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I have a 86' Trans am and it came stock with a carbed 305. Now i dont have the money to get crazy with fuel injection and just want to try to keep it old school. I want to know if i can pull out that 305 and run and old school 350. but will it work? and what else will be involved in the work other than just swapping out the motor. Please i need someone to help me. If you can offer an help please e-mail me ( StonePony219@aol.com) or reply to this message. Thanks
-Aaron-
Yeah, it'll bolt in, but I think I'd be checking with the Ohio Motor Vehicle Department about the emissions ramifications of doing an engine swap.
You are up in one of the EPA counties? If you can get around the EPA test for the next few years you will be OK. We do not have the EPA test in Fairfield co. yet and I should be OK until my 84 is the big 25, after you hit the 25 yr mark yo will not have to do the EPA test.
Charles
Thanks for the reply's. I am not worried about inspection, at least i dont think i should be. Before i bought the car it had just been inspected and then the guy who owned it blew up the motor and sold it dirt cheep to me. So i thought if i just swap motors and keep my mouth shut no one has to know different. am i right? also i was wondering what all is involved in the engine swap. My car came with a computer but i want to bypass it and go old school by doing that what other work will i need to have done to make my idea come to life?
-Aaron-
"My car came with a computer but i want to bypass it"
Again, better check with the State.
Do you have to get the EPA inspection each year now, which county are you in? As long as you do not go over on the emissions limit you will be OK. We have not gone to the EPA test in Columbus yet, I took my v6 out of my Camaro and put in a v8 and did not use the computer. If we go with the EPA test in the next 3 years I could have some trouble:HMMM: after it is 25 yrs old you do not have to get the EPA test. All you have to do is make sure you can pass the OSP vehicle inspection( horn, lights, wiper, muffler and brakes) if you ever get stopped at an inspection point.
Charles
with a carbed 305 or 350, the only computer controls the ignitition, just swap the distributor from the 305 into the 350 to use the stock electronics, so you can get by those laws.
Thanks for all the helpfull hints guys, I talked to a guy today about a 350 engine and he said he has a good running one that only has 40,000 original miles on it and he will give me a good price and even let me hear it before i buy. So im deff going to go that route.
Does anyone know how much more horepower i will be able to get going from 305 to 350 and will i need to buy anything else other than subframe connectors?
If I am not mistaken I have a computer in my 85 chevy truck with a 305 and the only computer is a ESC or ECS (one of those two) and all it does is go into the dissy and corrects spark knock. People take them off all the time on these year motors and no problems... Is this what you have? I dont know if the one year difference and it being a car compaired to a truck makes a difference or not. I am doing the same thing with my truck too but mine will be a stroker 383 most likely. I was worried about the inspection but now I hear that I can get someone to pass it for me anyways. If you find a nice enough guy to do it and pass then you will be fine and all he has to do is just go get another car and put the probe in the tail pipe for the gasses and there ya go!
Im pretty sure it wont be a problem taking out the computer my concerns are what else i will have to do by going to a bigger motor and dissconnecting the computer. what all do i have to buy. I know i need sub frame connectors because it has t-tops and everyone says i will twist the car if i put a 350 in it. after researching it enough i found out they didnt put a 350 in the trans am in 86 that started in 87 so i want to make sure i dont damage the care by swapping to a bigger motor.
Not much of a difference between the two but that would be nice to strengthen it up. Flywheel you will have to get and make sure it will bolt up to your current tranny. Other than that the 305 and 350 is pretty much the exact same.
All you need is the sub frame connectors with the stock 350. If you start to tweek the 350 for more power you will need to start looking at other things. You can pm me your e-mail address and I can send you some web address on sites for 3rd gen f bodies for parts and info.
Charles
www.thirdgen.org
I'm in Ohio too, I have a 86 firebird that I did a 350 swap in. The computer also engages the torque converter lockup. So if you bypass that you'll want to either get a vaccum switch or a toggle switch or somethign to lock up the torque converter at cruise
Cool,
Maybe when I get my Camaro in her new paint job and get her back running next summer we all can meet for lunch some where.
Charles
Im Deffinately up for that. We could find some car cruise somewhere and all go and meet up for a sandwhich or something. Me and my girlfriend go to car shows all summer long so it sounds great to me.
My car should be done by then. Hopefully i got the motor swap by end of feburary,brakes done by end of march and paint done by april. At Least thats the plan we'll see if it happens or not.
If anyone on here wants to Chat Leave your AOL SN or E-mail so we can keep in touch. Mines, StonePony219 and im on AOL
wouldn't happen to have yahoo would ya? Ya'll ought to check out www.thirdgen.org. There's a few people from ohio on there.
No Yahoo yet,
We are working on the garage right now doing some work on it so we can put in a car lift. Then it's back on the Camaro, hope to have it in new paint by April and want to drop in a new engine when we put it back together. Not sure what we are going to put back in yet, so it will be May to July till we get back on the road. Would like to drop in a 383:)
Will keep in touch.
Charles
I'm downloading aol messenger now
Hey man when you get a Screen Name let me know and i'll add you to my buddy list. MY AOL SN is StonePony219 so you can add me to yours.
I live in Niles which i near Youngstown. I travel to carshows all summer long so if a bunch of us 3rd gen guys wanted to meet up at some shows that would be great. I guess it really doesnt have to just be 3rd gen it could be any f-body guys. Let me know what you guys think. Deff would be a blast for Steel Valley Nationals to have all of us in the cruise by each other.
Ok well im going to stop rambling on. Write me back and let me know what you guys think.
-Aaron-
firebird8645331, I'm just north of dayton