zacht

iTrader: (18)

my friend has a 1983 olds 98, 4 door, anemic 307. he's a BOP guy also a ford guy. It's mostly his get around car, and in pretty good condition. he's been wanting more out of it, and we started talking LSx swaps, probably a 5.3 or something. the car has a 2004r trans already that would have to be beefed up.
i had no idea they were C bodies...always figured they'd be like a G body....

anyone point me in the direction of where to go with this thing?

engine mounts? (probably mate to the 2004r)
mounting to trans (same as going to th350 and such??? just spacer or special converter for lsx to old style trans???)
oil pan? (going out on a limb here saying the truck pan would probably work?)
exhaust manifolds??? (or headers?? cheap???)
he's an old school guy thats probably going to go carbed...so probably run the ls carbed manifold.

any other quirks and such? I've been searching but haven't found any info on this swap???

thanks!!!

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

If it's an Olds 307 the transmission bolt pattern on the bell housing will not work .

zacht

iTrader: (18)

oh crap...good call...i overlooked that its a BOP...so absolutly not on the 2004r???

im trying to keep this conversion easy for him. he's on the edge about it, but i bet even a th350 with the 5.3 would get him better mpg...

71403

Most 200r4's are dual-pattern bellhousing, out of the 100's I've seen in person never seen a single pattern. Only in pictures. See threads about old style trans to LS motors for flexplate/converter fitups.

My unsolicited $0.02... his car his choices but I wouldn't bother putting a LS under a carb or in front of a non e-shift trans for anything short of a 1/4 mile mule.

zacht

iTrader: (18)

ok, ill try and check out his 200r4 bellhousing. guess ive found that the dual patterns have a peak at the top, and BOP only is flat...easy find.

man, i know, i would like to see it go fuel injected with a electronic trans...this is a cruiser tho....and in our discussion, a 5.3 would be better than a 350 or 403 olds...could do a 455....and the 5.3 beats out the sbc...i think it would be probably the cheapest swap that yields the best power and mpg...this is no show car or hot rod...but he's tired of the 140hp getting the 4000lb beast going...not to mention the 2.73 gears...

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

If you want cheap and good cruising, carb is NOT the way to go.
Prices to think about:

• [*]
• [*]
• [*]

If you buy an engine with EVERYTHING (complete pull out) it will be cheaper if you keep it totally stock, find deals on stuff, buy used parts and make things yourself. Look at my Thunderbird build for ideas on how to save money. I'm using a junkyard engine, transmission, fuse block, wiring harness, etc.

fbrown540

The Olds frame is almost identical to an Impala. Search for LS swaps for a 77-90 Impala or Caprice. The same parts that install a LS for an Impala will work for the Olds.

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

I forgot to add... Read through the first page of this budget swap for some ideas as well. He outlines pretty honestly what things will cost and how to get stuff done on a budget. This isn't an all-inclusive guide, but if you have decent mechanical skills you'll get the idea.

zacht

iTrader: (18)

for sure man! yeah ill maybe try and push the efi on him. ive read through lots of budget stuff...just had some questions regarding oil pan, mounts, and that 200r4...ill do some more searching for later model impalas.

darren roar

iTrader: (1)

F-body manifolds fit nicely. I also used the gm swap oil pan. It hangs about an inch or so below the crossmember. You can use a camaro oil pan but you'll have to notch the crossmember. As far as plates i made my own. I didn't care to much for the transdapt one's.

zacht

iTrader: (18)

ok thanks for the info!!! gm swap pan is just the LH8 pan correct?

darren roar

iTrader: (1)

I know its the same as the H3 oil pan.

gofastwclass

iTrader: (2)

The GM pan kit you are referring to from Jegs. This kit has everything you need for that price and it works well.

Note, this pan is only about 1.5 inches shorter than the truck pan. If you can make it fit your application it's an excellent deal.

Holley makes a pan that is shorter still but a similar shape. Only problem is the pan, bolts and pickup tube alone are $400 and you still need a gasket and dip stick.

darren roar

iTrader: (1)

I also raised the engine. 375" for a little extra clearance and it made the holes in the mounts easier to line up.