass right

 

I wouldn't say that. What I'd say it would be would be filtered by the Board software.

 

Not cheap, not easy, and by the time you've made so many compromises kludging it in there, not even badass.

 

The caddy is competative in the all out power arena compared to other factory block builds but the power to dollar ratio is quite a bit off that of the old SBC, ofcourse that goes for just about any motor. Add in the cost of a swap and a budget that wont allow much work to the engine it's self and you'll be well behind the rest of the pack by the time it's running.

It's not the weight thats the problem either, if that were tha case no one would be doing BBC swaps, it's just not a good fit.

The Caddy uses the BOP bolt pattern BTW, you can use the 350, 400 200C and 2004R without an adaptor if you get the BOP/universal case versions.

It's a great motor for full size cars or street rods though.

 

The Caddy valve train is weak. It's not recommended to take it above 5000 rpm.

The intake manifold actually puts the carb below the intake ports on the heads meaning the air/fuel needs to travel uphill before it enters the heads. Using an aftermarket intake is a huge improvement however you'll need some sort of cowl hood to cover the carb.

Headers are not bad but you need to do fabrication work. The Caddy exhaust ports are the same spacing as BBC. You buy BBC headers for the type of car you're going to put the Caddy engine into. You buy Caddy exhaust flanges. Cut the BBC flange off the headers and weld on the Caddy flanges.

You can do the Caddy swap just to be different but an inexpensive BBC can put out a lot more power for less money.

 

yeah its sounding like i am not going to do it i just got the 500 for free so it was just an idea

 

stick it in a pickup truck lol

 

Im did a pontiac swap and my buddy is doing a caddy swap into a "cadmaro"
haha but the caddy 472 made a ton of torque and is worth it ten fold screw a the sbc lol jk

 

i already got a sweet motor in my truck

 

During the late 70s and early to mid eighties it was common practice to put these engines in light chevy trucks for hauling stuff (trailers/race cars/etc.). I have seen forums where guys were doing efi conversions with custom intakes and speed density fuel injection from 90-92 camaros.

You could do it. It would require custom made motor mounts and trans crossmember. Them heads are $$$ too. I almost converted my 93 c1500 to a 500 caddy but never did it.

That motor would be excellent in a tow rig but I would recommend acquiring a used 502 chevrolet or building a 496. It is VERY easy to convert a standard used 454 out of anything into a 496 and parts are much cheaper. A 496 is nearly 500 cubic inches. It just doesn't have the large bore of the cadillac motor or 502.

 

The Chev pickup truck swap was very common when they had the 6.2L diesel engine. When the diesel engine died, and many of them did from cracked heads, it was very easy to drop in a Caddy or 455 Olds.

 

im reading this because im looking into swapping my 305 tbi for something stronger and i just came across a 1973 502 caddy from a fleetwood brougham prettymuch stock and was pondering into my 90. so from reading this it just isnt worth it??
budjet of around $2000

 

Check out your state laws regarding this before you put any $$ into it, if you plan on it being street legal. Here in Texas, it would never pass Inspection, unless you had a really dumb Inspector guy.

 

If you decide to go through with it, check out:

http://www.cad500parts.com/

http://www.500cid.com/Home.htm (they have a nice forum)

You can get all sorts of parts (well in relative terms for the popularity) for those engines. I've seen guys running mid-low 11's in some street rods (around 3Klbs) with nothing but a cam change, a little head work and an aluminum intake (and your typical headers, tuning etc). The motors aren't designed to rev to the moon and alot of those guys running low time slips have real 'tall" gears (3.08 and lower). There is a guy on that forum running a 26' Model T coupe with a 514ci engine, runs 9.50@138 with a 1.29 60ft. Another guy with a regular cab 67/68' chevy pickup runs 11.66@114 with home ported heads, higher compression, larger valves, eddy intake with an 850 on it, Potter rockers and an Elgin camshaft. Imagaine that in something that weighs less. The 472/500 engines make a ton of torque at a VERY low RPM. Here's a build of one for ya that shows the ability (for some $$):

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e..._v8/index.html

made over 600 ft/lbs of tq at 2900rpm (lowest the dyno started) and made 526hp at 5K when they shut it down. Now with some more $$ and time you can get them to spin past 5K (imagine the peak HP then). I'm swapping a 500 into my 85' Suburban for towing, leaving it mainly stock with an MTS cam and aluminum intake. Another awesome thing about Caddy engines, you routinely see the 70's Caddy's getting 16mpg or so on average. The MTS guys have a record of 22mpg running a 76' 500 in a full size Deville with there "mileage" cam and tuned running on 92 octane. Now if your going for a budget build, the Caddy engine probably isn't your best bet seeing as all the mods you have to make (they do make swap brackets for GM cars, alot of G-Body's do it). But if you have the engine lying around and can do your own fab work, then I say go for it. Those things make 400+ ft/lbs stock. Swap a BOP TH400 behind it, a 3.08 gear or so and go to town. And if you wanna get into the distributor clearance, 1) an aftermarket hood should fix it 2) Cut down a stock dizzy, run efi and EDIS-8. It wouldn't be my first choice in engines for something like this but not a "bad" choice either. I do agree they are more suited for trucks and what not, cheap torque. I'll spend less on the caddy swap for my 85' then I would spend building a 383 to match it's pulling power.

 

having done the caddy swap i would not recommend it for anyone that just wants a "bolt in" swap. lots of fab, welding and cutting to make it fit. and the hole it the hood was made before the hood was put on and turned out not to be required. but just an FYI the caddy motors with an aluminum intake only weigh 30lbs more than an all iron sbc and a lot less than any BBC. and with a pretty mild (and cheap!) build they can make 500hp and 600ft lbs on 91 octane and all under 5000rpm.

 

A Caddy in a third gen. I say: " Bad idea."

 

no tellin how many times i wished i wouldve put in a sbc instead.... but its way too late now. plus the torque is addictive!

 

I'm all in favor of exactly 496 cubes. Just not exactly 500, or exactly 472.

 

I was all getting ready to post up the cad links I had saved, then someone beat me to it. A nice mild build on one of these 500 motors with the torque they make is nuts in the big cars and gonna make it a handful in a thirdgen car. I think Cadmaro said it best. I say go for it, I already done the Olds 455 swap into a my old 82, and loved the challenge. Nothing beats the look on peoples faces when you open the hood on a well executed swap. Oh, Hot Rod did one of those swaps back in 95 or 96 in an El Camino with nothing more than a stock 500 and ran mid 12s. Good luck.