Cad into 82-91 Camaro swap info?????

**claykuch** · 08-11-05 06:31 PM

Where can I find some info on swaping a 472/500 Cadillac into a 82-91 Camaro? Does anyone here have any tips for this swap?

Clayton

**The Ape Man** · 08-11-05 10:33 PM

Very do-able. Weight is not much more than a small block Chebby. You can keep the front springs. Engine mounts: Get engine and engine frame mounts from a 425 or 368 RWD car. Remove the stock frame mounts and replace them with some 1/4" plate. The plate needs to be there to re-locate the new frame mounts forward. Drill the plates and bolt them to the frame. Install the engine and frame mounts to the Cad engine. Drop the engine in and match it to the trans. Level the rocker covers with a carpenter's level and mark the plates for drilling the frame mounts. You can try this out using just an engine block to make things easier. The easiest trans to use would be one with the correct tailshaft setup for the torque arm. A 700R4 beefed up with 87 or up innards is one that might not blow apart for a while. I used a 2004R and a TH400 while my 2004R was at the trans shop a few times! You will need to go to Jegs for the transmission bellhousing adaptor if you use a Chebby trans. The trans lockup electronics can be purchased at a speed shop or gat a vacuum switch from an '85 or so Blazer and make up a cut out relay hooked to the brake pedal and 4th gear switch. I used 500 exhaust manifolds and a Y pipe. Never got a good exhaust going. There will be no room for the regular belt driven radiator fan. The 2 electric fan setup works and can be controlled with a normally open thermostatic switch (setup to close a good sized relay) that fits into the water outlet above the thermostat. The water outlet can be switched to a Chebby type that accepts different screw in stuff. If you want air conditioning then the olde axial compressor fits under the hood better than the newer radial type. The radiator fans need to turn on while the AC compressor is running.
I removed the wiper motor while fitting the engine and it was difficult getting it to fit back in. The steering column firewall bracket has to go over about 1/2" to keep the column universal from getting too large a dose of exhaust. On to the most difficult part. Oil pan will has to be fabricated.
Start with a 425 pan and cut a notch into it to miss the frame. This gets done at the same time you fit the engine mounts. The sump needs a little change too. Most time consuming part of the whole job for certain.
I'd like to put another one of these together sometime. Mine was a too high compression motor '68 heads on a 75 short block. Cooling was always an issue but I had the Cadillac Y pipe spliced into the Trans Am exhaust and that made things worse. The whole thing could have used an external heat exchanger somewhere. BTW I did nothing to beef up or change the original rear axle. I took it easy hoping that it would not fly into pieces.

**1969cadillaceldorado** · 03-10-08 05:16 PM

Sorry to pull up such a old thread, but i plan on doing this swap this summer and does any one have any pics of one of these motors in a camaro or anything eles i should know before i start this project

**Ollie8974** · 03-17-08 02:53 PM

Check this link they should be able to help.

http://www.mtscadparts.com/

**crazybuffalo** · 03-23-08 12:14 AM

hey, i stuck my 425, which is basically the same, down in my 68 camaro,and it fit beautifully, the only things that had to be done were to redrill the holes for the crossmember to move it back a little, and i had issues w/ the oil filter hitting the front crossmember of the frame under the engine, so i just made some spacers and set it up about an inch and i was ok, so id say it shouldnt be much worse in the newer model camaro's. i wish i hada left the 425 in my camaro, but i pulled it out and put in a 13.5-1 smallblock