I'm new here but maybe someone can help me out. I just bought my 81 camaro for $500. It was a very clean car with a blown vv-6 motor and standard 3 speed transmission. I already took out the V-6 and had a 350 sittin around, but I thought it would just drop in.

Turns out I already know I need new motor mounts, but do I have to drill holes or anything to line this motor up right???

And also It's a surprisingly heavy transmission. Any suggestions to put that on? I dont think I can put it on the motor then in the car because the shifter sticks up too high. And that Thing is heavy lol.

If you can help me it would be appreciated. I'll check this forumdaily/ Thanks

 

It'll be a lot easier to slide everything in as a unit. You'll need to remove the shifter though. But you would have to remove it even if you wanted to put the trans in from underneath. You can't slide the trans straight in and mesh it with the clutch disc with the shifter in the way. I also presume you haven't tried lining everything up yet? Otherwise you would have found out that your v6 bellhousing isn't going to bolt up to the v8, it's too small.

 

Hey I did a Inline 6 swap for a 327 V8 on my 71 camaro. I had to replace my motor mounts and my frame mounts so and I had to drill a hole on eachside of the frame to install all 3 bolts on the frame mounts. You might have trouble finding the motor mounts for the engine I had trouble finding them in the autoparts. When you go to purchase the mounts they will give you the frame mounts. I checked almost all autoparts here in Southern Cali and no one carried them.I had to get my frame mounts from the auto dismantaling. My tranny fit on the V8 my tranny was a automatic powerglide all I had to replace was my flywheel and torque convertor. I also replaced my brackets for the alternator power steering etc. Here are some pics of my project I also bought my camaro for 500.

 

When everything was out I slid the trans into the motor and realized I would need to change the bell housing. Thankfully the 350 motor I got also had a 3 speed on it so I just took the bell housing from that one because it was a 3 on the tree tranny. But This trans I'm using has a floor shifter of course. I think I should be able to figure out how to take it off tho. I was able to find two holes on the cross member to bolt the motor mounts into, But when I set the motor in them, I can get the driver side in with a bolt and everything, But not the passenger side. It's about an inch off. I didn't drill any holes or anything, But how do I do It?

I was thinkin about just trying to bolt the transmission to the motor and putting the transmission on the trans crossmenber to line it up right? then marking the holes I might need to drill in the motor crossmember???? I'm gettin confused and a little frustrated to be honest. Is it possible to just get everything lined up (trans, driveshft, motor) and just weld in the motor mounts?

 

Removing the crossmember might also make it easier to slide everything in, if it's in your way. And, if you can jack the front of the car up enough, it just may give you the room you need to clear the shifter too.
I believe the engine mount brackets (the ones that bolt to the frame) are different between a 6 cyl and an 8. Are you using the v8 brackets? I know for sure they are different on 1st gen's, but 1st gen is a straight 6, not v6.

 

I bought some motor mounts for a v-8. But I'm not sure if they're supposed to bolt right on to the motor crossmember or if there is a bracket that is supposed to go in between. And I already took out the trans crossmember, But I've doing this in my dirt paring lot, so It's hard to be jacking the car up and down in the dirt, I was thinkin about payin someone like 200 bucks just to fini**** already. I'm ready to drive it/Maybe a mechanic will let me rent a bay out of his shop for a couple days just to finish my car.

 

Oh wait, you have the "clamshell" type ofmotor mounts that bolt directly to the frame don't you? Forgetabout what I said about a separate frame bracket then.

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE 1st GEN RIDE OF THE MONTH HERE: http://snappoll.com/poll/306592.php

 

just have patienceI had the same problem.I could only bolt one side what I did was cut off 2 small tabs that are on the frame bracket. Its 2 small tabs and in the midle is the hole were the screw bolts in and the clam shell brackets go over. It looks like an H and the hole in the midle of the H were the screw goes I cut the tabs off on both motor mounts and it worked good. Its a pain to line up the motor but it fits.