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Engine SwapEverything about swapping an engine into your Third Gen.....be it V6, V8, LTX/LSX, crate engine, etc. Pictures, questions, answers, and work logs.
I did a zz4 swap in my 82 years ago and it was pretty easy. I turned that engine into a zz430 clone. It all bolts in the same. The fast burn heads will need different headers/gaskets than the regular square port heads. It's pretty easy. I used an Edelbrock por flo XT and it runs awesome and was pretty easy to swap.
A zz6 is the same as the engine I have less the cam and rockers. It will bolt in the same as any small block. I have a t56 but had a t5 for a while. An auto will bolt up also. You will need headers for d port cylinder heads and depending on your current fuel system you'll likely need to make some changes.
It will make the car really fun to drive and pretty reliable. If you have any questions let me know.
A zz6 is the same as the engine I have less the cam and rockers. It will bolt in the same as any small block. I have a t56 but had a t5 for a while. An auto will bolt up also. You will need headers for d port cylinder heads and depending on your current fuel system you'll likely need to make some changes.
It will make the car really fun to drive and pretty reliable. If you have any questions let me know.
Thanks FC this first hand information is very valuable for me. I have a T5 now but would put a T56. In the link I posted he had some part issues for installing the T56. I think it was the torque arm?
Spohn/UMI/BMR and hawks all make t56 crossmembers with torque arms or torque arm provisions. It shouldn't be an issue. I have a spohn with their torque arm and drive shaft loop. It worked great.
ZZ6 is NOT the same engine as ZZ4. Short block is arbitrarily close; ENGINE is not.
ZZ4 had the aluminum L98 (8x - 91 Corvette) heads, casting # 113. Old-style std bolt pattern no EGR.
ZZ6 has Vortec (L31) style heads. Different bolt pattern, old intakes won't fit. Requires a Vortec-specific intake. Also has no EGR.
Since it's a small block Chevy, any transmission that will bolt to any other SBC, will bolt to a ZZ6. There might be a special "conversion" sort of flywheel needed but other than that, a SBC is a SBC. No need to get all worked up over that.
As said, the ZZ6 will work fine for what you want, subject to the absence of the EGR which is somewhat of a deal-breaker in CA without either plumbing it externally (legal, different from L03, INSTANT trip to the referee) or ... some ... creativity.
Pictures of drive shafts and transmissions (T-56 and all of those aren't legal in CA, will fail the visual since they were never available with the L03) and whatnot are wonderful eye candy but altogether useless in making this choice. Again, an instant trip to the referee. NO idea whether it will get approved or not. In my experience in CA, once it went to the referee, it gets picked over with a fine-tooth comb by somebody that has ALOT more resources than yerbasic inspection shop, and whose incentive is to DENY ON THE SPOT unless proven otherwise. IOW, not like a "court of law" where you're innocent until proven guilty; at the referee, your swap project is AUTOMATICALLY DENIED unless you can PROVE CONCLUSIVELY that it should be approved. You don't want to go there unless you absolutely have no other choice. In my experience in CA a trip to the referee is to be avoided if at all possible. Others may have had different experiences butt that's what I encountered. Different jurisdictions maybe.
For the record, a T-56 will require a different crossmember in one of our cars, because the trans mount isn't in the same place. That's the least of the problems involved here.
Pay more attention to people with CA experience than somebody in CT buffing their bishop about all their polished powder-coated zero-miles mid-project playpretty eye-candy deal that's still on jack stands and hasn't even run yet.
the zz4/5/6 and 430 are all interchangeable block wise. The zz6 has fastburn heads and the 430 has has the same heads. I swapped my zz4 stuff to make it a 430. That's a zz6 w a different valve train. The the zz4 heads are irrelevant to this situation but thanks for the history lesson.
the t56 will hook up to the zz4/5/6 the same way. You need the proper clutch and bell. It's all pretty simple despite what someone thinks.
sofa, car runs great. Actually pretty perfect and no issues. They're older pics cool guy. You talk a lot but often say very little. Thanks for the BS attitude! You should spend less time spouting off jibber jabber and be more helpful. You clearly have some knowledge but your attitude is **** poor. Forums like this are for helping people out.
the OP was asking for help w a project I actually have experience with and have been quite happy with for quite some time. if you need any specific part numbers or want to know what I did, feel free to ask.
