I thought I'd show you guys how my donor car sprip down is going and ask a few questions.

I'm only about 12 hours into it, but the weekend is now and it's time for the major components.

I now understand the enormity of the Job but I think I can do it in a few weeks.

Looks like i'll say "SEE-YA" to my 5spd and put the auto in my 83 for simplicity. I'll have all the stuff to convert it back easily at least. For now I'll replicate what I see, make lots of notes and take many pictures.

Good thing I love firebirds or I would of given up when I seen all the new stuff I have to add. ie Computer, power hatch, windows, locks. I get to get creative with the interior though. Black/Blue/charcoal. I want to keep the original dash (minus the silly guages)if possible, I like having the firebird symbol etched in instead of that pocket and blue is nicer IMO. I also like the crome exterior detailing too on the 83 IMO it look good on 82-84 not the newer ones.

I plan to have the exhaust (dual out flowmaster ), fuel tank, tranny and dash out by tommorow night. and spend Sunday on the wiring harness and engine. I have beer in my fridge, therefore I will also have help later . Funny how beer changes peoples mind about helping you.

Do I need to worry about depressurizing the fuel system? I forget

R12 is great for the ozone layer, right?

4spd auto on a V6 thats the r700-4 right?

The computer gave me trouble code 33, 34.
I cleared it (i think) and got the same codes again. Both High and Low voltage on the MAF sensor. anyone deal with that before?
I hope it isn't expensive anyhow. If it is I'll just buy another parts car . Or maybe an air filter will shut it up, I havn't messed with it yet.

The project car
<a href=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1740867&a=13399296>See my photos of 1983 Firebird at PhotoPoint</a>

The Donor
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewP...p=51431051&f=0
<a href=http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=1740867&a=13455209>See my photos of Donor 87 Firebird at PhotoPoint</a>

It's 38*C here, unflirkinbelivable.


thanks all. funny how after all my option weighing I went with the first piece of advice given to me: "Get a donor"


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'83 Blue V6 5spd Firebird
When I get an engine I'll think about modifying it

 

Man, do I know where you are at.
Good luck swapping the wiring & such.
I gave in a & just got another MAF and that solved my codes & all types of trouble (this was after my 3.4 swap).
Don't be surprised if that is your solution.

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

 

Man thats scary, which car is the donnor car again????? If I were you I would just go out an buy a nice used f body instead of working with that stuff in those pics. WOOOOW both of those cars are ready for the junk yard. Good luck! Your going to need a lot of money to restore that car and in the end it won't be worth it.

 

I admire Ryans grasp of the obvious I found one in a junkyard whose owner I know and owed me a big favor(frame/chasis/body good, still workable) and one in a salvage yard for wicked parts. I have a whole $500 canadian invested so far and plan on spending another $2000 on it including a paint job, engine overhaul and maybe a sub and amp if cut costs well enough. As ryan said it could be too expensive, but I have some connections. It's a hobby, and sometimes I'm overly ambitious, you should see my global domination plans.....

Anyhow the parts car's is almost stripped. Man, that wiring harness is going to be fun to install in my 83. At least GM was thinking ahead and my 83 has the holes for passenger side of the '87 harness.

My question today is about engine blocks. Mines looks ok from what I can tell but I need advice. The cam is only slightly worn (but I'm going by dodge standards), there isn't that much carbon, none of the cylinders are perfectly clean and I couldn't find any pieces of metal anywhere in the oil or other engine compnents. I'm told piston ridge is a good way to tell, but i forget whats acceptable or even if i'm measuring the right thing. Whats a good way to tell if this block will put up with 6 months of 2hr/day highway driving before its retired?.

I plan on doing the 3.4l swap next spring. For now I'm learning about how the V6 works and rebuilding the top end and waiting to come across the 3.4l block.

Bonus: I found a freshly rebuilt or overhauled tranny, new starter, new flexpate new springs, shocks, struts, new wonderbar, newer posi rear-end and suspension, new exhaust manifolds, y-pipe and several tools I need and oh yeah $7 in change and a seven year old visa card (777) wierd hey?

someone put alot of cash into this car a few months before it got totaled. To bad the frame is was rusted out, I would of just put my '83 front clip on it and drove away.

Old T-Top cars scarry. When I was jacking the 87 up you can hear the rust breaking and the car twisting. I'm more afraid of this car breaking in half than anything else falling on me.

I better get back to work , and yeah the question was: how do you tell if a 2.8l block is still healthy or on its last leg?. and oh yeah is there a way to clean, purge injectors while their out, I know nothing about this, other than id like to clean them while they're on my bench.

Thanks all, espicially Ked, hey when you you had to replace your maf was the fuse blown?

 

No, the engine ran, but, it clattered.
Confirmed by the code it threw out.
And swapping the MAS cured all of it. It runs smooth as silk and no more problems at all.
Except for the tranny!

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Chat Soon,
KED85
Karl
1985 Firebird 2.8 to 3.4 swap project for Smog Happy LA, CA

 

Blade3001, hey if you put a new paint job on that one, your in luck for interiors, OVER in the other board they are converting 4th Generation interiors into 3rd Generation cars so your all set there, also u should just do the 3.4L swap while the engine is out, even if it takes more time and money, easier to do it now.