installing a big block in an 84 vette

ripper

Active member
Joined
May 2, 2008
Messages
38
i'm in the process of removing the small block from my car and i have a bbc / trans ready to go back in. just wondering if anybody on here has done this swap? i'm looking for as much info as i can get on this (magazine articles, parts lists ,pics etc) . right now i'm cleaning the frame, and removing leaves and crap from the condenser housing. this car sat in a guys driveway for 14 years so it needs some work, but i did get it running before pulling out the engine. thanks for your input. my e mail address is [email protected] if you want to send me info.
 
It will bolt right in. The biggest issue will be fitting the induction under the hood and getting the cooling system to be able to cool it.
 
i wasn't sure how you share info on here, and for larger files it's easier to e mail directly. not trying to hog any info. there are elusive magazine articles out there and some are supposedly even scanned, but months of searching online and archives haven't yielded anything yet. i've talked to a rad shop about making me a thicker rad and my machinist friend will make the pulleys i want. i still need headers and air conditioning brackets. the original engine is for sale, but i would prefer to wait untill i have the car running, not sure if it will be injected or carbed.
 

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i wasn't sure how you share info on here, and for larger files it's easier to e mail directly. not trying to hog any info. there are elusive magazine articles out there and some are supposedly even scanned, but months of searching online and archives haven't yielded anything yet. i've talked to a rad shop about making me a thicker rad and my machinist friend will make the pulleys i want. i still need headers and air conditioning brackets. the original engine is for sale, but i would prefer to wait untill i have the car running, not sure if it will be injected or carbed.

What damper are you using? A stock BBC damper will probably not clear.

Headers will be a tight fit and hood clearence too.
 
frame has to be notched to clear the damper, i found that out , and headers will also be a problem, not worried as much about the hood,
 
Local guy here installed a 454 in an early C4...he had to modify his hood for clearance...so he cut along raised portion on both sides and front, raised it two inches and glassed in gap....
 
well, engine and trans are out as of sunday, the car is a mess, have to clean the frame, lots of grease and oil. bought some new tires through the bargain finder as well.
 

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more pics

more pics from last weekend, enjoy, i can't wait for my new parts to start arriving. all mounts are temporarily tacked in place until i mock up the pulleys and headers.
 

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swap

yes he has and his post had a lot of info, but not the info i needed, specifics on headers, crank pulley radiator and frame mods that's why i'm taking lots of pics durring this project and trying to post them.
 
phone pics suck, i know , will try again with camera, but it takes way too long to upload.
 
a good day at home

i got more done today then months of tinkering on weekends. i'm on holidays for a week and today there was no one around to bug me. first of all i got the crank pulley from march after 5 weeks of waiting. the water pump is still missing. today i cut the frame, welded it and reinstalled the motor and pulley to check the fit. the cell phone pics are the best i can do( they are larger), camera pics take way too long to load and i can only load one at a time. here they are in order , i cut out a piece of the frame, and boxed it back in, the frame almost looks stock when painted, and the last pic shows the small gap between the pulley and the rack. tomorrow i'm off to the wreckers to see if i can find a smaller alternator, idler pulleys and air conditioning pump so that i don't have to cut the hood too much. there are a few more pics but i'll save them for the next post.
 

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there's a couple of pics up above, there should be room to mount accessories .
 
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