1978 Trans Am 5.3 swap
Thread Starter
On The Tree
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 117
Likes: 0
I used the Edelbrock swap headers which I hear are no longer made. For the oil pan I am using the H3 GM muscle car pan. It hangs lower than the f body pan but I haven't had any problems with it. I hear that dynatech makes headers for this swap now and are pretty nice and not overly expensive.
Nice swap! I have a buddy who's contemplating doing a swap in his '78 TA. I'm trying to talk him into a 5.3 to save some money over an ls1. What did you do for a speedometer? Cable x or did you go aftermarket guages?
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 49
Likes: 0
Thanks for the info.... I have a 78 with a 455 that need a new tranny.. but i have a 6.0L with 4l60e i was going to insall in a project vette.... lol... looks to be the same price to install the motor and tranny in trans am as it is to buy a race built 700r4 for it... not to mention way more reliable and better on fuel...
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,343
Likes: 2
From: South of Augusta,GA
Congrats on the car it looks and sounds great!!! Your thread has some good info and answers some of the questions I had about my plans. Would love to get some more information on what you did for fuel, mounted the ecu etc. THE BIG question is did you use all the truck accessories with the Kwik alt and PS bracket, how did you get the car intake with throttle cable to work with the truck accessories.
If I could use the truck accessories for and LQ4 I have a set of new LS6 heads and LS6 intake with a nice little cam it would make for a decent runner..better than the 77 400 I have in there now.
Here is what I'm putting it in:
If I could use the truck accessories for and LQ4 I have a set of new LS6 heads and LS6 intake with a nice little cam it would make for a decent runner..better than the 77 400 I have in there now.
Here is what I'm putting it in:
