Okay Z

Ok my uncle is coming out today and we are going to be removign the Rotary from my 83 or 84 today.I still need to get soem stuff but I figure I might as well get the engine pull out of the way

I still need some parts for my 350 SBC.
Distributar[non computer],exhaust manifolds,& Carb.Will call the local junkyards and check some places.The thing is We cant find out what year the engine is.their is no numbers on the block or anywhere.is their a way to tell without them,or are the numbers hidden?

Transmission on the way,I cheaped out and got a World class tranny with 20,000 on rebuild,all stuff included,Flywheel,pressure plate ,clutch,master and slave cylinders etc.
I can get a stage 2 Zoom clutch and pressure plate plus throwout bering for 260 from Napa,Is the zoom clutch anygood? I am told my engine has around 325-350 hp.

Also is their a way I can tell what year my 7 is?I have narrowed it down to 83 or 84 but need to know becouse their are small differences on Grannys site that differ year to year.Speaking of which I'm a bit nervouse using grannys becosue of the bad stuff said about them,but their dosnt seem to be another choice,unless sombody here makes the motor mounts,oil pan and stuff in the basic granys kit[the $350 one]

Turbo 3

iTrader: (3)

Ummm - Check the vehicle title for the year...?

icecreaman

for the sbc ther is a casting number on the far rear of the engine that you would see looking down on it. there is no way this number is gone.
order form grannys youll be alright.
if you have no title, then the 84 would have a larger straight up radiator, the cooler gauges, and i think an electric clock? check teh first gen spec section, it has differences.

Turbo 3

iTrader: (3)

Or get the VIN number off the DS dash and/or PS above the exhaust manifold on the firewall. In the for sale section is a VIN check that you can use for free.

Granny's is fine - they just aren't very good at customer service via communication and sending parts out in a timely manner for some people - others, including myself, have had good success with them.

Never heard of a Zoom clutch. For $260 I'd stick with OEM rather than a knock-off and you do not need a stage 2 clutch/disc if you are going to leave the engine stock - stage 1 is just fine. If you are going to upgrade cam/heads/crank/ maybe do a stroker kit, then a stage 2 would be a good investment now.

thewankler

I know that the 10th digit of the vin distinguishes the year, D is for 83, and I cant remember if E,F, or G is for 84.

ddaves79rx

I also had good luck with Grannys. In my case, I would say they had good customer service. I emailed them Sunday to order a kit, SBC, T-5, and Monday morning Grant called to get the specifics and take my order. I later placed two more orders to do my conversion and they both arrived quickly. I recently completed a SBC, t-5 in a 79 rx. I had some difficulty getting the exhaust manifolds to clear. I had to use a set off of a 85/86 chevy truck/van with some sort of performance option. The manifolds are a tubular pipe much like a header. I still had to modify drivers side to clear steering box. The radiator fit is very tight and the fan is even worse. i am running a 16" thin mount electric fan but still having some cooling problems. A high flow short pump may help(that is what I am going to try). I used a bell housing from a v-8 79 Camaro to mount my T-5. Also had to use the shortened clutch fork from Grannys ,stock rx slave and a Wilwood 3/4" bore master. Clutch pedal pressure is extreme. Hindsight, I think I would have gone to a 700r4 instead of the T-5. Anyway, Okay z if you have specific questions let me know.

Okay Z

Thanks guys,Poste the vin in the four sale will see what it is.the guy I bought it from said 83 or 84,title says 83 but couldn't it be wrong if the other owner didn;t know the year for sure?I looked at Grannys site and they lsit the differences and mine had some of the 83 and 84 stuff,both seemed close so I want to make sure.

I still have the little Wankle in it,my uncle came out and we got all the tools around,engien hsot etc but he had to leave to pick up his grand daughter so we didnt get started.We are going to wait untill the Transmission arrives and we get a kit.Grannys dosnt have any in stock,Does anybody have the specs for a FB 350 SBC basic kit?engine mounts,tranny mounts,driveshaft,oil pan?If so maybe I can see it hte local engien shop could make them for me.

Orignally he thought it would take 2 days to pull hte motor but after looking at it he saw how simple it will be to pop out[he said it would be simple],so now he said probly 4 hours to get it out.How long did it take you guys?

We did find the SBCs vin it was smaller than he thought it would be[he is a mopar guy]and covered with gunk,used PB blaster to clean it off.it was cast in 88 so probly from an 89 car.

the aluminum intake I got is for a Rochester quadra jets.Jegs has a rebuilt 700 Edelbrock carb,manual choke no computer basic and simple for 200 bucks,my uncle thought Edelbrock used the same style and would mount up,does it or will I need an adapter?

As for the clutch the guy at NAPA in town Said he had one one on his truck,a big 4X4 he hauls his boat with and he said it grips good and holds fine,so he reccomended it.its no much more than the stock kit would run I dont think,40 bucks maybe,I would gladly pay that if it held up better and lasted longer,I just dont want to buy a weak clutch and have it slip and burn.

wuld an OEM 90s v8 camaro hold 350 hp?[thats the high estimate number for my engien]becosue they are listed to only have 270ish hp.

Thanks

ddaves79rx

Okay Z,
I have a few questions? Compatiblity in parts before you start spending money. Is your intake on the engine now? Reaon I ask, chevy redesigned the heads on a small block in 86. Center two intake bolts are straight up and down instead of angled as on earlier heads. Most after market intakes are designed for earlier heads. Does you intake have two intake holes bigger than the other two? If yes, it is a spreadbore design(quadrajet). Most aftermarket carbs are square bore(four holes same size). You may need an adapter.

What did your T-5 come from? What bell housing are you going to use? This will determine clutch size and flywheel. A post 86 chevy block will have a 2 piece rear main seal. You need to run a flywheel for that style crank.

In my opinion, I would wait fro Grannys to get conversion kits ready. You will spend $$$$$ trying to get custom stuff made. Unless Grannys is way, way behind?

Just trying to give some pointers. I am actually a Mopar guy and had to learn alot about chevy stuff to do this conversion. Well worth the effort when your done. Car gets attention.
Dave

Turbo 3

iTrader: (3)

Granny's is a single person shop (Grant). It's unlikely he will be making a surplus of parts at this time of year vs. trying to just keep up with orders so unless placing an order, it may be unlikely that you will get something "in stock".

Car's getting attention isn't necessarily the best thing to aspire to. Low key is good as well = thieves, etc.

icecreaman

don't you mean PRE 86 motors are 2 peice rear? 2 peice rear mains are externally balanced and need that kind of flywheel, the later models are 1 peice and are internally balanced i beleive, either that, or my 79 block is a special model of some sort.

ddaves79rx

Good call icecreaman, yes pre 86 are the 2 piece style. As far a balancing, I think the small block 400 is the only externally balanced small block(pre 86 anyway). The 400 requires a unique, to the small blocks, counter weighted harmonic balancer. On my 350 I was able to run the small balancer and a lightened flywheel without effecting balance.

Okay Z

Well I got home from school late last night and my tranny had arrrived so I rush out to look at it and while I'm gettign it out of the shipping boxes I notice to my horror the flywheel says FORD on it,an looking it it dosnt look like it will mount up,Ill have my uncle stop out today to look at it.

If it is A Ford T5 I'm gonna be pissed becosue I asked the guy[it was from ebay guy got good feedback and seemed nice]if the Tranny was the Chevy V6 or V8 and he says its the 5.0liter v8 one.And I'm thinking since I asked about chevy it is a chevy v8 for a 5.0L 305 from a camaro or whatever,but now I think Its a 5.0L 302 Tranny.

The question is if it is a 302 Tranny can I just put it in a Chevy T5 Belhousing to bolt it up to my engien and use the chevy Clutch and pressure plate?My engine is an 88 350 SBC.

As for the intake I havn't had a chance to try to replace the TBI one with the carbed one.I knoe its set up for Rochester quadrojets becosue I can see that the front holes are smaller,I looked up what a quadrojet looks like compared to a normal one and mine is a quadrojet.

Will Edelbrock hook up or do I need an adapter?My uncle said back in the day Edelbrock would hook ut to a quadrojet but that might have been only one model.

Thanks

Turbo 3

iTrader: (3)

I believe the bellhousing and input splines are totally different between Ford/Chevy. You can still use the tranny, but you will need to change those items out in order for it to bolt up/work.

Okay Z

Ok thanks what would changing the input output splines cost and would I need a shop to do it,and where would I get teh parts or kit if I can do it myself?

I am about to say screw the T5 as none of the bone yards here have any manuals at all so not only cant I buy a used T5 for a chevy I probly cant find a bellhousign either.

,I think I may try to sell it and jsut go with a 200r4 and put a shift kit and manual valve body on it.the problem is that most of the bone yards only have the tubo 350 and 400 a few 700R4s[ iheard it has a bad rep]The one said they might have a 200r4,oncew I said they came from montecarlos impallas etc but they didnt know what one was off hand,is it a rare tranny or something?

I kinda wish I had been able to get a good shape 351 ford and just use a mustang tranny as they are all over the place.

stilettoman

iTrader: (1)

I spent too much money on my Ford swap, but the Ford and Chev both have their advantages. The Ford 302 is about 75 pounds lighter than a SBC Chev, but a lot more parts are available for the Chev, and if you want to use an automatic, the Chev trannies are easier to set up, and there are more people who know how they work. If you are going to run the stock rear end, you will definitely want an overdrive tranny. My Ford AOD has a .667 overdrive ratio, and I am turning 2400 at 60 mph in overdrive.

As for the year, the 84-85 cars have a completely different interior, the door panels, headliner, instruments, heater controls, center console, everything on the inside of the car, plus the 84-85 have larger diameter axles front and rear, which means the differentials and front hubs are not interchangeable. The most obvious external clue is the cooling slots on each side of the lower valance panel on the 84-85. The picture shows my 84 interior.

When I started, I was trying to decide about manual vs automatic tranny, and a friend of mine said "Automatic - you will want both hands on the steering wheel". After driving it for 4 years, I have decided that was good advice.

Okay Z

Ok thanks for the advice.someone here was nice enough to run my vin and mine is an 83.Mine is kinda hard to tell from the interior shots as the guy I bought from had a $2600 stereo system and when he sold the car he took that with him gutting the console,plus a lot of the interior was gutted or destroyed but for a running drivign FB with 89000 and decent tires for 400 bucks delivered I cant complain

What tranny are you using?I am goign to try to sell the 5spd and jsut use a 200r4 auto put a shift kit[60bucks]or maybe go crazy and put in a manual valve body[when I get the money]The 2 biggest things I like about manuals are

1 not everybody can drive one,so I can be a little smug[I know its childish]

2 The autos I have driven[Pontiac Bonneville,grand am etc]I don't like the fact that when I punch it an am starting to go it will shift and I am right back at low rpms,thats what I like about manuals if I want to have fun I wont shift until i am in the higher rpms,but if I want to save gas and to take it easy I can shift at the optimal revs.

3 I feel more connected to my car.

So do you miss the manual?or is the auto pretty good?are my fears about going auto justified?

icecreaman

im just not happy with autos. I had a couple sports cars in auto. i ended up not only hating them, but losing money trying to get rid of them. I knew when i started this i was only going to do a manual and that is that!
Seems a manual is easier with the ford set up as there are alot of T5 mustang trannys around. But, the chevy is a better motor in my opinion and i have more support for the motor, not to mention more parts available.
i ended up finding a T5, although it took a while. T-56 is also an option. Call around and try to find a LT1 T-56. i don't see how your in michigan and can't find chevy parts?

Okay Z

Yeah I don't know why a Chevy T5 is impossible to find in MI but they seem to be.
I think its becosue they didn't make many V8 sprts cars with them before they switched to the t56.

I called at least 5 salvage yards and nobody has them or has had any for a while,since 90% of cars are now autos,I also checked the classifieds here,V8 rx7.com,Hybridz[a forum that people swap v8 into datsun 240-280 z cars]ebay etc

The few I did see and can afford were for the v6 model.I just cant afford a t56 now,or the parts for one as they cost double what a T5 part of the same type would cost.also I cant afford a rebuilt T5 from a shop with a warranty.

I have seen a Few T5s rebuilt but they were going for around 800-1000 and you still needed a bell housing,pressure plate clutch etc,I'm trying to do my swap for 2500-3000 max.Besides I have heard bad things about T5s and breaking,so if I am going to spend money and get a brand new or rebuilt tranny I'll pony up the dough and get a t56.How is your T5 holding up?

I would use the t5 if I could find a used one in good shape at a decent price 500 bucks or so but no luck,while the 200R4 I can get for like 200 bucks so I guess I'l put that in with a B&M shift kit to get it running and have soem fun,and then If I can join the army this year I'll be able to spend some of my enlistment bonus to get a T56 and swap that in,it shouldnt be too hard to swap a t56 in place of an auto right?since the car was originally a manual so it has the 3rd pedal and the hole in the floor.

one quick question since I'll need a transmission cooler can I take a radiator form an 80s corsica? I figure since it is an auto It will have a tranny cooler built in,but will it be big enough to cool down a V8?

icecreaman

you should talk to Grant again. If you get a newer V6 T5, not sure of the year, you get a special flywheel or clutch or something and the V8 bellhousing and your good. He has a 550hp SBC in the back with a V6 T5 in it.

Okay Z

I thought the v6 T5s ad a different input,and output shaft plus a diffferent bell housing than the v8 model?I also thought the V6 T5 was even weaker than a WC v8 Tranny,which is supposed to be kinda weak anyway.

The only T5s that were close or affordable were from S10s,which when I searched it sounded like I should avoid using that as its weak.

It looks like I'll have to go auto for now,as I can get a working 200r4 and needed parts for 150-200 bucks,and then maybe get a shift kit for 30 bucks.

I dont think I can afford a manual tranny now until I sell my mustang Transmission,or get my money back,as that kinda hit the budget hard,if I went manual Id have to find the Tranny,bell housing,then I'd have to go buy the rest of the parts flywheel,clutch,etc which quickly add up.

SO I'm thinking of just getting it to run and have some fun with it and get it so I can take it with me if I go in the army,then wen I get more money[my enlistment bonus]
I can then put in a T56,would putting an auto now make it a lot harder to put in a t56 later?I also am thinking of putting in some Vortec heads in later,would consider it now but I would need a whole new intake.

ddaves79rx

Okay Z, I am running a V6 T5 out of a 89 Camaro. I picked up a V6 t5 for $80 plus a core charge here at a local pick a part. So far it has held up fine. You do need to run a special clutch disc. I picked one up from Summit. The V6 T5 has a course spline count 14 vs 26(?, twenty something) for the V8 T5. The rest of the clutch was late 70's Z-28 camaro stuff, 10.5" pressure plate 153 tooth flywheel and a straight up v-8 bell housing(late camaros run the trans at a slant, Grannies calls for a strainght up housing), and a mini starter from 80's vette. You will need a T5 from a Camaro/Firebird, the S-10 has the wrong shifter position. I have a extra bell housing from a 79 V8Camaro if you need it? Dave

icecreaman

^^^ there you have it. works fine. no S10 THO!

Okay Z

ddaves79rx how does the V6 T5 mount work with the Chevy V8 if the spline count is different? the rest makes sense using a Camaro bellhousing and clutch stuff.

Do you know if their is a special clutch disc and stuff to use the Ford T5?could I do what you did and use a Chevy bell housing and make it work?Because I am told its the same as a Chevy t5 except that the splines are different,so if you could get a v6 with 14 splines to work instead of 26 splines,maybe I could get the mustangs T5 to match?


How much Hp are you running and how long has it held up?I heard the T5 for the v6 was weaker than the v8 T5 ,and that even the best T5,the World class are supposed to be not very strong.I just dont want to do all this work and have problems with it.What was the special clutch model number and brand?

Would your Camaro Bell housing bolt up to an 89 350?I know they changed the rear to a 1 piece seal in 87 so would it bolt up?

Thanks

ddaves79rx

Okay z, the input shaft is the same length v6 vs v8 and the pilot shaft is also the same diameter in a Chevy. The main difference in the input shaft is the spline count. The special clutch disc is needed to get the correct clutch size, the v6 runs a small disc(only like 9"). I have no idea about adapting a Ford T5 to a Chevy. I had to use a Ford t5 shifter on my car and even the plate that mounts the shifter to the trans case is different Ford vs Chevy, different size. I had to swap the Ford shifter mechanism to the Chevy mounting plate. Anyway, my point is, likely alot differences between a Ford and Chevy t5 externally.

As far as durability, T5's are not known to be very durable. And you are correct, V6 t5 is even weaker. My V6 T5 is a World Class version but really doesn't amount to much. I have only had my conversion running for a few months so I cannot vouch for long term durability. My main goal was to get the car going. Long term, a TKO 5 speed would be nice, pricey, but nice. As far as the HP my engine is putting out. I used a 350 from a early 70's truck with small valve 327 heads(for torque), 4 barrel intake(the Weiand Grannies suggests), RV cam and a Edelbrock 650 carb. My goal was 300 horse???? The advantage of the Rx is the power to weight ratio. It doesn't take alot of engine to get a car that weighs less than 3000 pounds to move.

My bell housing should work on your engine. I would like to double check that though. Someone here could tell us. If you want I will try to get some pictures up. Dave