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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.
Well, Monday I park the school bus for the last time until next Fall and I can finally do the 383 swap in my '86 IROC. It's the BluePrint BP38313CTC1, 430HP 383 stroker through Summit Racing; I've been looking forward to this swap for a good while now and I feel like a little kid in a candy store!
Ok,the swap went very smoothly and the new engine is purring like a kitten, here is a short video of the first start up with open headers. Amazingly the headers were no more fun to install on the new engine than they were on the old engine.
I just did the 500 mile break in oil change on her last week. I was experiencing a spark plug or two not wanting to fire during cold starts, so after verifying the carburetor adjustments and ignition timing again, I did a little research and found that with the camshaft and carburetor I'm running, combined with the high compression of this engine, I needed to use a smaller spark plug gap to have a strong enough spark to ignite the dense air/fuel charge during cold starts. I went ahead and installed brand new spark plug wires and new spark plugs, just to eliminate any possibility that they were causing the issue and gapped the new plugs to .035" instead of the .045" I had gapped the first set to. So far the cold starts are a lot smoother and the throttle response seems better, the car has incredible power and the next project will be swapping in a posi and new gears in the rearend.
So far so good! I haven't installed a choke on it yet, so I don't drive it in cold weather much, but it runs great and pulls hard. The stock transmission didn't last two months behind it though, after busting the case I swapped in a Level 3 Raptor 700 Transmission with a 2600 stall. It's amazing what a difference the transmission made, I was losing a lot of power through the old one.
For the record, the H8002K heads are what's on my 383 and like I said, so far I wouldn't hesitate to go through them again.
So far so good! I haven't installed a choke on it yet, so I don't drive it in cold weather much, but it runs great and pulls hard. The stock transmission didn't last two months behind it though, after busting the case I swapped in a Level 3 Raptor 700 Transmission with a 2600 stall. It's amazing what a difference the transmission made, I was losing a lot of power through the old one.
For the record, the H8002K heads is what's on my 383 and like I said, so far I wouldn't hesitate to go through them again. The only issue left to deal with now is traction, in May I'm swapping in a Strange S60 rearend with 3:73 gears.
Good to know. Ive been doing some reading/comparing and they flow alot more then the edelbrock Etecs, and a more then the AFR 190 vortec's. Very impressed for the bang for the buck. Was wondering if its too good to be true
It's purring like a kitten, I just upgraded the ignition system with the MSD 6AL Digital ignition system. Here is a cold start with the new ignition.........
Very nice. I am doing the same thing with my 86. I was wondering if you know what part of my ecm's wiring if any that I have to use on the new motor? Any help would be good thanks.
Very nice. I am doing the same thing with my 86. I was wondering if you know what part of my ecm's wiring if any that I have to use on the new motor? Any help would be good thanks.
My car had already been swapped to a carburated/nonECM distributor 305 before I bought it. The ignition system is a simple 12 volt key on equation with the pre ECM HEI distributor. I have my electric radiator fan wired through a relay to run anytime the car is on. I used an electric inline fuel pump capable of 45psi with a return style pressure regulator to allow the fuel to continually circulate back to the tank to prevent vapor lock and keep the pump cool.
As far as the lock up torque converter goes, you can buy a 'kit' that will provide a lock up signal at the right times or do a manual lock out switch to control it yourself. I am running a modified 700r4 with a nonlock out, 2600 stall torque converter in my car as it is not in anyway built with fuel mileage in mind.
Don't hesitate to ask any questions you run into as you do your swap.
My car had already been swapped to a carburated/nonECM distributor 305 before I bought it. The ignition system is a simple 12 volt key on equation with the pre ECM HEI distributor. I have my electric radiator fan wired through a relay to run anytime the car is on. I used an electric inline fuel pump capable of 45psi with a return style pressure regulator to allow the fuel to continually circulate back to the tank to prevent vapor lock and keep the pump cool.
As far as the lock up torque converter goes, you can buy a 'kit' that will provide a lock up signal at the right times or do a manual lock out switch to control it yourself. I am running a modified 700r4 with a nonlock out, 2600 stall torque converter in my car as it is not in anyway built with fuel mileage in mind.
Don't hesitate to ask any questions you run into as you do your swap.
OK thanks. Just took the whole ecm harness out today with out cutting any wires. Looking for the a/c and alt. wires now. Will all the gauges work when I'm done? I have a T5 transmission in it so i think that wont be a problem. Thanks for the help.
Yes, the gauges should all work when you are done. I used the stock tach, speedo and fuel gauge, but installed oil pressure and water temp gauges on the A pillar for better visibility.
Sounds good! I don't understand why street cars might need MSD. HEI is so powerful.
NICE NOT living in a CARB state!
The MSD delivers three sparks for each cylinder at RPMs below 3,000 which helps provide a more complete burn during cold starts until the engine is warmed up. It also provides a rev limiter function, which I also wanted.
