I'm thinking about replacing my 350 with something bigger, but I'm not sure what will fit without modification of the bay. Any suggestions?

 

How much bigger?
You can get up to a 454 SBC that is same size as your 350

LSX is popular swap on the bang for $$$ basis

 

All Gen 1 small block Chevy engines (262-400) have the same external dimensions. The only variable that could exist for them would be the intake manifold, like aftermarket ones, causing a carburetor to sit higher. Same goes for all the big block Chevy engines (396-454), but none of the big blocks would be street legal in a 3rd gen. Is this for a street or track car?

 

I though 454 was a big block?
It would be for a street car. I've seen a street legal 3gen with a 6.0 here in houston, but it had alot of bay modifications.

 

The traditional 454 is a Big Block engine & not street legal. The new LS series can come have 454 internal dimensions but still in a LS (1/2/3/etc) sized block.

 

Ok, define street legal?

 

u can get 454 cubic inches from a small block same dimensions as your 350... you could stroke your 350 to 383CI... you could go with a big block, i think it wouldnt be too hard to pass inspection in a 82?? could be wrong about that... an LS series engine doesnt NEED engine bay mods, only a Kmember mod if you use AC iirc... but u dont wanna use a truck intake, get an LS6 prefer or LS1 intake and it should fit nice... look at the ls swap stickies... as for the street legal topic again, how do u pass now?? just a cat and no egr im guessing, is your AIR still working and conected?? if you dont have any of that and pass now youll be fine, im not sure about tx laws, but i could get an 82 passed in my state of pa without much problem... is your car a DD?? or a weekend car or a track car?? combo of all???

 

I've though about stroking to a 383, but there isn't much play with the engine then. I'm currently passing inspection with straight pipes, its over 25 years so no need for emissions. I'm looking to build a weekend driving / occasionally track car

 

Legal as in no cop/court/inspector/whatever could do anything to prevent your car from being on the road. Not just "legal" because you had a buddy slap an inspection on your car.

For Gen 1 engines, only the small block chevy engine is legal. Big blocks never did, so you can't put them in. Nor did Oldsmobile engines, Cadillac 500 engines, Pontiac engines, Ford engines...ONLY the Small Block Chevy.

Legally, you can put newer engines in older cars, provided that all the emissions equipment is still in place. But you can't (legally) put older engines in newer cars. Can't (legally) put carbs in a car that came with FI.

The 6.0 LS engine isn't actually legal in a passenger car (3rd gen), since it came out of a truck. But once you put it in a 3rd gen, the inspector will just assume it is a LS1 which did come in a passenger car (4th gen) so you can get it past them. Just don't tell them that it was a truck engine & they'll never know.

 

o jeez we got a lawyer in here LOL if hes passing with straight pipes now... he probably doesnt have to worry about it... you(blackenedbird) are however in TX and i am not, so i believe you are right... but i highly doubt that a cop is going to pull u over and take your car from you, especially if its registered as a classic or collector and your driving it to the track or just on a short cruise... maybe if your trying to cross the border... just my $.02

 

True on the no need for emissions...SORTA.

True you don't have to sniffer test. False that they don't have to be there anymore. With the stuff removed (catalytic converter, smog pump, A.I.R. system, etc.) the car should fail the Visual portion of the test. Same as if you were in a county that did not require emission sniffer testing at all. Just that most kids these days that have the Inspector license just plain don't know or care, so they slap stickers on as fast as they can.

 

That still doesn't tell me why they are not legal. Emissions are not an issue for titled classic car, via Texas state law because they are exempt from inspection. And I hope your not suggesting that I illegally get my car inspected.

 

I'm no lawyer, by any means. But I am also going to tell the COMPLETE truth & let the reader decide what they want to do with THEIR car. As long as they know the complete truth, they can decide how they can make an informed decision & decide want they to handle it.

True...If he is passing with straight pipes now, that means he either
A:Has an Inspector buddy who is willing to risk losing his license to do a friend a favor or
B:An Inspector who doesn't really understand his job.

 

Maybe if you had mentioned Classic Title you could have saved both of us a lot of time. But no, you simply asked & I answered.

I'm not SUGGESTING an illegal inspection at all.

But yes...Everything I said DID tell what all the Emissions testing stuff is about. You must have misunderstood then.

Visual fail = no sticker.

 

I was asking about size, I didn't think it being titled as a classics mattered. Sorry. So will a big block fit without modification of the bay? I've got a buddy willing sell me a big block for the same price I was could stroke the 350 for.

 

Yes, but fail inspection.

I guess do what you want. I gave you the info, the decision is yours now.

 

Thank you for the information. This all has been helpful.

 

lol black you have a little too much coffee over there?? relax i didnt mean to offend u, and the OP didnt purposefully leave out info to mislead u, i figured it out... he has an 82... he says its a weekend car... not that complicated...

op yes a big block will fit with big block specific headers, maybe engine mounts not sure about that, and depending on intake choice u may need a larger hood but that should do it, if u can get a good cheap big block i guess thats a good choice if u just feel like u have to have a bigger engine... keep in mind its pretty tight in there with a small block when u wanna get the rear spark plugs, im guessing a big block will exasperate that.. unless like me you get rid of EVERYTHING under the hood that doesnt make the engine run

 

No coffee. I haven't had ANY in about 4 years. You didn't offend me. I'm just passing on REAL information & it does get very tiring having to explain it like 20 different ways in the same thread. And IIRC, your not even in Texas, yet trying to give "advice" on a legal issue ? Big Block Chevy in a 3rd gen = Not street legal. End of story. How many different ways do one have to reword something?

Bottom line is...A Big Block Chevy in a 3rd gen will never legally pass Inspection in Texas. Yes, it can fit, but fitting something does not make something LEGAL, just possible.

By legally, I mean just walk into any Inspection place without having a "connection" & having it pass. Ain't gonna happen, unless you find an incompetent inspector or one that flat out ignores the law. The fines on not only him & the station he works at are not small.

Big Blocks in a 3rd gen is actually pretty easy to physically fit, except for the height issue which can be dealt with, with a new hood if needed. So yes it can be done, just not driven on the street afterwards. And what was my first question.....Street or track? Track = 1 word...Yes. Street = explanation, which is what I gave him, many times.

 

lol i stated that i wasnt from tx and that i believed you were right... take it down man... maybe you SHOULD have some coffee
btw your explanation needed help, and he told you its a classic yet your still saying it wont pass an inspection, when its not required to be inspected... dont mean to keep up a moot arguement, but u really need to relax, no one forced u to type an explanation "20 times" its responses like that and "use the search button" that makes ppl not want to ask questions that they NEED answers to... seems to me that if you joined tgo in march 2011 and already have 837 posts, you probably dont mind posting as much as u let on i now nominate u to run the TX portion of tgo

 

the whole emissions thing is always misunderstood. just because you dont have to pass a sniffer test anymore, doesnt mean you can do whatever you want to your engine. its a federal crime to remove any emissions equipment that originally came on the car from the factory. Its also not federally legal (federally, meaning anywhere in the US) to swap an engine into a vehichle that wasnt originally offered in that vehicle. Meaning swaping a Gen I SBC into a 3rd gen is legal, since they were offered with one. It is legal to swap in a newer engine than what was offered, but it has to be inspected before being street legal. If you do swap engines, you MUST retain all emissions equipment on the new engine. So if you swap to a Gen I SBC, you gotta put all the emissions stuff on it for it to be street legal.

All this is federally mandaited, so it applies no matter where you live in the US. The thing is, its not ENFORCED everywhere in the US, so people get away with having cars that arent technically street legal on the road. Like Blackenedbird said, most of that is due to the car owner either having a connection to get the inspection, or the inspector not knowing/caring. Technically speaking, if your car isnt street legal by definition of the federal law, you can be pulled over and have your car impounded and have no say in it, because youre operating a non street legal vehicle on the road.

 

glad u guys arent cops

 

all that being said. im running a gen I SBC with no emissions equipment and its "street legal"

 

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/e...e/viewall.html