Small Block & Big Block Chevy Specific - SBC in 98 Camaro V6

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum and about to put a 383 stroker that I had in a dirt track car into a 98 Camaro that I just picked up for 700 bucks. I now alot of people would say that I am making a mistake, but I wanted somthing to drop this motor in and it seems like there are allot of the v6 camaro's with bad motors for cheap. I figured that it may cost a little more to do this swap verses an older car that came with a small block, but I will have a car that is in allot better shape in the end.

Anyways, Ive read the sticky above and have a few questions I guess.
1. Can I use my 80's style power steering pump? If not then what?
2. Will shorty headers work? Any chance some for a 2nd gen camaro would work?
3. Will the v6 radiator be big enough if I can plumb it up?

I'm planning to fab up some type of mounts and not too worried about that. Also going to get a low profile carb bonnet. I do have an aluminum radiator that I could use if it will fit and will go that route if it work. I am also going to use a turbo 350 that I have.

Any info that you guys can provide will be greatly appreciated.

I have the motor in the car finally. I have spent at least 40 hrs getting to this point and have learned allot. My advice to someone trying this would be to get the motor and transmission hanging in the car and get the pinion angle right first. I would get the transmission mounted before getting the motor mounted. I have it mounted in place with the wipers intact, but not sure if I will get to keep them. I had to cut part of the passenger side wiper base off to clear the bonnet. I really do not see how it can be done without trimming the wiper. I have it as absolutely as low as I can get it. I could have moved it further forward, but would probably have pretty bad hood fitment issues.

I can answer my questions now.

1. The 80's style power steering pump plumbed up no problem at all using the newer hoses.
2. I really don't think the generic block huger headers would work. I bought some lt1 long tube headers and they fit like a glove.
3. Dont think the v6 radiator will work.


I would say this really isnt a bad swap. I really think I should be where I am at now after a good solid weekend. I just really didnt go about it right to begin with.

To do this you will need 2 sets of jack stands, A welder,Grinder with cutting disc, Engine crane, and Fabrication skills.

I used a long tail Th400 and had to shorten the drive shaft to 38.5'' center of u to u. My car can with a 2 piece drive shaft that I replaced with a 1 piece.

Well I am finally done sorta. I had planned to take it to the track on Saturday, but it rained out. Cant wait to see what she will do.

I took her to the track last weekend and popped and missed its way to a 9.34 1/8th. I found a vacuum leak and believe I've got it fixed now. I am hoping to get into the low 8's once I get the bugs worked out. Right now it has a stock converter from a 1 ton truck and I am having to launch at like 1k rpm. I've got a 3k stall but need to get it rebuilt.

You would have been better off using the lt1 kmember it would have lowered the engine and you could have just used regular motor mounts and cross member for the tranny.

good job though. is this strictly a track car?

pics? are you going to keep the th350 or go overdrive/manual?

I actually wound up putting in a th400. I plan to run this combo till she blows and then drop in a 5.3 and go turbo.

How do in upload a pic?

http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26108&pictureid=90991

http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26108&pictureid=90993

http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=26108&pictureid=90992

Ha Ha, nice. Keep us updated on new times. Guess it's a little late now but would've been nice to use LT1 stuff for the swap.

Got it loaded up and bout to head to the track. Hoping the cdi box and carb tune solved my problems.

I managed a best of 9.00 at 78.9 MPH. The car ran better, but still not 100% yet. I am thinking that i need to tune my secondary and maybe jet up a size or 2. The secondary still has the stiff spring that the carb came with and according to a chart that I saw on Holley's website, it will never completely open. I am pretty proud of the fact that It aint leaking anything and still running pretty good.

Cant wait till next weekend!!!

I sent my good torque converter off on Monday and got it back on Thursday. I had it rebuilt and re stalled from 3k to 3.5k. I highly recommend Performance Torque Converters in Kendall TX. They received it and sent it out the same day.
I've got it installed now and am going to install a shift kit in the morning. I've also changed the spring in my secondary and modified my air intake to get colder air. Hoping that should put me deep into the 8's.

Cool swap man! if you have any videos of the car idleing or at the track i would love to see how this car sounds with the SBC in it. you said it was a 383 bottom end? i would think low 8s in the 1/8th would be very possible once all the bugs are sorted out. Nice build.

Got everything installed and the car is loaded. Heading to the track in an hour or so. Im not a transmission guy, so I am kinda worried about the fact that I had tranny parts scattered out all over the place. I followed the instructions, but defiantly dont understand what I was doing.

Was kind of a bitter sweet day at the track. I did finally figure out that the source of my ignition gremlin was my tach. I got to the track and it was running like shit. I changed the plugs and it made no difference. As I was sitting in the staging lanes wondering WTF and realized that I have heard that tach's can cause ignition problems. Sure enough I made my worst pass ever. I got back to my truck and unhooked my tach and bingo problem solved. Now After changing my torque converter out I am blowing the tires off of it at the line. I no that my shock are worn completely out along with my springs, and figure I will be changing them soon.

I also did create a problem with my tranny. When I bump it to 2nd from 1st, it doesnt shift. When I bump it to drive it will shift to 2nd and then to drive at about 4500. Im going to start a thread in the tranny sction, and maybe somebody can help me with that problem.

Nice build. I'd also like to hear it idle and run.

Here are a couple videos. The one at the track is the first pass.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=400880723303555

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=397113457013615&set=vb.100001448919648&type=2&theater

Nice. Sounds badass. Me and my brother were trying to get hold of an older v6 Camaro (in god awful shape) to eventually drop a better motor into but the guy backed out. In person, he said he'd sell it. Gave me his number, but now he won't reply to my messages. :huh:

I like the car and will really enjoy the end result when I get the bugs worked out, but if I had it to do again I would get one with an ls1 or buy a 3rd gen. The swap is not that bad, but it is a bitch to work on. To do any thing to the distributor you have to drop the motor.

Nice Job!!!
I'm getting ready to do the same thing 350/400 in a '01 Z28 shell that I picked up and was wondering what you did electrical wise for the fuel pump and if your using the factory dash and how you got it to work?

I am running a mech pump and scrapped all of the factory gauges.

Thanks guess I'm gonna start a new topic. If anyone has any info on the factory electronics.

You got any big plans for the car in the future or what's your goal power wise?

I plan to bracket race the car mostly. Gonna get it tagged and insured tomorrow so that I can drive it around and work out bugs without having to go to the track. Ive got a set of control arm relocation bracket, adjustable control arms, and new drag shocks. I expect that to solve my traction issues. I also ordered a wide band o2 meter so that I can properly tune my carb. Ive got big plans to go racing next weekend and expect to be deep into the 8's in the 1/8th mile. My long term plans are to do a junkyard turbo 5.3 once the 383 blows.

Damn. I'm jealous. I wish I had the money to buy all the stuff I need to get my 96 LT1 Firebird going. May end up keeping the motor and selling or trading the body for a truck or car in better shape. Would also be a lot easier to just drop the motor into something rather than put it in from the bottom.

Let me know how your car does when you take it out to the track.

Got the suspension parts installed today and hoping the wide band comes in before the weekend.

Got the wide band installed and planning to take her for a spin tomorrow. Just sitting in the shop and revving it up, it seems like it is going to be rich. I am surprised how fast it reacts. I knew that I had too much clearance between accelerator pump arm and pump. Every time I would blip the throttle, it would go lean for a split second. I set the clearance to .015 and problem solved.

Also today I put the car on jack stands and it shifted like it was supposed to.
I did find a minor issue with the shifter linkage that. I guess that must have been all it was.

Races rained out this weekend:bomb: but I did take it for a spin at home. It still wont shift manually to 2nd while on the gas. Seems to shift at part throttle and in drive fine. WTF??? Pretty disappointed that I didnt get to go racing and am not sure when I will get to go now, will probably be several weeks.

That sucks. Gives you time to fix that problem, though.

whats done to 383?

Its got vortec heads with big valves, cam, intake, and headers. Its also 10 to 1 CR.

Can anyone tell me where to get an adaptor so that I can install a grant steering wheel? I've been looking but haven't found anything.

I figured out that my tranny problem is a bad seal on my front servo. After finding it, I found out that it is what applies pressure to the 2nd gear band with the shifter in 2nd. I guess thats why it would shift without a load. It would apply some pressure, just not enough to pull the car. It will also cause it to have no engine braking in 2nd which I did notice , but think much of.

Went to the track last night ran a best time of 8.11@83.36 on my first pass with a 1.71 60 ft. The car ran perfect and didnt spin ,but I shifted to 2nd too soon. On the 2nd and 3rd pass, I spun pretty bad at the line. Gonna try a little more torque arm adjustment and see if that will take care of the traction issues. Was very excited that the car ran absolutely perfect. I installed an electric fuel pump and am thinking that may have been the ticket.

Got back to the track last night and ran a best of 8.19. I spun the tires on the first pass, but adjusted tire pressure and did a little better burn out and it hooked a little better. Seemed like no spin on 2nd pass and minimal spin on 3rd pass. I ran last week with no air filter and a little better cold air setup. Guess that's why it was a little faster.

Got plans to swap in a roller cam and E210 heads over the winter. Hope it all works out and loweres my ET's.

Got the motor rebuilt with all of the previously mentioned parts. Ive been driving it around town and been to the track 1 time with a new best of 7.87@88. When I got home I discovered that my throttle linkage was not opening all the way and am wondering how much that affected my ET. I am going back tommorrow and have installed an 850 DP that I had laying around. I am hoping that I can get it tunned up and running 7.50's. Next on the list is a 9" with 3.89 gears which I have all ready ordered.

Its a good thing I have a 9'' on the way cause my 10 bolt broke today. Pretty ironic I guess. I was hoping it would live a couple more weeks until I would have the time to get it installed.

Least you have a replacement part on the way that is stronger. Many have to use a stock replacement.

Here are some pics of my broken axle and new 9" housing.
http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=28449&pictureid=100107
http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=28449&pictureid=100109
http://ls1tech.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=28449&pictureid=100108

Finally got to the track for the 1st time since getting my rear end installed. It really didnt help my time at all. My best 60 was a 1.67 vs a previous best of 1.71.