Alright guys, I've got quite the adventure ahead of me here. I recently came across enough money to do the engine swap i've been wanting and do an overall build of my '87 IROC-Z. So lets get started….

I'll be pulling the 305 TPI and auto trans out of my '87 and swapping them out for the 350 TPI and better built auto trans out of my '89 IROC. About 2-3 years ago my '89 was stolen out of my apartment parking lot and wrecked. The entire driver's side was smashed like a pop can and the front end was severely damaged as well. Before the wreck the '89 was absolutely gorgeous, almost not a single flaw with it, practically broke my heart. I don't have any pictures of it after the wreck, regrettably. It suffered over and estimated $9,000 in damage but I refused to give up on it. Amazingly enough the engine, tranny and most of the suspension was totally fine and the chassis wasn't twisted or anything. So i kept it and over the course of 8 months I went out and bought an '87 body and replaced the front nose piece, hood, both front fenders, both doors, rear hatch, t-tops and rear bumper just to make it look acceptable again.

The rear driver's quarter was still smashed but didn't interfere with anything so I left it alone. I took out the entire front steering system and replaced it with the used parts out of the '87. It drove straight as an arrow again. eventually I parked the '89 and picked up the '87 IROC with the 305 that I'm driving right now, body is absolutely perfect, only about 3% rust, never been in a wreck, clean interior and decent paint. My plan is to rebuild the 350 and drop it in this car, hopefully going from around the stock 240HP range up to anywhere between 300-350HP. I haven't started yet, I'll be pulling the 350 this saturday I hope, I already have a huge part list lined up with Summit and i'll be ordering that by next week I think, here is the parts list…

Summit Racing Chevy 350 Engine Kit- $237.02
Part number: SUM-SBCKIT1-300

Hooker Competition Headers- $175.95
Part number: 2460HKR

Hooker Y-Pipe- $253.95
Part number: 16767HKR

COMP Cams High Energy Pushrods- $26.97
Part number: CCA-7812-16

Melling timing chain set- $48.97
Part number: MEL-40400

PerTronix Flame Thrower EST Distributor- $204.97
Part number: PNX-D1021

Wix Fuel Filter- $12.97
Part number: WIX-33481

Airtex Fuel strainer-$3.97
Part number: SGT-STR01

Energy Suspension Motor and transmission Mount Kit- $59.97
Part number: 703639277248

Thermo-Tec Exhaust Wrap- $45.97
Part number: THE-11022

Thermo-Tex Hi-Heat Coating- $9.97
Part number: THE-12001

Summit Racing Engine Stand- $81.97
Part number: SUM-918014

Energy Suspension Crossmember bushings- $17.97
Part number: 3-1109R

Moog Super U-Joints- $13.97
Part number: MOG-235

COMP Cams Hydraulic Lifter Set- $76.97
Part number: 812-16

Standard Motor Automatic Transmission Control Solenoid- $32.97
Part number: TCS13

UMI Performance

Rear control arms and panhard bar kit- $189.95
Part number: 201520-R

Front steering brace- $59.95
Part number: 2030-R

MONROE/MOOG

Front and rear springs- $57.97 & $51.97
Part numbers: MOG-5602 & MOG-5665

Strut mounts- $ 62-97
Part numbers: MON-901923 & MON-901924

Comp Cams Xtreme Energy™, 252XFI HR13- $297

The car already has a full 3" flowmaster exhaust system from behind the Y-pipe all the way back, so I'm thinking the headers should really open up a few horses. This car should handle like a brand new car once I'm finished with it. As I go I'll get loads of pictures posted, everyone loves build pictures, haha. Any comments on possible parts would be greatly appreciated, thanks a bunch guys, keep in touch.

 

Almost forgot, the '87 has the stock drum brakes with i BELIEVE, 3.23 gears. i'll be doing the rear disc conversion following this page…

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/brak...drum-rear.html

The wrecked '89 has rear disc so I have everything I need except the backing plates from this place….

http://www.flynbye.com/catalog/i30.html

Pretty straight forward and easily do-able in a day.

 

Here are a couple pics, The first is the '89 before the wreck, and then after the wreck. The last is the '87 that the 305 is coming out and 350 is going in.

 

alright guys, I have an update for you, it's a bit of a nightmare so you might want to strap in for this one.

Yesterday, as I planned, I went to go pull my 350 out of the wrecked '89. My old man recommended that if i wanted it done quick and done right, I should drop by his mechanic's shop and they wouldn't charge me more then $50 to pull the motor and trans, sounded like a great plan to me. I run down there, and talk to him and the second I walk in the door this mechanic is already bitching about having to do this and that my dad brings him the strangest jobs and how he isn't a salvage yard. (Really? a salvage yard? you're a mechanic, doing a quick engine pull is a no brainer for you.)

Anyhow, I told him the car runs fine, but he ignores me and gets his huge *** front end loader, this thing is made by CAT, its massive. he scoops up the rear end of the car and drags the front end in the dirt all the way into the shop they tear off the hood and throw it on my T-Tops, then drag the car BACK outside cut all the wiring and hoses, took a torch and cut the driveshaft, torque arm, and exhaust into pieces. they then proceed to chaining the engine to the front end loader and yanking it out by force, they also almost smashed my MAF into the engine with the scoop as well. It ends up smashing my distributor against the firewall and denting up the intake runners on the plenum and a few other things. It was an absolute nightmare.






Now you're probably thinking, "just make him pay for it". Only problem preventing that is, A: he's been a close family friend since before I was even considered being born. B: My father, is my Grandmother's 24/7 caretaker, he can't afford to have a real job anymore because she has Alzheimer's, so on occasion my Old man will run parts for this mechanic. Now If we throw a fit and make him pay for this bullshit, my dad will be clean out of a job which we can't afford to let happen. It's an unbelievably shitty situation, and being a college student, I've only saved up an 'X' amount of money to do this engine swap, with this newly added damage, I can no longer afford going along with my original plans.

So, here's the new plan, I'm buying a brand spanking new long block crate engine from Chevrolet Performance and throwing that in, while gradually over time I rebuild my 350 out of the '89.

The crate engine i'm getting is this one…

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/na...0282/overview/

Part Number, 12530282…This thing is rated around 255 - 300 horses depending on fuel system and exhaust system, It is pretty much the only freaking crate engine I could find ANYWHERE that has a hydraulic roller cam instead of a hydraulic flat tappet cam for the amount of money. A flat tappet cam will work, but eventually a person will need to do a conversion to a hydraulic roller cam, so since this one already has one i'm going with it. Only thing about it is, it has the vortec heads, so I'll need to get the TPI intake manifold specifically made for vortec heads.

If I understand it correctly, you cannot use the stock TPI intake manifold on Vortec heads because they ports don't match up, the Vortec heads have much larger intake and exhaust ports, and I believe the bolt patter in a bit different too, if I'm wrong I will love to have someone prove it. Aside from that, the engine bolts right in and all the TPI stuff will bolt right on it and i'll be good to go, problem solved, although not how I wanted it solved.

The only good thing that came of the day was that I got some of my brand new parts back from my ex's garage, hahaha.

 

You should be plenty satisfied with that vortec from summit. I hate to see what they did to your car pulling the old engine. You will have to have a vortec TPI base and I would definitely get different runners since yours are now half crushed. Good luck.

 

Thanks, yea I added the new TPI base to the parts list. As far as the runners, I should be able to just use the ones off of the 305, correct?

 

Your correct, the pass side is the same all years but the drivers side is different 89-92 you would want to use the 305s plenum and buy a cold start block off kit. If you need any assistance when the time comes with reprograming send me a pm

 

Thanks so much for the offer, I appreciate it. Would you mind explaining why I need a cold start block off kit? I googled to see what it is, essentially it just deletes the cold start injector, why would I want that? Thanks for the help.

 

Be sure to use either your 350 injectors, or buy a new set and you'll probably need tunedperformance to burn you a prom right off since that vortec doesn't have any EGR provisions. These TPI's know when you don't have the EGR hooked up.

 

I'm definitely using the injectors out of the 350, they're pretty much brand new with only roughly 7,500 to 9,000 miles on them. As far as getting the prom reprogrammed and the something about the EGR, I'm not 100% savvy when it comes to tuning and such. Care to explain why I need a new chip burned for the EGR? I understand well enough that the computer needs programmed to run for this particular engine, If i drop the computer in as is, it will still think i'm running the stock engine. but why a new chip for the EGR?

 

Ive seen worse ways to pull an engine, plus none of the parts are particularly hard to find/expensive. Just reuse the 305 stuff, harness, runners, dist. Id suggest grabbing a set of newer pencil style injectors from a ford. The old bosche injectors are prone to failing, esp after 25 years

 

These TPI's have a heat sensor on the EGR valve and since your going to use an engine that the heads have no EGR provisions you have to have the EGR turned off in the prom. It will throw your service engine light on as soon as it senses there is no exhaust gasses going through. Tunedperformance can probably explain it better than I can.

 

Ah, yea that makes sense. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

Could someone please explain why I need a cold start block off kit? I'm getting ready to order that engine and the other parts in the next few days here….

 

at he 89 programing pulses all eight injectors for aid in cold starting. the 85-88 use the csi and a timer switch to add fuel into a main vacuum passage under the plenum and out small holes in each runner in the intake ports. The ninth injector is unreliable and fails over time. Parts are nla for the injector itself and the timer switch is upwards or $90 up. One less thing to leak or fail bye using the 89 memcal.

 

oh ok, so basically the way the 89 does it is more efficient. Thanks for the help Tuned Performance, you and Chad have been a hell of a help.

So... cold start block off kit, get the computer reprogrammed and have the EGR burned out….anything else? or am I pretty much set to order everything. Really excited to get some real progress done here!

 

The 89 is a much better tune, but it contains vats. The easy thing is have the vats removed from the programing. There are a few ways around the vats but having it gone for good I think is the best. Since you just need minor changes vats, egr and if you are going to ditch the air pump send me a pm. I wouldn't charge very much and can even make the 87 memcal work without any issues.