3.4 --> Gen I SBC V8?

[TheV6Bird]

Here's the story...

My friend has an old GMC Jimmy (the big kind, like the K5 Blazer). He told me he is going to put a 454 in it. He seems very serious about doing this, and has offered me his previous engine.

I don't know much about it, except it is a Gen I 350, has a cam (unsure of cam specs), and is fuel injected (don't know what type of FI...TPI?). This is NOT a carbed motor.

At first, I kind of laughed...I mean, I don't hear many people swapping Gen I SBCs into their 4th gens, it is mostly LT1s and LS1s. I told him I would need a new trans. He said he would give me his 700-R4 as part of the deal. He said everything for $400 (if he is serious about the $400...the WOW! :eek: )

Now I start to think seriously...would a Gen I SBC and 700-R4 auto trans be a good idea? Or should I not go for it? I don't have much mechanical experience. The thing that really got me going was the price. Would a Gen I SBC be a direct fit (a la LT1?), or would I have to do some fabbing?

Hell, I am tempted to just buy the engine from it and use it as a guiney pig to teal down and rebuild the engine for fun, just so I can get some sort of mechanical experience...after all, it is only $400.

[mattsv6]

i have been messing aroung with this idea a little bit also. the motor will bolt right in to the stock mounts and you will definitely be able to use the 700r4 since it is basically the 4L60. one of the only things you will need to do is make an access panel on top odf the dashboard so you canadjust or remove the distributor. ask me anything you want, i have looked into this alot

[MustangEater8251]

Biggest rpoblem is the distributor and accessing it. People have done it but I hear you pretty much pull the motor to change the timing.

[mattsv6]

i jsut hepled a buddy of mine put a big-block in a 4th gen. all we did was take the dash cover off (the huge piece in front) and cut a hole from underneath so you can access the dist from there. this way you dont need to take the whole motor out for adjustment. or you could always jsut run a crank trigger so you dont have to worry about it.

[Bliggida]

If you are really serious about it and have the money, I'd suggest a DIS for a Fuelie (Edelbrocks') small block.

That or run a flat distritbutor, or sometimes called a "crab" style distributor. Used for clearing superchargers and other induction setups.

His motor is most likely a TBI. In which case you'll need his computer wiring harness, ecm.

Being stock you're not adding any more horsepower swapping to that motor - not worth the added weight, unless you work on it and bump the power. As of now about the only advantage it has is about 50 ft-lbs more torque and all down low.

It'd be much cheaper and easier to build a carb'd 350 that get that one to run.

[pvtschultz]

I hope that you get the entire wiring harness, plus computer with it or you are going to double your cost. I would spend the extra $150 or so and get a crank trigger.

If you have emissions, don't even consider this swamp, you won't make it into the doorway. But you will find that the pre-'95 sbc is the most venarable engine of all time and aftermarked parts are extremely cheap for them.

My last word of advice is to get a Chilton's book for any old car with a SBC and read every HotRod magizing that has the small block in it (just about every one) and good luck.

AIM me or email me if you have any questions about the engine, I built a couple before I went to college.

[CartmanSS]

One big question: is the engine a TPI or TBI? If it is a TBI, you will be putting yourself through more trouble than with a TPI or LT1 car - a lot more trouble.