Engine install trans am

Even more gains can be made if keeping the stock appearance under the hood is not the priority. Numerous performance parts are available for the Pontiac engines except the , Oldsmobile, and, as you probably are well aware, the Chevrolet engine.

The Oldsmobile engine bolts in right in place of the ; the Chevrolet engine bolts in right in where the resides. By , performance was all but gone. The Trans Am and the Corvette were the top contenders when you looked at performance numbers. By comparison, the four-door Bonneville weighed pounds less in Many Pontiac engines have lived demanding and less-than-ideal lives.

Whether because of abuse, neglect, or internal component failure, many Firebirds and Trans Ams do not have their original engines.

You need to identify the engine so you can formulate a rebuild plan. Each engine has certain individual aspects that are different and need to be taken into account. For example, look at the rear edge of the block to locate the block casting number. The date code for the Pontiac V-8s is found at the back of the block near the driver-side cylinder bank and distributor hole.

The block casting number is found behind the passenger-side cylinder bank at the rear of the block. All engines installed in the Firebird have a block code. The block code tells you the engine and application.

You cannot, however, let these codes be the sole determining factor as to whether you have the correct engine in your Firebird. These codes were reused every year. Definitely a big difference! Deciphering a Pontiac engine means you need to look at several numbers. The date code and last two numbers of the year are near the distributor opening.

The VIN, located on the engine pad near the lower pulley is the final check. Because a number of restamps exist, it is important to piece together all of the information to make sure everything is accurate. The block code is a two-digit number until on Pontiac engines three-digits after Immediately above the code is the engine unit number, which is either six or seven characters. Remember, these numbers have nothing to do with the VIN. However, there are always exceptions to this rule.

In , Pontiac revised the motor-mount bosses in the Firebird blocks to have five mounting holes; not all of them were tapped. The exception is the and blocks. They did not have the rear part of the motor mount openings at all. The Firebirds that came equipped with the Oldsmobile engine have the VIN and casting number in a different location. The casting number is on the top of the engine just behind the oil filler tube.

In the Olds engine code was placed on the driver-side rocker cover on a bar-coded label. Few other engines enjoyed more interchangeability than the Pontiac V Heads, intakes, internals, and exhaust manifolds swap between the , , and with relative ease, but that also means a lot of engines have a lot of non-original parts on them. Before you endeavor to rebuild your Pontiac engine, you need to honestly and accurately assess your mechanical ability, workshop space, and necessary tools.

Most mechanically inclined car owners can competently rebuild an engine. Of course, the machining work, crank straightening, or any other necessary machine work needs to be handled by a qualified machine shop. You must take the type of engine into consideration before you decide to do the rebuild yourself. Rare collector engines deserve professional rebuilds by shops. If this sounds like you, I suggest that you rely on a professional engine shop with specific experience in rebuilding Pontiac V-8 engines.

The engine in your Pontiac Firebird or Trans Am may not be original. When engines failed under warranty in a Firebird or Trans Am, service replacement engines were installed in their place. That means the block numbers do not match the VIN numbers. Many Firebird and Trans Am V-8 cars were driven very aggressively through the years; after all, they were muscle cars. When these cars were used and abused, engines could be over-revved, worn out, or just neglected, which led to an engine failure. When this was the case, many of the engines were swapped out for something non-original.

You need to properly identify the engine under the hood before you start the rebuilding process. Once you have accurately identified the engine, you should conduct a thorough inspection and then evaluate your ability to meet the requirements of the engine-building process. Rebuilding the stock or existing Firebird or Trans Am engine is not the only option. If the car is going to be a rarely driven show car, and you have a numbers-matching engine, you should have the engine rebuilt and installed.

On the other hand, you can select a complete long-block crate engine that comes with a warranty. You can put theoriginal or stock engine on an engine stand and store it in your garage. And at a later date, it can be rebuilt and re-installed in the car.

Obvious evidence is blue smoke from the exhaust, knocking sounds, white smoke from the exhaust, or a seized engine. All are signs that a rebuild is necessary. Having a shop perform a compression test or leak-down test can also determine whether your engine needs a rebuild.

Sometimes an engine runs perfectly well but has low compression because it is worn out and is simply in need of an overhaul. Rebuilding an engine requires expertise and specialty tools that cost beyond what a quality engine rebuild would cost. Pontiac engines are best built by shops that specialize in Pontiacs because of their unique characteristics. If you choose to have a professional shop rebuild your Pontiac or Oldsmobile V-8 in your Firebird, you also receive a warranty on your rebuild, which can be invaluable should there be a failure.

Parts today are sometimes of dubious quality and bad batches do occur. If a small part fails and causes a failure, the machine shop bears the responsibility. Even a small part failure can have catastrophic consequences. Some things are just worth paying for. Because all Pontiac engines look pretty much the same, it is important to be able to identify the particular engine that is in your Firebird. However, do not rely solely on the castingnumber as proof of having the original engine simply because the numbers match.

The block casting number is just the first step to verification. This Ram Air III block has been dismantled and prepared for the machine shop to start the rebuilding process. The Turbocharged is a lightweight cast engine, which was not particularly durable. Most other Pontiac engines do not interchange their parts with this engine.

The parts availability for the is almost nonexistent. Before you embark on an engine rebuild, I advise you to locate as many common rebuild parts as possible. This will shorten the shop time while they wait for parts. I also suggest you find a piston manufacturer that is willing to custom build a set of pistons in advance for you.

It is not far-fetched to think that your will need pistons. The only question is what size overbore will your engine require? The machine shop will not be able to give you that answer until disassembly at a minimum, but you may have to wait until they bore the block.

At the midway point in the rebuild process, you need to remove the rotating assembly and cam from the block.

The main bearing caps need to measured and inspected for oil starvation and excessive wear or any damage. The crankshaft journals should be measured with a micrometer to see if they are within spec or need machining. And the crank needs to be measured for run out. Pontiac engines have their displacement cast into the side of the block as this shows. The was never available in the Firebird lineup. This casting indicates a block, which had a long and illustrious life in Firebirds and Trans Ams.

Pontiac installed the 7-liter engine from to The intake, valley pan, and valvecovers have been removed so you can see the valley and valvetrain.

Also visible are the stamped-steel standard-ratio roller rockers. This is another subtle upgrade that fits under the stock valvecovers. Roller rockers provide less resistance, which means that the engine has less friction.

Less friction means more horsepower. Using a roller cam, roller timing chain, and roller rocker arms are all upgrades that are not visible when assembled. When you remove the rotating assembly from the block, you need to closely inspect the block for core shift, cracks on the deck area, and any cracks or damage around the lifter area. However, the cylinder bore has some scuffing and scoring.

The rod bearings and caps attach at the rear of the crankshaft. The rear main seal also is installed here. This engine has been professionally rebuilt. It has been flipped over on the engine stand, and the windage tray and oil pump have been installed.

The basic Pontiac block is a robust piece of iron. The block has the same exterior dimensions whether it is a , , , , , or a The bore size of the piston holes in the block and stroke crankshaft determine the cubic-inch displacement. Almost all parts interchange among the different engines. For example, you can install 6X heads on a and vice versa. The and up Firebird engines received a different motor-mounting boss. Pontiac engines really were not much about flash but more about the performance.

Restoring the engine requires attention to detail. Pontiac changed the color of the engines several times. The later — W72 engines used poorly chromed valvecovers. The SD engines used engine-colored valvecovers and only added a decal to the left side of the valvecover behind the oil filler cap. The —s used Pontiac Blue non-metallic.

Late and s used Pontiac Blue. In addition to all this, I installed the rear bumper so I could use it to help make brackets to install the rear taillights.

One thing that bothered me is how the rear bumper cover attaches to the steel bumper. In , they were riveted to the bumper, which was the case for the bumper I am using. Since I removed the bumper cover from the steel bumper, I would have to re-rivet these back.

Because the taillight housings are different, I will need to both relocate the taillight studs and also modify the rear taillight wiring. More on the wiring in the next section. When I have 30 minutes here or there, I spend my time on little tasks. This month I got the shift linkage cleaned and all the bare metal painted, and the CD radio dash plate cut for the dashboard. Most importantly though, I got the under dash wiring figured out and labeled.

The wiring under the dash has been butchered pretty badly by the previous owner. It was a very long process because some of the wires were cut and then re-soldered onto other wires.

I eventually figured out what the previous owner did with the choke and check engine lights, but why they cut up the rear window defrost harnesses is beyond me. The radio harness was cut up as well. I have found OEM replacement pigtail harnesses for the radio, that way if someday I wanted to install a factory radio I can. I did some work test fitting the existing rear taillight harness with 78 taillights.

I quickly found that in they used the same bulb harnesses for the side marker lights for the tail lights. These use the standard bulbs. I did a little searching and found you can buy socket leads, currently popular items for folks who do taillight LED conversions. That should be enough interior parts to be able to test all the electrical as well as start the motor for break-in.

I had the new windshield installed and man it looks good! Guardian Auto Glass of Columbus did a great job! The first weekend I had the windshield out, I went ahead and painted the dash cowl area.

I took my time and it came out awesome! The process of prepping and painting the interior parts was easier than I originally planned, and I way over estimated on the amount of paint I needed as well. To paint everything, including the dashboard, all the interior panels, center console, metal portion of the dash, all metal trim parts, and t-top trim parts used5 cans of Landau Black and 2 cans of Low Luster Clear.

The only things I did not paint were the steering column already painted this past spring , carpet, seats, headliner and door panels. I also painted the wheel wells. They already had a coat of an epoxy primer from the shop I had them sand blasted at so I only needed to worry about top coating.

I put 2 coats of satin black on the engine side to match my firewall and the wheel side I put a coat of Dupli-Color undercoating. They look good and are ready to go! I spent a good few hours going through under dash wiring to investigate where some of the cut wires went to.

After following every single wire, I discovered that the cut wires all went to the rear window defrost wire harnesses. There are 3 harnesses that went to the rear defrost, 2 of which were hacked up by a previous owner.

The car never came with rear defrost, it appears a previous owner decided they would use some of these wires for other uses. I also had to figure out the choke light wiring. I did not fix these wires pictured yet, but I will once the inside of the car is painted and ready for the interior. I did wire in the new power window wire harness with the 4 relay setup posted on 78ta. I did test it with a volt meter and a battery, so I know all my soldering is solid.

I did make a couple modifications to the original 4 wire relay design and posted my version on the 78ta. I got the shift linkage and steering box cleaned. It took a bit of time to get the steering box clean, it was really covered in a lot of grime.

I decided not to paint it as it has a nice finish still on it. The linkage for the drive selector only needed a good cleaning, it looks brand new now. I also got a pair of DEA speaker baffles for the rear, they should help sound but more importantly protect the speakers in the trunk area. Main focus now is the inside floors. So far most of the rust is only surface rust, I hope that either Navel Jelly or a quick hit with a rust removing 3m disc will solve those spots.

Hopefully mid-December I will have a good weekend available to install the motor in the car and by Christmas start the motor! At the last minute I deviated away from my original plan of running Metallic brake pads all around after reading in the service manual as well as on the popular Firebird, Trans Am and Camaro forums that the rear should have organic pads installed.

What sold me on the switch was a comment that the car stops easier and the emergency brake holds better with organic pads.

I had a hard time rotating the caliper piston to align a D shaped key way for the brake pad to rest in. It worked like a charm.

I then had a problem with the passenger side caliper being incorrect. I found after I had it installed on the car that the emergency brake ratcheting system was reversed, it was setup for a drivers side not passenger side.

This pretty much wasted a good day running around town looking for another caliper. Once I had the calipers installed, I ran into another snag with the front emergency brake cable that runs to the emergency brake pedal. I then went back home and searched Google where I quickly found this was a problem with almost all the popular brand brake cables.

Makes you think maybe these parts are all made in the same place. I ended up going to The Right Stuff Detailing here in Westerville Ohio to get the cable, which looks more like the original cable that came off the car than the aftermarket cables everyone else sells. My car is currently using the original rusty brake cable for now, I will switch back to the Right Stuff cable once I am ready to installing the interior. Once I got the emergency cables all connected, adjusting the emergency brake was actually quite easy.

I used zip ties at the rear calipers to hold the emergency brake levers in lock position, then attached the cables. I then did the brake lever in the car a few times adjusting the nut on the front brake cable until it was where I wanted it. Then I cut the zip ties at the calipers for final testing and adjustment. Without the zip ties, it would have been hard to connect the front cable with the rear cables. Bleeding brakes went smoothly, It took me about 3 hours to do, including a run to the store to get another bottle of brake fluid.

Bench bleeding the master cylinder was a real pain. It seemed like I was finally bubble free, then another little bubble would appear out of no where.

I initially gravity bled the system till there was fluid at each caliper. Then I switched the bleeders with Russell speed bleeders and used their bleeder bag system to finish bleeding the brakes. I did have 2 leaks at two connections, I was running aroudn re-tightening brake lines, but that was expected. I did not want to over-tighten and possibly damage the lines. Speed bleeders are definitely the easiest way to go about bleeding brakes. Other than some of the dimpled holes not quite lining up, it fit pretty well.

I had the glass guy come over yesterday to remove the front windshield. Over the next week the plan is to paint the metal dash portion black and get the firewall buttoned up, then schedule for the glass installation a week or so later. The cold weather will be coming fast, so the plan is to paint all the remaining parts while I still can. Aside from the metal portion of the dashboard, I want to paint the steering box, inner fenders, front speaker mounts, various interior trim pieces and some spots on the floor boards.

On top of painting, I also need to fix the wiring for the dashboard. There are 5 wires that are cut that appear to go no where, I will need to get them resolved before I can install interior.

Hopefully this October I will have the gas tank, steering column, steering box, linkage, front sway-bar, dashboard and necessary interior installed. If I am lucky I may finally get the V8 assembled and in the car this October, but it is starting to look like November. Another slow month with the Trans Am.

Two of the 4 weekends I was out of town, for only 2 weekends I got a lot done. Pretty much the whole month focused around the rear axle. I got new Moser 28 spline axle shafts installed with new c-clips, bearings and axle shaft seals. Before I installed the new axle shafts, I painted the ends of the axle, then proceeded to install the bearings, axle shafts, then put the pinion shaft and a new pinion lock bolt back in the rear differential, followed by installing the maintenance cover with a new gasket lightly coated with gasket sealer.

The wheels turn smooth now,wild how quiet the rear axle is now. Per recommendation from the Pontiac How to Rebuild book and my engine builder, I disassembled my oil pump, checked it for any burrs, shavings and grit that could damage the engine then test-fit the pump on my block to make sure the oil pump lines up with the oil galley in the block.

Everything checked out. I was lucky that I ordered my pump over 2 years ago, apparently more recent castings are no longer made in the USA and can be a concern both with alignment and cleanliness.

Over Labor day weekend I installed the rear shocks. The new shocks are significantly harder and better compared to the set I took off the car. They look good under the car too. While I was preparing the rear end for brakes, I discovered that the routing I had designed for the brake lines interfered with the rear stabilizer bar drop links.

I ended up having to pull out the stainless steel brake lines I had made and replace them with easy to bend pre-flared with fittings line from NAPA. Over the weekend I got as far as installing the rotors and pre-loading the calipers. I am already using semi-metallic in the front, but I was about to also use semi-metallic in the rear, so now a set of organic rear pads is on order.

From what I understand, the organic pads in the rear help with the brake pedal feel and make it easier for the car to stop. Hopefully the next couple of weekends I will get these brakes done! Following that, I need to paint the inner fender wells,finish assembling the firewall and heater box, install the steering column, dashboard and interior insulation, followed by the remaining assembly of the Pontiac engine currently only the short block is assembled.

Another busy month with the Trans Am, progress is slow but steady. Below is an outline of everything that has been happening since in June, I got a little further with the firewall, installing the cowl vents and the wiper motor. I got the old gas tank out of the car! From reading the online forums this sounded like it could be a difficult job.

Come to find out, it was easy and all the preparation I did to catch the tank from falling was needless. I have a new gas tank that will be going back in, should be a pretty simple install.

I may even hang the rear portion of the exhaust before I install the tank. Before I install the rear disc brakes I decided to inspect and change the oil in the rear axle differential. While inspecting it I noticed the passenger side axle had a bit too much movement up and down and side to side, an indication that the bearings may be worn. While I had the cover off of the axle, I took the axle shafts out to inspect the bearings.

To my dismay, the axle shafts have serious damage where the bearings chewed up the axle. Unfortunately the axle shafts and bearings need replaced before I can go any further. I rented a rear axle bearing puller slide hammer from the local auto parts store and removed the old bearings.

I assumed this would be hard to do, but actually they both came out quite easily. I ordered a set of Moser 28 spine axle shafts with new bearings, seals and c-clips. This last weekend I got the axle ends painted, I figured this is the chance to paint them without the axle shafts in the way. Then I can finish installing the rear brakes! Not much has changed with the brakes this month. I got the remaining emergency brake lines off and repainted the e-brake brackets for the rear wheel wells.

The Emergency brake lever was not ratcheting correctly, so I started looking for a replacement and researched if I could repair it by adding a spring. I decided I would try to fix it, which lead to cleaning and lubricating it with a touch of white lithium grease on the spring mechanism, which to my excitement brought the emergency brake lever back to life. This was the easiest restoration so far!

Lesson learned, clean and lube before trying to fix. I got to watch some drag racing, purchase some odds and ends from vendors, and hit the swap meet. I made out pretty well at the show, though I did not find any wheel flares which were at the top of my list.

Skip to content. What a significant milestone! Engine is in! Drive Shaft Balanced Getting the drive shaft balanced ended up being one of the easiest tasks for the project to date. Dashboard Covered and Installed! Interior Almost Done!

Dash Gauges, Switches and Wiring The dash installed quite smoothly. Center Console Gauges The center console was to be installed promptly after installing the dashboard.

Transmission Ready To Go I took my transmission, a TH that came with the Pontiac I bought 3 years ago, to a buddy of mine to clean it up, install new seals, filter and a TransGo shift kit. Insulation Completed Not much to go into detail about, but I have pictures, so check them out! Oil Pressure and Water Temperature Lines I decided about a year ago after testing the factory oil pressure and water temperature gauges that I did not want to rely on them.

T-top Headliner Cut and Glued I used the instructions on the Trans Am Country forums how to make your own headliner out of bathroom wall board and a roll of headliner material. Reassembling Dashboard and Center Console Pretty much I spent this month getting everything together to put the dash and center console back in the car.

Stereo Speakers installed and Tested The most fun part of the project this year so far has been testing the stereo and speakers. New Windshield I had the new windshield installed and man it looks good! Interior The first weekend I had the windshield out, I went ahead and painted the dash cowl area. Wiring I spent a good few hours going through under dash wiring to investigate where some of the cut wires went to.

Linkage and Steering Box I got the shift linkage and steering box cleaned. This was a big month for the Trans Am! Just need to put a coat of Krylon Fusion satin black on it, and install. Front Windshield Out I had the glass guy come over yesterday to remove the front windshield. Rear Axle and Stabilizer Bar Pretty much the whole month focused around the rear axle.

Oil Pump Per recommendation from the Pontiac How to Rebuild book and my engine builder, I disassembled my oil pump, checked it for any burrs, shavings and grit that could damage the engine then test-fit the pump on my block to make sure the oil pump lines up with the oil galley in the block. Rear Shocks Over Labor day weekend I installed the rear shocks. Firewall I got a little further with the firewall, installing the cowl vents and the wiper motor.