engine swap question

Howdy, I have a 1998 camaro that came with a v6. I'm looking to do a serious engine swap. I was wondering what is the biggest engine possible to fit in that year camaro. Any size. My uncle has a 1986 firebird or camaro and he bought it with a 454 in it and since then i've been stuck. The v6 isn't cutting it and it's costly to build up. Any idea's if anybody knows or how I could find out.

Looking for the biggest engine possible to fit in my car to sum it up.

Thanks larry

Reply to
Larry Durst
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with the time and $$ involved in the swap you want to do, I would suggest fabricating a turbo setup for it. You can get small "begginer" if you will turbos off super coupes in the boneyard fairly cheap. Just look at how quick the grand national and the turbo t/a in 1989 were. And you keep good gas mileage....just a thought

All aboard the Yankee express, next stop October.....

Reply to
Hitman0187

Sell the car and buy one with a V8 as factory equipment.

By the time you factor in doing up a V6 right so it's now V8 ready/equipped, you could buy a factory V8 that would be 10 times more reliable and blow the doors off of any 'cobbled' together V6 to V8 conversion.

It's not just about swapping the engine.... Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 26k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... '80 T/A project car...

Reply to
Bigjfig

While others here will tell you to sell it, and get a V8 ride, your in for the same amount of work regardless. If your going for big inches and big power the stock V* drive train leaves allot to be desired. So if your going to do it, do it right.

An After Market 12 rear end kit (between $1,200 to $3,000). I say kit because it will come with all the needed parts to be a bolt in. Then you will want a 4L80 transmission if Automatic, or a Beefed up T-56 if standard shift. I'm not sure about going from the 4L60 to the 4L80 about drive shaft length. The 4L60(E) is watch the TH700R4 became. Good all around transmission. Yet not so good for torque monster big inch motors. The 4L80 is a Heavy Duty over drive. Tough enough to withstand dually (Dual Rear Wheel) usage.

For a motor I would probably go with something like the new 8.0 Big Block, which is around 496 CI. No that's not a type-o. You can pick them up from late model light duty pick up's and suburbans. Personally I would go with the factory wiring harness, ecm and injection. I would change the Cam, get a Torque Converter with the proper stall speed, new rocker arms, have the heads decked for higher compression, with larger valves. You know the usual dance. Tweak it out and try for 1HP per 1 CID, at the flywheel.

Fitting it in the 1998 will require a bit of effort. I would practically strip the engine bay to give as much clearance as possible. Then set the motor in with out the transmission installed. Only then would I install the transmission and check all clearances. After that you can figure out if you need to relocate anything. Big Block 4th Gens have been done before, and a few have been in magazines. So I know it can be done.

After you have the car mocked up, you will need to install sub frame connectors, and talk to spring companies about proper spring rates. Especially if you plain to run the streets. If you have gone that far you might as well upgrade the suspension arms and bushing.

Going to a Big Block in a modern Camaro isn't cheep. Going after serious speed aint either. In the end it doesn't matter what you started with, as long as it's done properly. Either way you will probably spend over $10,000 in parts. Even more if your not up to doing the work your self. On the plus side you can probably sell all the parts you removed and recoup some of the costs.

Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

Must resist urge to flame, especially after whiny flame post about spam/flames. Not only is your advice wrong mechanically and structurally, but it's incomplete. A short block is also an option. A re-sleeved V8 is an option. There are so many possible set-ups between SBC/BBC it's not even worth going into - I digress.

IMHO, Joe gave the best advice. Just trade in the V6 for a V8 platform and build from there.

Martin '01 Formula - MTI Air Box Lid, K&N Filter, Hurst-6, SLP Cold Air Induction & Smooth Intake Bellow Corsa Catback w/Premium Tips '83 V45 Magna

Reply to
GLK9MM

Larry,

How big's your budget? Way way back, I remember reading an engine swap book that said something like you can fit any size engine in any car. Then the questions got like how much to you want to spend, is it for racing only...things like that. You could probably get a bored/stroked

454 dispalcing over 500 ci...it will add weight and not sure if you need to pass smog with a 98. Where I live, it's a major consideration if you want it on the street.

Have you considered turbo/super charging? Forced air induction can be a replacement for displacement (to a point...everything has it's limits and applications)

Are you going to do the work,or are you farming it out?

Jimmy

Reply to
Jimmy

Isn't it cool how each new post seems to contain the full friggin text of the ENTIRE THREAD which has come before it? Yeah! Hell yeah! It's really GREAT giving that ole' pinky some exercise on the page down key trying to read every message.

Please "quote" responsibly, not like lazy slobs. No names. All us guily parties know who we are right?

Thanks.

** To email a reply, please remove everything up to and including the underscore in my email reply header.
Reply to
SgtSilicon

My family is all mechanic's so puting everything together is no problem. Engine swaping or anything with that is a ok. There really isn't much of a budget because i'm willing to put it to the test. Its a matter of time but i'm in no hurry but i'm willing to wait because in the end it's worth every penny. I am totally towards replacing with a bigger engine. The only reason I decided to keep the v6 when my mom gave me the car is because I thought the insurance would be not so high but I was wrong about that. Anyways insurance for a v6 is alot cheaper than a v8 so it's all good. My uncle has a 1986 camaro or firebird or trans am or something like that. He bought it from a guy who did a engine swap and it has a 454 in it and it's totally insane. I get goose bumps just listening to it idle.

There's nothing like raw power that's non explainable . . . .

Reply to
Larry Durst

When you swap, you're going to have to tell them it's a V8 now anyhow, so guess where your rates are going to go?

Better hope if you hide the fact it's now a V8 you don't get into an accident. Someone will sue your ass (and the insurance company will likely drop you) for lying about that to your insurance company.

As I said from the beginning, you will spend more to make a 6 an 8 than to start out with an 8.

You'll have to throw out half to 3/4 of the V6 parts in there now---they are light duty and not suited for V8 power.

It's not just an engine upgrade---you need new cooling, suspension, brakes, and just about everything else in between.

Again, sell it, get a V8 and start from there. 10 times better off. A stock V8 will still blow your doors off and he will be running his A/C full blast in 100 degree heat and everything will work as designed and not be cobbled together.

1000 people have made this mistake before. Don't be 1001 :).

Joe--ASE Certified Parts Specialist & 10th Ann.Club Tech Director '80 Carousel Red Turbo T/A, 26k orig. '79 "Y89" 400/4 speed 10th Ann. T/A, 57k orig '84 Olds 88 Royale Bgm 2 dr, 307 "Rocket" (lol), 141k and still going.... '80 T/A project car...

Reply to
Bigjfig

You are supposed to quote text when you reply. Snipping or trimming of quoted text may make it look like your attempting to twist what the first person wrote.

It is also basic net-etiquette. Charles

Reply to
Charles Bendig

I've always been of the opinion that snipping is ok if the thread is getting really long as long as you mention or say something to the effect of "snipped for space" where you remove text. Either that or remove everything, once again notating that you removed it, up to the last post to which you are actually replying to. Then again, some folks get into a rant over bottom posting VS top posting so who's to say?

Reply to
FBR

You are not supposed to quote the entire thread this far. That is excessive and violates nettiquette.

** To email a reply, please remove everything up to and including the underscore in my email reply header.
Reply to
SgtSilicon

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