I Gave My Car a Heart Transplant (Engine Swap)!

"matthewklein220" (matthewklein220) 11/10/2013 at 00:56 • Filed to: engine swap, Firebird, 455

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(EDIT: Ok... I have no idea why all the photos are doubled, I guess I've been Kinja'd)

** WARNING LENGTHY POST AHEAD READ AT OWN RISK**


**SECONDARY LENGTH WARNING, ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO READ A POST THIS LONG?**

The following story is brought to you by Wendy's! The food choice of all gearheads!

(Note, this story was not in any way endorsed by Wendy's, all their stuff is property of them, I don't own any of it I just wanted to have a cheap laugh.)

As was published a short while back, my Firebird had a cooling issue. I managed to single it down to a blown headgasket ( or maybe a cracked head, but I don't want to believe that ). Since the 350 needed rebuilding anyways, my father suggested I swap the engine out. The thing was, the only other engine we have ready-to-run was the old 500 hp drag racing 455 that used to be in the car, which will be referred to as "The Demon Engine" from here on out. This will be a recap on the swap and how it's been working out the last 3 days.

Work started last Monday, the Demon Engine was drug out of it's hiding place behind another car in the garage. It needed some prep before getting put in the car. First we had to check if the camshaft had the mechanical fuel pump eccentric on it, since the engine had been run on an electric fuel pump the last time it was in the car.

Yours truly, pulling the cover off the slot to check for the eccentric.

It was there! So the mechanical pump would just bolt on without needing to have a bunch of extra work done. Next was changing the thermostat, which had been a major cause in overheating the first time this engine was run in the car.

The old thermostat, turned out to be a 160 degrees (F), which was way too low for an engine with Hard Blok in it.

The new 180 degree (F) thermostat!

New thermostat is in and ready to go.

After that, it was time to tackle another cause of over heating, turns out the water pumps on Pontiacs have too large of a gap between the impeller and the plate, over 1/4" sometimes! The gap needs to be a lot smaller (the exact distance eludes me) to prevent the pump from just recycling the already-hot water back through the engine. The only way to correct the gap is the Clarkson way...with a hammer.

I'VE MENDED SOMETHING!

The fight the bolts gave us when we tried to loosen them to pull the water pump off was a clear sign the bolts needed anti-seize and the threads needed to gunk and crap cleaned out of them.

With the water pump back on, the engine was ready to be dropped into the car!

Which brings us to day 2!

First order of business was to remove that pesky other engine that was occupying the engine compartment.

We began disconnecting everything from the 350 and began unbolting the headers. Since Firebird's have the engine mounted right up against the firewall, disconnecting the transmission and pulling only the engine wasn't really an option. So all the various cables and hoses that connected to the transmission had to be undone as well. For a car that doesn't have a single computer in it, there is an unholy amount of wiring and things that connect to the engine!

With everything disconnected, the 350 and transmission are ready to be pulled out! It takes some work, but they come out without ripping anything out of the firewall or leaving any of their own parts behind.

The 350 gets set aside on a little engine-cart/stand/thingy and the Demon Engine gets bolted onto the transmission and into the car they go!

Penetration Installation doesn't suffer any snags and everything drops right into place. The Firebird's heart is now a snarling, earth-shaking, lump of cast iron forged by Satan himself in the bowels of Hell. Ok, not really, but this thing does seriously sound like something from Hell.

I apparently stopped taking photos after this, but it would take the next two days to hook everything back up, and the engine wouldn't fire up until 11:00 Thursday night, just in time for school Friday.

I call this The Demon Engine for more than just the unholy exhaust note though. This engine was built with drag racing as the primary purpose, as a result it's utterly horrible on the street. It's way too loud, the idle is so rough you get seasick, the 350's carb makes it run lean and smell terrible, and I'm pretty sure my gas mileage is in the single digits. My dad says "But it makes nearly 500 hp and 550 lb-ft of torque!", and I say that kind of power isn't worth the price. I'm having a major first-world problem, my car's engine is too racecar.

While I was excited the whole time this engine was going in, now I just want to take it out. Thankfully it's just to keep the car running while the 350 gets rebuilt, but the 350 can't get rebuilt fast enough! It's been only 3 days and I'm already getting sick of it. I think I'm the first person to ever want to downgrade !

So I wrote another story so long it makes War and Peace look like a pamphlet, but I figured there would be a few of you interested in this. If anyone has some cool ideas on how I should build the 350, I'm open to (almost) anything!

(Also, thanks beta editor! It was a lot of fun having to revert to the old editor and re-upload all my photos...)

POD > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 01:07

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"my car's engine is too racecar" Truly the first worldiest of first world problems.

Good work and nice write up.

NinetyQ > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 01:12

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Not too long at all. I enjoyed reading it and especially seeing the pictures. Thanks for sharing! Have some fun with that engine while you can.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 01:21

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"Coulda been a cracked head..."

matthewklein220 > POD 11/10/2013 at 02:04

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I know, I feel terrible yet it still feels like a problem!

matthewklein220 > NinetyQ 11/10/2013 at 02:06

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I will, with 580 lb-ft at the flywheel, it'll be kinda hard not to!

matthewklein220 > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 11/10/2013 at 02:06

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I don't get the reference/joke, but I giggled anyways.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 02:09

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Watch and learn.

Then laugh your ass off.

The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 02:12

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matthewklein220 > The Opponaut formerly known as MattP123 11/10/2013 at 02:16

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How could I forget about this?? I've seen it before, the "Amateur Sketch" is one of the greatest things I've ever seen.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 02:20

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Well at least take it to the strip and take a few passes while it's in. Good job on the swap, too. Very nice. If we could get a video that'd be nice too, I like the sound of Demon built engines.

matthewklein220 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/10/2013 at 02:32

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Well when the car was setup for the strip, that engine put it at a 12.10 @115. But on 400 treadwear tires and autocross setup, I'm sure it's a bit slower now. And I'll still be spinning the tires half-way down the track.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 02:40

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Not bad. I'd guess it made around 500 horsepower.

Whatever you do, take plenty of pictures and post them here.

Edit: Reading fail. But I was right!

matthewklein220 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/10/2013 at 03:05

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Exact numbers were something like 482 hp and 585 lb-ft at the flywheel based on a dyno run from a a few years back. (We dug out the info from that test right after I wrote this and came to those numbers assuming 30% drivetrain loss).

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 03:12

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Probably pretty close considering how old the car is. Now just think, if you drop in a LS7 you would have at least as much power while probably doubling your fuel economy and having a engine that's smooth and easy to drive.

matthewklein220 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/10/2013 at 03:16

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Yeah, but then it's not a Pontiac. And it doesn't make the delicious grumble (350) or Demonic shouting (455) I enjoy so much! Although I have toyed with the idea, and swapping in a T-56 in with it.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 03:29

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True. I was just thinking about how back then to get 500hp you had to build, well, a demon engine while today it's just so easy. As for the grumble, cams and headers will do wonders .

matthewklein220 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/10/2013 at 03:44

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I think I'm going to just going to stick with the 350 and get some more power out of it, since it's an HO 350, which is rare, and it's the original engine.

All Motor Is Best Motor > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 03:47

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*Looks at my measly 260 ponies*

I know I should be happy and grateful for what I have, and I am, but I can't help but want more. Much more. But being in college and headed towards medical school, it will be a long time before I can afford any such awesomeness.

matthewklein220 > All Motor Is Best Motor 11/10/2013 at 03:50

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That's about what the 350 put to the ground, the only reason I have this engine was because my dad used to use the car as his drag car and it was sitting in the corner of the garage when we realized the 350 was well overdo for a rebuild. And I don't blame you for wanting more, just a tip though, avoid MASSIVE cams when you finally get more. Your ears and neighbors will thank you for it.

MtrRider Just Wants Doritos > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 03:52

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The 350 is an extremely solid engine and capable of some respectable power. You can probably work 350 hp out of it without much trouble. What are your plans for it, a massive roots blower sticking out of the hood?

All Motor Is Best Motor > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 03:54

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But what if I want my engine to lope every 10 seconds?

matthewklein220 > MtrRider Just Wants Doritos 11/10/2013 at 04:01

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No, my dad was the quarter-mile, cowl-induction and fat slicks, guy. I'm a corner carver. So probably just a better cam (looking at probably an 068 or one of the Ram Air's) w/ Rhoads lifters to make it tame on the street but have the oomph when I put my foot in it. And maybe Indivdual Throttle Body EFI, if a company makes them for Pontiacs and I can scrape together my pennies (because velocity stacks are cool). Port the heads, and put a set of Crower rods I found in the attic so I can possibly bump the redline up to 6,000-6,500. I was hoping for 400hp, But a little less and still being capable of daily driving would leave me happy.

matthewklein220 > All Motor Is Best Motor 11/10/2013 at 04:04

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Then put good exhaust so it's a quieter lope. I never thought I'd be that guy setting off car alarms and wishing he had a mute button for the exhaust on those days when I just want to drive home in peace.

oldirtybootz > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 09:44

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I'm not a big Pontiac guy but I love me some Firebirds. Always have.

Also, I wish I could actually wrench and know what I'm doing

Turk > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 10:03

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I enjoyed that read. Nice work too and great idea, always have a spare race engine sitting around for your DD :).

As far as ideas for rebuilding the 350, I dono. I completely understand your BBC being too 'race car' though. Lets be honest, LS1's are getting pretty affordable on ebay etc these days and you mentioned your car's an autox machine... wouldn't you be psyched to take a few hundred pounds off the nose? And my 350 hp stock LS1 is so smooth and manageable that I've not really messed with it in 6 years of ownership (though I mess with just about everything else). The factory cam at least in GTO form is extremely well balanced (driveability and low-end torque without giving up too much top end).

The big problem for you is all the other stuff you'd have to change for an LS1 to work like stock (engine management, fuel pump, not sure about auto trans communication / issues?), but I'm sure somebody in the world of hotrodders with computers has figured it out and posted to a interweb forum...

A3R0 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 10:37

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Great read! Post it at a normal time (12:56 a.m. for me)!

Bubbles22 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 13:32

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Reminds me of when I swapped the 150HP/400ci (yea, the mid-seventies were that bad) out of my '76 Trans Am for a '71 GTO motor with 300HP. You seem to have made less of a mess that I did. Nice job.

The Swedish Bandit > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 13:36

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What the hell is wrong with you?! :P You have a highly tuned 455 in your car (my dream engine), and you think it's ''impractical''. That's part of the charm of the most awesome engine ever made! GET A HOLD OF YOYRSELF! And what about that 71-73 Trans Am in the background?! Not even a mentioning? Dude, you're killing me!

matthewklein220 > The Swedish Bandit 11/10/2013 at 15:12

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I know, I must have been dropped on my head or something. But that 455 is currently not highly tuned, which is why I've been spending every evening since it started running tuning it. And to '70 car in the background used to belong to my dad's friend from Australia. The thing has a 600+ hp 400 bored to 413 good for 9.80's in the quarter mile. Since none of us are crazy Australians we don't go near the thing for fear it'll kill us. One of these days I'll have to do a write up on all the Firebirds we have laying around, that way no one else has to die of anticipation!

matthewklein220 > A3R0 11/10/2013 at 15:14

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Yeah it was late for me too, one of these days I'll post something at a normal hour...

A3R0 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 15:16

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I suggest doing it midday at 12 (because lunch) or 6pm (because everyone is just getting home from work and going on) on a weekday. I think I'm one of the only people to wake up and go through all the posts from when I was asleep.

matthewklein220 > Bubbles22 11/10/2013 at 15:19

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My dad was helping, and he's done so many swaps in various cars that it's almost second nature, what the photos don't show though, is the giant puddle of trans fluid nearly the length of the car and the mess of cat litter used to clean it up.

matthewklein220 > Turk 11/10/2013 at 15:23

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The LS argument is one I have with myself quite often. And I figure that if I do make the swap, I'll go to a T-56 while I'm at it. But all the adapters and wiring and the cost of the engine and transmission themselves prove to be pretty big deterrents.

The Swedish Bandit > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 18:06

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Is there a better pastime than tuning a somewhat poorly running pontiac v8? :P

But hold on! You mean that there's even more Firebirds at your place?! Geeeeez, you are truly a lucky man! Can't wait for some writeups on some of them.

matthewklein220 > The Swedish Bandit 11/10/2013 at 19:14

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Yeah, 5 in total. But only two of them currently run. And I'd say a strong running Pontiac is a much better pastime!

matthewklein220 > matthewklein220 11/10/2013 at 19:15

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Oh, and then there's Grand National that rounds the number of cars out to an even 6.

ZeroOrDie - Powered By MZR > matthewklein220 11/11/2013 at 12:14

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Hello what is this?

matthewklein220 > ZeroOrDie - Powered By MZR 11/11/2013 at 19:30

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It's mentioned in another comment. A '70 Firebird drag car built by my dad's crazy Australian friend and left with us when he moved back Down Under.

matthewklein220 > The Swedish Bandit 11/11/2013 at 19:33

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You might be interested to know that my father and I discussed a plan last night to put the '70 car back into action for the upcoming bracket racing season. But part of that plan is slowing the car down, and making it more consistent.

The Swedish Bandit > matthewklein220 11/12/2013 at 07:01

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That would be awesome! Sure the car would probably have to be somewhat slower for brackets. But if I were you, I would take it as a challenge to make that car run as fast as possible while still trying to keep it consistant. Screw the scoring!

Otherwise IDK what you guys race in the US but isn't there a league were you'll be able to drive the car at it's full potential?

Anyhow would love to see that thing in action, it's sounds like such a kickass car!

matthewklein220 > The Swedish Bandit 11/12/2013 at 13:16

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Oh the slowing down is to prevent a drastic increase in the amount of underwear I'll have to bring to a race. None of us are good enough to handle 9.80's in a car with 30 inch tall rear tires and super-soft sidewalls. I know I'd probably end up in a guard rail.

The Swedish Bandit > matthewklein220 11/12/2013 at 13:40

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True, didn't think of that. 9.8 is batshit crazy fast now that I think about it.

But don't say it like that! I'm sure the slowing down is just to prevent you being complrtely overwelmed by all the ladies-underwear you'll be getting when they find out how big balls you have ;P

matthewklein220 > The Swedish Bandit 11/12/2013 at 14:23

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That too, there's only so much of me to go around...

RazoE > matthewklein220 03/17/2014 at 13:58

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Should have gone with a Gallo 24, it would take out your Gallo 12.