I need someone's help who knows for a fact I can do this before I buy the donor block and find out the hard way:

I have an '85Z28 with a blown motor (LG4, '85). I think my deal on a warmed over 327 is going south and would like to simply get the thing back on the road for winter duty, and I have stumbled upon another 305, but it's a TBI and of course, a roller cam. The engine is an '88 out of a Firebird. My questions are:

1) Can I swap this longblock into the '85, using a carb/intake setup?

2) Can I use my old HEI distributor with this (no smog on car)

3) Is there a mechanical fuel pump lobe on the roller camshaft so I don't have to run an electric pump?

4) Will this match my '85's TH-700R4, or were there any changes, ie: starter & other accessories matching up, etc.

Any help is appreciated, and this is semi-time sensitive. Thanks in advance!

 

1. If you move your heads over it will bolt right up. If you want to use the tbi heads you will have to angle the bolts alittle to make it work. This can be done though.

2. The gear on the distributer might not work with the cam other than that i dont see why not.

3. I dont know

4. You might have to buy a different flywheel.

 

2) Is your old distributor computer controlled? If it is, you'll need a regular vacuum advance HEI dist. On the dist gear, not sure if it's compatible with the roller cam. But changing the gear is no problem.

4) Use the flexplate from the 88 Firebird (if it's still attached)...it has the crankshaft for a one piece rear seal. The flexplate bolt pattern on the 1 piece and 2 piece seal cranks are different, so your 85 flexplate won't work. However, both types are still 153 teeth so your old starter will work.

If you can score the serpentine setup off the 88, that would be nice too (if that's what you want).

 

Hey I appreciate your help guys. This thing had me puzzled if I should even waste my time doing this kind of swap, but with 3 other projects going on, I think I want to take the cheapest way out of the dilema of the car being in the middle of MO while I'm out here in CT. I was wondering about that whole 1 piece real seal and if that would even work, now I know. You guys rule!

t/c