Could I drop the 454 out of my 85 GMC suburban into a camaro?

 

Yes, it's a tight fit, but has been done. There are kits, for headers etc. on the market.

 

http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/487725

 

its alot of work but in the end its will worth it. and its spelt CAMARO

 

lol I have always spelled it -w- an e... man its hard to break that habit (I do know how to spell )

Anyway, since Im new I had better tell a little about myself, I had to run off earlier, so thats why my first post was so short.

Im (almost) 17 and have been a diehard Chevy/GM fan almost all of that time, I have wanted a camaro for quite a while, the only thing that has kept me from buying one yet is that there are so many out there, so obviously I needed to do something a little differant... My parents dont want me to drive until Im 18 (long story) so Ill have plenty of time and money to get a nice car, however I have a GMC suburban -w- a 454 in it that I can buy from my parents, Im thinking I could get a nice 3rd gen camaro locally for a fair price, "freshen up" the 454, and drop it in there -w- some mods.

If I could find a camaro w-out a motor and tranny it would be great, take a couple trips to a salvage/junk yard, and I would be good!

If you think its worth it, then I think its a go. However I would greatly appreciate any more info on it. Does anyone have any numbers of what a 454 could put out with some "simple mods"?

Thanks.

~Mark~

 

a 454 with a nice 600lift cam
a nice set of heads the flow well around 300cfm and up
10.5 to 1
a good carb and a soil bottom end can make a soil 550 at the crank. but the down side is its gona cost a nice penny to build it

 

you should be able to use the trans out of the suburban too right? probably a turbo 400 or 350 at least. 700r4s don't like BB torque much

 

Would I have to modify the frame at all to put it in?

Also, just out of curiosity, what mods would it take to pick up the front?

Thanks.

Mark

 

I own a 454 and considered building it to put in my 84 Camaro, but decided against it. The cost and headache of doing it made me change my mind. I'm sure I'll be happy with my AFR head 383 anyway.


Running a stout small block in a 3rd gen is tough enough as is. This weekend I'm welding in Spohn SFC's and installing the Spohn TQ arm/crossmember to my 9" rear. I hope everything fits up with a minimal amount (if any!) fabrication. I'm also planning on cutting the floorboards to make room for dual 3" mufflers. Y-pipes suck!

 

What cost would I be looking @?

 

And to make sure everyon knows, Im a welder and beginner mechanic, with a ASE certified mechanic as a bro-in-law who owns a multi-mil dollar shop (largest and most technically advanced in the area) who also used to be a top pit-crew mechanic and then started building race engines for drag cars in Cincinnati Ohio.

So I wont have to worry about lack of knowlege

Later

Mark

 

It will fit but as mentioned above, the swap isn't cheap unless you do a real cheap swap but then you give up a lot of performance potential. Stock exhaust manifolds is the real cheap way to do it but they already choke the BBC. Hooker Headers makes the cheapest swap headers. They're around $400 and are not a direct bolt in fit. Some modifications are required to get them to fit properly. Better fitting headers are more expensive. They start at around $800.

Tall valve covers are a problem especially with a wiper motor. A more than stock intake manifold pushes the carb too close to the hood so a cowl hood will be required.

TH400 tranny should be used if you want it to last. If the Suburban has a TH400 you can use that but you'll need to buy a new TH400 slip yoke. The Suburban's should be a bolt on style and won't work in the Camaro. The stock 10 bolt diff can be broken with a 305/350 so if you abuse the diff with the 454, it will break also. A bolt in 9" or 12 bolt is around $2000.

SFC are a must. So is a bigger rad.

Dropping the engine into the car is nothing special. The motor mounts sit in the same location as the SBC. The front of the engine will sit forward a few inches from where the SBC is because the block is a little bit longer (larger bore spacing).

That engine might have 781 casting heads. Those are large oval ports. Some port and polish work and some 2.19/1.88 valves make them a very good head.

If you do plan on doing the swap, don't expect it to be a one or two weekend job.

 

I hear everyone talk about how impressive a 454 is, but when I drive the suburban it doesnt have overly impresive power, I know it would gain some due to a huge drop in weight, but was wondering if it was partially the auto transmision, I know it doesnt have a stock tranny, they put a differant setup in for better performance towing a horse trailer around. So with that known, would I be better of getting something differant?

 

Oh, and Stephen 87 IROC... Thanks for the info

 

Your 454 isn't impressing because it is in a 4800lb. truck and is a truck engine. Even a stock 454 with oval port heads and a good hydraulic cam, 4bbl intake, and headers will make respectable power.