I am going to be pulling out the 4cy engine and tranny, and replacing them with a 305 V8 out of a 91 z28 that was wrecked( body damage only) . This is the first time i have every done anything like this. Anything special i need to know? any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

 

Having a complete donor car makes things easier. Are you planning on keeping the TBI?

 

This is just me, but I would consider swapping a large part (if not all) of the wiring harness...

I did an 85 Firebird 4cyl car to 86 T/A running gear swap. It became quite the pain in the butt where wiring was concerned. I didn't want to swap everything over, and I didn't, but I wish I had looking back now.

My 4 cyl car had the full idiot light gauge cluster with no gauges and that part of the swap alone will make me swap the whole harness next time.

Everything comes apart and goes back together if you do a total swap, it just takes lots of time. Having your parts car will really save you.

Take lots of pictures in every stage. This is how I swap a car over:

1. Completely take apart the old car. Save all spare parts but don't worry too much about pictures. You'll be using the donor parts to put your car back together. Once you have your old car taken apart, clean everything really good. You are now ready to assemble your old car and make it into a newer car!

2. Slowly, step by step, take each part of your parts car apart. Take pictures of EVERYTHING in before and after form. You will need a guide for re-assembly to make sure that you don't forget anything. Since you have a computer you are already halfway home. You just need a digital camera. If you don't have one then try to borrow one. Keep going until your parts car is stripped to nothing. Don't worry about cleaning the car; it's leaving soon!

3. Organize all of your photos on your computer in order from first step to last. SAVE THEM!!!

4. Clean all of your removed parts thoroughly and make repairs now, while everything is apart. Don't forget to check your A/C evaporator and heater core now.

5. Re-assemble in order along with your pictures.

6. Test drive!!

I know it seems like a lot, and it is! It gets done right, though, and that means no fooling with it again and again later. It honestly takes me less time to do it this way than to try and cobb things together.

That's just me, though, you may find a better way...

Good luck!

 

And the fuel lines, too.

 

At the risk of making a HUGE job out of a big job, I'd say he should completely gut his car and use every non damaged Z28 part on the wreck...

Suspension, interior, EVERYTHING...

Again, that's just me...

 

I might draw the line at the interior, but really swapping the suspension over isn't that big of a deal. The brakes would be good to take too, if only to get rid of the SAE fittings.

 

I don't know, my 4 cyl interior SUCKED!!!!!!!

Manual seats (not even the better 4 way adjustable but the crappy one lever back and forth seats) with vinyl seat covers, manual windows, and the AWFUL gauge cluster...

I say, "hell with it!"

Do it all!!

 

Hey, those are the seats my Z28 has.

The problem is the 91 Camaro interior is substantially different than the 83. It would be easier to swap in a few things (seats and gauges, maybe) from an older model than to entirely gut the car.