THE BLOCK IS ALMOST DONE! and in 3 months here, out comes the 3.4 and in goes the .010 455olds! has anyone seen a big block install? or know of anyone who has done it? i would like to follow someones steps, so i dont make the same mistakes if i can help it! thanks

 

Not exactly Advance Tech.... but here's a link:

ZENA, the big block Camaro

 

Where else is there to post it? As these cars get older, people start getting a little more radical w/the swaps.. Maybe we need a BB/SB forum, or a "swaps" forum.. who knows..

We put a 540" BBC in a 96 Z28. A few pics
This is a little on the ragged edge of the "street car" paradigm, but maybe it will be of a little value

 

I think the question was "has anyone seen a big block install? or know of anyone who has done it?".

Answer: Yes..... so simple, even I could answer it.....

 

Why would u put an "Olds" motor in a 4th Gen. Fbody anyway? Why not stick with Chevy?

 

i forget if it was this board, but i do remember reading somewhere "a properly built olds motor can dish it out like god himself screwed it together"
a friend has about 4 olds blocks in his garage, and its put me to thinkin about doing this same conversion...would be fun, but hard

 

The Olds big block is a good engine. I had one in a 79 Trans Am, and it had good power, awesome low end torque, and would run on anything that pours. But the blocks suffer from a somewhat weak bottom end, small bore vs. stroke, and a heavy rotating assy. Most of the hard core Olds BB guys take care of the bottom end woes by filling the block and running a main girdle like this one:

www.rocketracingperformance.com/girdle.htm

There aren't any "off the shelf" aftermarket cranks available, so either a nodular iron 455 crank or steel 425 crank are all that is all the low buck guys have to work with. A nice set up is to offset grind the Olds crank to accept BB Chevy rods. This opens up a whole arena of available parts.

There are some nice heads and intakes available now, and more are on their way. Edelbrock is releasing a Victor intake, and it looks like a real nice piece. Things are looking up for the Olds guys.

BTW, I have seen an Olds 455 swapped into a 3rd gen TA, and it was a nice swap.

The killer place on the web for Olds info is WWW.REALOLDSPOWER.COM

 

there is a Big Block (502) in a black 1994 that travels with Worldwide Camaro Association. Very clean install with motor plates.

 

Yeah, even if you DO have to put up with Andy.

 

Broh, Andy is one of my heroes. He may be a major league horn buster, but I think he is also funny as hell. And I have learned a hell of alot of stuff from him. He talks the talk, but can also walk the walk. Between what I have learned from him and the gurus here, I can honestly say I almost trust myself to put air in my own tires! I've come a long way baby!

 

Yeah, Andy does know his sh¡t.

He's actually every bit the Olds guru as Old Man Mondello.

Have you seen the pictures of that DX block where the entire valley was polished to a high shine and seperate oil lines were plumbed to each lifter boss?
A good friend of mine was the guy who actually did the polishing. He and andy used to race together every weekend.
I don't know if you ever met him... John Godfrey...? Had that 1200hp Chevelle...?

He does crazy things like run different size bores in the same engine intentionally, and using rod bolts that are smaller than most header bolts just to get the weight down.


For anyone else reading this who doesn't know, Andy Miller has literally the quickest and fastest oldsmobiles on the planet.

I remember that red car, vaguely...
3200lb doorslammer with a 400+ inch DX block, and it went a best of 9.01 and 149mph, naturally aspirated, pulling over 9000rpm.


But you're right...
Between this forum and that Olds forum, the info available in HUGE. And those Olds guys REALLY understand airflow.

 

IMHO, Joe was "then," and Andy is "now!" I've seen the picts of that block, blew my friggin' mind. I'm hoping to one day just hook up with Andy and drink a few beers and let him talk about whatever he wants to talk about. He is a walking edumacation.
I never met John, but I think I know his car. That is usually the way it goes, right?

 

I just noticed you have an AMX. Do you know Spina?

 

ive met the guy on a couple different occasions, and yes that is a very clean car. i met him at the worlds fastest street nationals cruise, at the speed shop i frequent a number of times, and at the local track ive seen him run probably 3-4 times.

one of the best swaps ive ever seen, even got it to fit under a stock ss hood. amazing.

 

do you have a link of this 502 94? Right now im trying to get as many opinions on this as i can before i tackle it myself, otherwise i might just throw 2 or 3 g's at the locals and get it done myself, it wouldnt be the same as doing it alone.. however, that way i know it would run.. lol!