632ci engine installation in 78 camaro
#561
07-13-2015, 10:46 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 9,097
I would always mock up the engine if I had any chance of clearance issues. If it's a swap that's been done many times, and the clearance issues are in the suspension, then it's not going to affect paint, and I wouldn't worry about it. If you're not going to use a heater or AC, then the firewall clearances around the heater box wont be an issue.
I would still want the firewall painted, and engine sitting in place prior to the whole car getting painted, but only if the firewall is going to be body color. If your plan is to have inner fenders and firewall black, and not body color, then there's no reason to not wait and do that last, just before installing the engine. Just need to take lots of care lowering the engine into the bay, and protect the new paint on the fenders really well!
I would still want the firewall painted, and engine sitting in place prior to the whole car getting painted, but only if the firewall is going to be body color. If your plan is to have inner fenders and firewall black, and not body color, then there's no reason to not wait and do that last, just before installing the engine. Just need to take lots of care lowering the engine into the bay, and protect the new paint on the fenders really well!
#562
07-13-2015, 03:00 PM
I had a lot of the same questions and problems I had to work through. I went with 632, and a 4L80E. Not too much for choices on a shifter. I asked B&M and finally got a "Hammer" Shifter. I just looked in the Jegs book and its still there. It works, but the detents are sooo tight that I felt they were Off a little. Im ok with it as I mostly just use "Drive". I also installed a Twisty's paddle shifter with a pushbutton that I rigged up myself. The 4L80E is awesome. I can really set up my shift points and just nail it at the track. I love it.
I went to "Al's Headers" here in Anaheim to have custom headers done. He is very well known in the big engine world, or custom header world.
My car is at the shop right now getting the Juice put on with a fogger system drilled into the intake manifold.
It looks like your build is coming along with a lot of good info on this forum. I wish I would have had some of the info on here, when I started my build. I have a lot of NEW parts that sit in my grave yard of parts that didn't fit, were wrong or just plain junky.
I went to "Al's Headers" here in Anaheim to have custom headers done. He is very well known in the big engine world, or custom header world.
My car is at the shop right now getting the Juice put on with a fogger system drilled into the intake manifold.
It looks like your build is coming along with a lot of good info on this forum. I wish I would have had some of the info on here, when I started my build. I have a lot of NEW parts that sit in my grave yard of parts that didn't fit, were wrong or just plain junky.
I know what you mean with parts sitting there!! I am being very careful with what to order to avoid mistakes. Although some mistakes you need to do to learn from. As I said before, with the amount of $$ I am paying only for duty, tax and shipping, I can build another blown 572.... That is the drawback of living far away. I never been across the Atlantic to USA, but I am bringing the USA across the Atlantic here to our small island......
#563
07-13-2015, 03:19 PM
I would always mock up the engine if I had any chance of clearance issues. If it's a swap that's been done many times, and the clearance issues are in the suspension, then it's not going to affect paint, and I wouldn't worry about it. If you're not going to use a heater or AC, then the firewall clearances around the heater box wont be an issue.
I would still want the firewall painted, and engine sitting in place prior to the whole car getting painted, but only if the firewall is going to be body color. If your plan is to have inner fenders and firewall black, and not body color, then there's no reason to not wait and do that last, just before installing the engine. Just need to take lots of care lowering the engine into the bay, and protect the new paint on the fenders really well!
I would still want the firewall painted, and engine sitting in place prior to the whole car getting painted, but only if the firewall is going to be body color. If your plan is to have inner fenders and firewall black, and not body color, then there's no reason to not wait and do that last, just before installing the engine. Just need to take lots of care lowering the engine into the bay, and protect the new paint on the fenders really well!
Sudstoy always told me several times that the 572 fits without any clearance issues. I also bought same like his headers and small starter to avoid any clearance issues.
Suspension I ma not using stock. I am using coil overs and have no idea if they will interfere. I think that it will not since they are outboard of the exhaust manifold.
Heater Box:- I am not sure if shall I delete the heater box or not. For me looks ugly and empty without that heater box (although I will never use the heater). I will always delete the heater box if I have any clearance issue on that.
Not so sure about the engine bay painting scheme. I do not like gloss black for sure. The body of the car is to be painted metallic medium dark silver with darker stripes. The engine still undecided what colour as well.
Most probably engine bay and frame will be same colour as the body with black block and satin finish valve covers. Again still not clearly pictured in my head!!!!!!!
Any tips will be mostly appreciated.
#564
07-13-2015, 11:12 PM
I have QA1 coil overs with Hotchkis tubular upper and lower control arms and there is no clearance issues at all with it. Like i said in mine, the only tight spot is the steering shaft. Oh yeah one thing, the distributor is real tight on the firewall so you want to make sure you dont have to bash it out at all before you paint.
#565
07-14-2015, 11:45 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 9,097
Yes, some distributors are larger diameter than others, so be sure to at least drop the engine in with distributor before paint. If that's not an option, then simply massage the firewall in a bit behind the distributor, just to ensure it wont be an issue.
The heater box will be an issue with any BBC swap. Even more so with taller valve covers used in a roller rocker setup. At the least the box will need the heater core turned 180 degrees, and new outlet holes made. The old holes will need to be closed, and if running tall valve covers, I'd consider massaging the corner closest to the valve cover in a little to get good clearances. I never ran roller rockers on my '71, and even the lower Edelbrock valve covers didn't clear without some work. I decided to trim the fins off the back corner of my valve covers, as it made pulling them easier, and avoided interference with the heater box.
The heater box will be an issue with any BBC swap. Even more so with taller valve covers used in a roller rocker setup. At the least the box will need the heater core turned 180 degrees, and new outlet holes made. The old holes will need to be closed, and if running tall valve covers, I'd consider massaging the corner closest to the valve cover in a little to get good clearances. I never ran roller rockers on my '71, and even the lower Edelbrock valve covers didn't clear without some work. I decided to trim the fins off the back corner of my valve covers, as it made pulling them easier, and avoided interference with the heater box.
#567
08-04-2015, 11:39 AM
sometimes a different engine bay color makes the engine stand out more ,I like red,so if you made your rear end tranny an few other thing a different color would make it stand out more chevy orange some like ,I like red myself with mine engine red tranny red calipers red ,then rearend red ,with time red body braces too,then 406 emblems red ,now mine its a work in progress again
Last edited by 95 camaro 406; 08-04-2015 at 11:55 AM.
#568
08-05-2015, 02:44 PM
sometimes a different engine bay color makes the engine stand out more ,I like red,so if you made your rear end tranny an few other thing a different color would make it stand out more chevy orange some like ,I like red myself with mine engine red tranny red calipers red ,then rearend red ,with time red body braces too,then 406 emblems red ,now mine its a work in progress again
#569
08-11-2015, 09:51 AM
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Portland, Or
Posts: 9,097
I've always been a fan of black. I usually build my cars with all black suspension, frame, and firewall. But engine choice is different. I go either Chevy orange, or black there too.
#570
08-11-2015, 10:11 AM
Perhaps I am going for silver colour and black lines (or darker silver lines), I will go for black engine block, aluminium heads, brushed aluminium valve covers and the ceramic coated headers. Chassis will be painted either the darker silver same as the lines or the same silver as the outside cover.