I was wondering what all was involved in putting a big block chevy in a 1991 Camaro RS with a WC T-5. It currentley has a 305. Any help is appreciated.

THanks

Levi Brohez

 

It has been done once or twice.

Check the motor swap forum, do a search before you ask, you'll find out more in detail than you will ever get by just posting a general question like that.

 

I'd plan on a new tranny, or is the WC that much stronger?

 

i don't know if the tranny will bolt up to a BB without a diff. bellhousing.. even then i think it would be easily destroyed...

 

it would be the same bellhousing, and you would have to be carful of it. I did do a search a while back and i had found this guys site from a link and he had all the money he spent putting it in his car and i was hoping someone would give me a link back to that.

 

All the chev V8 engines use the same bellhousing bolt pattern.

Dropping a BBC into a third gen isn't hard but a little planning is required. The first question to ask is how much do you plan on spending. Exhaust will be the most expensive part of the swap not including what you want to do with the engine.

 

Well i was wondering like, if mounts had to be changed, the cheapest and best way to get an exhaust. Clearance issues, and suspension that would need to be changed.

 

A new tranny is a must, you'll tear through that t-5 like tissue paper.

 

Engine mounts are the same. Cheapest exhaust is factory cast iron manifolds. You're not going to be able to use a high profile intake manifold and keep the stock hood without a scoop or cowl induction system. There's nothing wrong with the factory suspension with a big block. The RS front springs may be a little soft. You might want to upgrade to some IROC springs.

 

I have a bunch of info from my swap on my page at www.koolmeister.com

Miles

 

All of the stuff you (88 427 Camaro) did to fit it in your car was that all nessarry or was that just to make it fit better. Because i read the hot rod magazine article on your site and it didnt say anything about doing the exhaust.

(Stephen 87 IROC) When you said that the cheapest way to get an exhuast for it would be the stock cast iron manifolds, are there a certain vehicle you can take them off of that will fit them in there, because i wouldnt think that they would fit in there with out any clearence issues, because there werent any designed for thirdgens.

Thanks

Levi Brohez

 

I was told that the flywheel on the bigblock is to big for the bellhousing on the on the t 5, is that true. If so is there a flywheel you can get to put on a big block that wont be to big

YOUR HELP IS APPRECIATED

Levi Brohez

 

Cast iron manifolds are the cheap way only if they come with the engine. Since most BBC engines are now out of trucks, the truck manifolds may or may not work. Very few people who do the conversion even consider using factory manifolds. They're heavy and very restrictive. If you have to buy a set, you need a set from a late 60's or early 70's car that exit at the rear of the manifold. I would bet that buying a set of Hooker headers would be cheaper than buying the manifolds from GM.

The Hot Rod article used an early version of the Hooker Headers.

 

so you have to do more modifying with the new style headers, that is always nice.

 

I have may have used the wrong engine mounts when I did the swap. I have heard there is another style, but since I was already done, I didn't check it out.

I used factory 3rd gen v8 frame side mounts and factory late 60's clam shell style engine mounts.

Miles

 

do you know where i could find out if you used the wrong mounts, and would that cause them not have to modify things for header clearances? Or do they make spacers to make the motor sit just enough higher you dont have to modify where the exhaust goes?

Thanks

Levi

 

With the mounts I used, the motor actual sits too high, hence all the clearance problems. I would contact Hooker headers (or which ever manufacturer you plan on using) and find out what mounts they designed the headers for. Although, if it sat much lower, the oil pan wouldn't clear the cross member. I thought I knew and look what happened I did get good at putting the motor and headers in and out though Fortunately I did all the fitting before assembling the motor

Miles

 

I was planning on using hooker headers, do they make more than the Super Comp headers for a big block thirdgen. For they actual motor build itself, what would the best combination for just being able to pull the front wheels a couple feet off of the ground, i am not necesarily after any high end, that is what i want to build it to pull the wheels up.

Also what would i need to do for rearend build up, and which transmission would be best for pulling the wheels up, manual or an automatic. :hail:

Thanks

Levi

 

The only BBC headers for a third gen that Hooker makes is the SuperComp swap headers. Compared to other header manufactures, Sanderson, Lemon, etc, the Hookers are the cheapest.

You could build a mild SBC to pull the front wheels off the ground if most of the vehicles weight was at the rear.

Although the front end of my car rises a lot, I don't even pull the front wheels off the ground. Pulling the front wheels off the ground has more to do with weight transfer than it does HP or torque. Aluminum heads and as much lightweight front end parts as you can get might do it. Moving the engine and tranny back about a foot would be better.

You're going to need a Ford 9" or a Chev 12 bolt diff to handle that much torque. Depending on how much fabrication you want to do with the rear suspension you could also use a Dana 60.

Transmission will depend on what you prefer. A manual transmission to handle that much torque will get expensive, Tremic, Lenco etc. An automatic transmission can be a 2 speed powerglide or a TH400. Don't expect a transmission with factory internal parts to survive for very long either. The tranny will have to be built up to take that much abuse.

 

so how much would i have to build up a 454 if i fill the dip in the hatch area with lead? Also that is just what i want to do to start with, i will want to build it up more later. I think i will put the motor in as close to stock as possible, then i will try to get it to pull the wheels off of the ground. Then i will try to make a Street Racing car out of it. I know there will be parts i will have to buy twice but that is what i want to do. What kind of rearend gears? Would 3.73's do it?