My Big Block into a 4th Gen install journal...
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I posted this info on the cz28.com forum a few weeks ago and wanted to post it here too since this was the website that originally fueled my interest in being faster and is still my favorite message forum although it does not get as much traffic. It's a tight knit group here and I like that.
We are quite a ways further through the process now than this post shows, but I thought it would still be best to start here with the post. Actually we only have a couple of minor wiring issues and then the car will be on the road.
The goal of the post was to allow people to see and ask about the process that you have to undertake to get the project finished. I hope you guys enjoy the thread!
In the last couple of months my builder (Gary Box out of North Olmsted, Ohio) and I have been finishing up on my 510 big block chevy motor and powerglide trans that will be put into my 95 TA in the next few weeks. I have been wanting to do somewhat of a journal on it, to let everyone know all of the things you will have to go through to actually make this happen.
If any of you have read earlier posts of mine you know that I had started a build on a 388 LT1 with Trickflow heads and a 100 shot of nitrous. I was going to beef up the stock 4L60E and do some racing with it.Several months into the project as we looked at all the parts on the shelf we started talking about all of the time and money that had gone into researching and getting what we thought were the right parts....when we found that I had spent around 7000 to build a pretty stout LT1. As we talked about the power that would be made we began to see that for a little more money an engine could be built quite a bit cheaper carbed and make a lot more power.....we talked amost 3 hours about this and decided it was time to go carbed!! And since my builder had an unclaimed 454 in his shop, it was going to be a big block no less! This is when he warned me that it's not a simple engine change but we will likely have to touch every system in the car, meaning trans, electrical, fuel, cooling, instruments and suspension. This was going to go from a pretty wild build to downright crazy. Little did I know he was so so right. This car would need to be gutted and put back together from top to bottom.
Since the engine was already pulled I had started on the disassembly several months ago. The engine bay is pretty much empty having recently taken out the heater box on the firewall. The only thing left is the power brake box and the steering rack, was removed and replaced this with a manual rack and pinion from smithperformance.com. I had also started last week on three small items that need to be done. 1. Welding an aluminum plate over the hole created when I removed the steering box. 2. Removing the complete interior to patch a couuple rough spots in the floor and replace the carpet. 3. Relocate the battery to the trunk.
While
of these sounds like much I assure you that the teardown was no small task. Budget wise, if you are careful you can make some money by selling of the computer stuff and other various LT1 parts that our fellow f bodders need. I made close to 2k selling these items and sold my transmission for 300 dollars. Thus, my engine upgrade was practically free as selling these items paid for the difference in the price of the motor. I also bought a super beefy powerglide made to handle Gary's 1400HP Corvette (it runs 8's and is street legal in Ohio, and has the track record at Norwalk for a street legal car ) to use as the transmission. The real difference in the cost of the projects will come in the cost of all of the other systems that need to be changed. However, for the power the car will make, not to mention the fact it will be very unique, in my mind was worth it.
This week we will be putting in the Rack and pinion and the motor and trans. I plan on returning to the site to update you guys on my progress as we enter hopefully the last few weeks of the project. Wish me luck!!
UPDATE: Rack and pinion is in, new fuel system is in, motor and trans are in and bolted to motor plates and stabilizer, wiring is mostly done, headers are in, plugs are in, MSD is mounted. Pretty much everything is done so I guess it's a couple days and we will fire the engine and get the car on the road! I have some pics but don't know how to post them
Joe helped me crop my signature photo and I am still a dufus with picture posting!
Jerry
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I posted this info on the cz28.com forum a few weeks ago and wanted to post it here too since this was the website that originally fueled my interest in being faster and is still my favorite message forum although it does not get as much traffic. It's a tight knit group here and I like that.
We are quite a ways further through the process now than this post shows, but I thought it would still be best to start here with the post. Actually we only have a couple of minor wiring issues and then the car will be on the road.
The goal of the post was to allow people to see and ask about the process that you have to undertake to get the project finished. I hope you guys enjoy the thread!
In the last couple of months my builder (Gary Box out of North Olmsted, Ohio) and I have been finishing up on my 510 big block chevy motor and powerglide trans that will be put into my 95 TA in the next few weeks. I have been wanting to do somewhat of a journal on it, to let everyone know all of the things you will have to go through to actually make this happen.
If any of you have read earlier posts of mine you know that I had started a build on a 388 LT1 with Trickflow heads and a 100 shot of nitrous. I was going to beef up the stock 4L60E and do some racing with it.Several months into the project as we looked at all the parts on the shelf we started talking about all of the time and money that had gone into researching and getting what we thought were the right parts....when we found that I had spent around 7000 to build a pretty stout LT1. As we talked about the power that would be made we began to see that for a little more money an engine could be built quite a bit cheaper carbed and make a lot more power.....we talked amost 3 hours about this and decided it was time to go carbed!! And since my builder had an unclaimed 454 in his shop, it was going to be a big block no less! This is when he warned me that it's not a simple engine change but we will likely have to touch every system in the car, meaning trans, electrical, fuel, cooling, instruments and suspension. This was going to go from a pretty wild build to downright crazy. Little did I know he was so so right. This car would need to be gutted and put back together from top to bottom.
Since the engine was already pulled I had started on the disassembly several months ago. The engine bay is pretty much empty having recently taken out the heater box on the firewall. The only thing left is the power brake box and the steering rack, was removed and replaced this with a manual rack and pinion from smithperformance.com. I had also started last week on three small items that need to be done. 1. Welding an aluminum plate over the hole created when I removed the steering box. 2. Removing the complete interior to patch a couuple rough spots in the floor and replace the carpet. 3. Relocate the battery to the trunk.
While
of these sounds like much I assure you that the teardown was no small task. Budget wise, if you are careful you can make some money by selling of the computer stuff and other various LT1 parts that our fellow f bodders need. I made close to 2k selling these items and sold my transmission for 300 dollars. Thus, my engine upgrade was practically free as selling these items paid for the difference in the price of the motor. I also bought a super beefy powerglide made to handle Gary's 1400HP Corvette (it runs 8's and is street legal in Ohio, and has the track record at Norwalk for a street legal car ) to use as the transmission. The real difference in the cost of the projects will come in the cost of all of the other systems that need to be changed. However, for the power the car will make, not to mention the fact it will be very unique, in my mind was worth it.This week we will be putting in the Rack and pinion and the motor and trans. I plan on returning to the site to update you guys on my progress as we enter hopefully the last few weeks of the project. Wish me luck!!
UPDATE: Rack and pinion is in, new fuel system is in, motor and trans are in and bolted to motor plates and stabilizer, wiring is mostly done, headers are in, plugs are in, MSD is mounted. Pretty much everything is done so I guess it's a couple days and we will fire the engine and get the car on the road! I have some pics but don't know how to post them
Joe helped me crop my signature photo and I am still a dufus with picture posting!Jerry
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