What tranny do I have
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Joined: Aug 2009
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From: Tampa
What tranny do I have
Hello all,
Im new here and im finally getting around to restoring a 70 Camaro (standard). I fired the engine up after 12 years of sitting in a storage box and found water coming out exhaust. It was not that way when i put her away 12 years ago so I'm not sure how this happened. Now don't now if its possible if enough condensation collects in the oil pan after sitting so long to appear to be a blown head gasket.
Anyway, the engine is a 307 8cyl and I was wondering what options such as going a little larger with a replacement engine made sense. I would like to keep the same trans but I don't know what I have and would like something that bolts to the existing.
Its either a new engine or do the heads on the OEM motor so Im looking for input.
Thank you
Im new here and im finally getting around to restoring a 70 Camaro (standard). I fired the engine up after 12 years of sitting in a storage box and found water coming out exhaust. It was not that way when i put her away 12 years ago so I'm not sure how this happened. Now don't now if its possible if enough condensation collects in the oil pan after sitting so long to appear to be a blown head gasket.
Anyway, the engine is a 307 8cyl and I was wondering what options such as going a little larger with a replacement engine made sense. I would like to keep the same trans but I don't know what I have and would like something that bolts to the existing.
Its either a new engine or do the heads on the OEM motor so Im looking for input.
Thank you
4th Gear Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,247
From: Yacolt,WA
Do a compression test on all cylinders,that will tell you if a head gasket is bad.
I hope you at least oiled up the rings before you started the car,that many years sitting is really hard on an engine not prepped for a long sit.
Rust will happen inside the motor and can cause a lot of damage on a dry start after many years sitting.
How much water and how long did you run it? The exhaust can have a lot of condensation built up and it may take a while to burn it all out.
Check the dipstick and see if the oil looks milky,did you change the oil before starting the car?
Pretty much any Chevy first gen small block or big block V-8 engine will bolt to your trans,some like the 454 big block and maybe the 400 small block (not sure on that) will need a different flywheel because they're externally balanced. You didn't say if it's an automatic or stick but either way if you want to swap in a 350 in place of that anemic 307 it will bolt right up.
If an auto 3 speed it's probably a T-350,I don't think the lighter T-200 was used that early. The T-400 being the heavy duty trans would not have come in a car with a 307.
Not sure if the Powerglide 2 speed auto was still in use in '70 but even that will bolt right up.
The short of it is if you want to upgrade to a mild 350 the trans will be fine,if you want a lot more power it will need an upgrade.
I hope you at least oiled up the rings before you started the car,that many years sitting is really hard on an engine not prepped for a long sit.
Rust will happen inside the motor and can cause a lot of damage on a dry start after many years sitting.
How much water and how long did you run it? The exhaust can have a lot of condensation built up and it may take a while to burn it all out.
Check the dipstick and see if the oil looks milky,did you change the oil before starting the car?
Pretty much any Chevy first gen small block or big block V-8 engine will bolt to your trans,some like the 454 big block and maybe the 400 small block (not sure on that) will need a different flywheel because they're externally balanced. You didn't say if it's an automatic or stick but either way if you want to swap in a 350 in place of that anemic 307 it will bolt right up.
If an auto 3 speed it's probably a T-350,I don't think the lighter T-200 was used that early. The T-400 being the heavy duty trans would not have come in a car with a 307.
Not sure if the Powerglide 2 speed auto was still in use in '70 but even that will bolt right up.
The short of it is if you want to upgrade to a mild 350 the trans will be fine,if you want a lot more power it will need an upgrade.
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Another way to check for coolant issues is with a coolant pressure tester. Either tester could work but it has been my experience sometimes lightly blown head gasket can almost seal at room temp and show only a small pressure drop during testing. But the coolant system will not hold pressure from the tester. Course you can just pull the plugs you are looking for the really clean one.
Storing a car for 12 years and waking it back up should be a process. Engine coolant will become acidic after about 6 years., its worse if the coolant is not getting mixed up. If you store an engine with coolant in it that is already acidic it can do some damage. Head and intake gaskets are weak points. I have even seen water pump impellers completely gone. Luckly cast iron itself resist the acid. On more modern car with Aluminum parts they can be eaten away pretty quickly. I remember an Olds 442 that came stock with an aluminum intake. The guy let it sit and it only had 1500 miles on it. Coolant eat right through the intake. Wiped out the motor.
My 72 had a Powerglide. Keep in mind that when transmission are set up in a car they are set based on the weight of the car and the torque the engine outputs. So depending how you drive a transmission that is configured for a 307 install behind a 300hp 350 could see a relative short life. Pretty much any rebuild kit will come with all the clutches and plates to max out the trans but in some cases transmission will have less planetary gears and in serious trans the factory could have even stepped up to hardened gear sets. There are many things that will add up to how long the trans will hold up, current condition, does the car have any real traction. How often do you use more torque then the 307 would have output? I mean if you do a few burn outs a season the transmission could last for years. If you take to the track every weekend with all that rubber on the road giving you good traction it may not make it a season.
Storing a car for 12 years and waking it back up should be a process. Engine coolant will become acidic after about 6 years., its worse if the coolant is not getting mixed up. If you store an engine with coolant in it that is already acidic it can do some damage. Head and intake gaskets are weak points. I have even seen water pump impellers completely gone. Luckly cast iron itself resist the acid. On more modern car with Aluminum parts they can be eaten away pretty quickly. I remember an Olds 442 that came stock with an aluminum intake. The guy let it sit and it only had 1500 miles on it. Coolant eat right through the intake. Wiped out the motor.
My 72 had a Powerglide. Keep in mind that when transmission are set up in a car they are set based on the weight of the car and the torque the engine outputs. So depending how you drive a transmission that is configured for a 307 install behind a 300hp 350 could see a relative short life. Pretty much any rebuild kit will come with all the clutches and plates to max out the trans but in some cases transmission will have less planetary gears and in serious trans the factory could have even stepped up to hardened gear sets. There are many things that will add up to how long the trans will hold up, current condition, does the car have any real traction. How often do you use more torque then the 307 would have output? I mean if you do a few burn outs a season the transmission could last for years. If you take to the track every weekend with all that rubber on the road giving you good traction it may not make it a season.
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