CELEBRATING 20 YEARS!

It has a 350 in it

Yes, using the 350 motor mounts. You may have to modify the A/C box if you still have one.

Thank you I was thinking my transmission might bolt up to the 454 when it's bolted up to the 350 the two top holes on the transmission stick past the 350 block

That is because the tranny's in our cars are unibolt patterns, will also work in BOP cars with a slightly different pattern!

Would the transmission bolt up to the big block

Yes, same bolt pattern as the 350.

Yes the tranny will bolt up to the big block. Chevys do that.

any ideas on headers that would work

This would be akin to, the pie at <insert bakery> is amazing but I never tried it. Anyhoo, purchased a used set of Hooker Super Comps 2241. Seller was amazed as to how these headers fell out of the car upon removal. Had it coated by Jet Hot in AZ. Never installed them but traded them for some suspension parts and still in the plastic uncoated 2241s with the intention of running Flowmaster ball style collectors. Still sitting in the plastic!!! lol As pictured in the link above, it has slip tubes that wrap around the steering shaft. Was told you may need to reverse the direction of one of the lower control arm bolts and perhaps grind a little off the a-arm mount. The passenger side header requires removal to gain access to the starter or suggested a mini starter.

I have these headers installed. Very good fitment and very happy with them. May have to use band clamps on some of the slip joints, I have 2 I'm using.

I would suggest a stronger rate front spring set for the car as well. Look for about a 1-1.5" lower installed height vs a stock spring but with 450-600 more load rate. This will maintain a stock ride height yet not be bouncy or sloppy. These springs will have a thicker wire diameter so don't get too crazy with really high load rates (800-1200 over stock) because the spring still need to fit into the perch/pocket.

This would be a good time to thoroughly go thru your front suspension too.

I have a 519cu engine in a 1987 Monte Carlo SS Aero coupe that is in need of some headers. Would you be interested in selling them?
Bob

Damn I just dropped off a car we bought at auction in Geneva! Would have loved to grab a look at your aero!(owning 3 myself;))

What year 454? Pretty sure they all fit, but newer ones (gen 6) wont have a mechanical fuel pump (pretty sure the new crate motors do), and i believe the headers mentioned are for oval port heads only (mark IV)

http://www.superchevy.com/how-to/4567-chevrolet-big-block-engine-generations/

I have hooker super comps on my 1978 454 in my 86 ss, motor has arp head bolts, and the drivers side leaked because the flanges just touch the head bolts a hair, double copper gaskets and now it only leaks a bit when cold, temporary fix (for almost a decade now so far, gees) until i decide to shave the header flange or the bolt tops, other than that, the headers work great, and with 3 inch pipes and hooker super comp mufflers, it sounds great and LOUD, more than one victim has told me they couldn't hear their own engine running until i pulled far enough away from them, but ya aint sneaking up on anybody

Good advice on the mounts, a/c box, springs, all i would add is to use polyurethane motor mounts, no flex

As for the turbo 350, they are pretty strong , but it's life expectancy will be determined by the power your motor puts out, but you can build it to handle the power

Pretty easy swap, i didn't do it myself, but i helped my friend who built it, swap out a 383 for the 454, so i learned a lot about what is involved, got lucky when he transferred to Georgia shortly after, and i bought the car from him.

Quick checklist, i have a 1978 mark IV 454 in a 1986 monte ss

Induction, since there is already a 350 in there you probably aren't using the computer nor the computer controlled carb, so carb should be bolt on, depending on the intake you use, your hood might not fit and you will need one with a cowl, factory fuel line is fine, and there is a return if you want to use it. I have a holly mechanical pump, edelbrock torker 2.0 manifold, holley 750, a 4 inch k&n air cleaner, this setup needed the 3 inch cowl hood with a 2 inch air cleaner, fuel pump gonna depend on your motor, mechanical be bolt on, if ya need to go electric not sure if the factory fuel line is up to snuff, probly fine for the 7 psi a carb needs, or maybe one of those new remote sump electric pumps would be best, the turbo buicks were electric pumps so using their fuel system is another option

Ignition, hei distributor fit kinda tight to the firewall but fits, swapped it for a mallory mbi when my hei started acting up

Cooling, factory radiator will be marginal at best, got the car with an aluminum be-cool radiator and dual flexalite? electric fans, always ran warm to hot when stuck in traffic, electric fans crapped out in a year and i put an 18" mechanical flex fan on with the factory fan shroud and it never runs hot now, creeps up a bit to warm at extended idle, added a pusher fan to try and help and for the a/c, but not sure if it does much, but pretty sure my warm idle is because my headers are not coated or wrapped and get really hot

engine accessories, used the 78 power steering pump, buddy took it apart to swap in the 86 metric pressure fitting, a/c compressor, swapped in a sanden compressor, converted to r134, i have a one-wire alternator 100 amp, edelbrock water pump and 78 starter

exhaust, not sure if any factory manifolds would fit,the super comp headers mentioned earlier are made for this engine swap and work very well, had to bent the brake lines a bit where they leave the master cylinder to clear the tubes, comes kinda close to p/s pressure hose, some plug wires get burned had to boot a few, next set of headers i install will be coated

rear end, factory 7.5 designed for a 180hp 305 is not very strong, that being said, i beat the snot out of mine all the time with only a stud girdle for added strength, i do get that "grenade with a pin pulled" feeling

tires, i have stock size up front, 275/60/15 on back with 1/4 inch spacers, recommend drag radials, you'll wish ya had them when your rear tires want to change lanes on the 1-2 shift, and it really helps launch control, just dont go over 35 in the rain, nittos seem a little better in the wet/last longer but the m/t et/streets grip better

wiring, not sure what my bro did, he had already ditched the computer/cccarb, had the 1-wire alternator, and the hei distributor wired for the 383

front springs were mentioned, stock springs not rated for the weight, my friend called one of the suspension suppliers and he gave them his specs and they sent him the springs, dont remember the details

stock brakes are marginal, mine are all stock, yeah, marginal

that's about all i can think of, my motor is a moderate build, .30 over (462) 10.5 compression, "biggest cam that would allow power brakes", ported and polished 427 heads, roller tip rockers, not too wild, wild enough for a cast crank mark IV, but wow, SUCH A BLAST TO DRIVE, my friend figured a car released in 78 (G-bodies) was maybe designed earlier for the possibility of a big block and that's why they fit in there pretty easily, not a hard swap at all, and well worth it, car came with a 12 second time slip on street tires, 12.20 i believe, with the drag radials it is a different car, goes like a slingshot, my only friend i couldn't beat had a WORKED mustang with a 200 shot, and the only stranger was this little econo-box which sounded like a jet taking off when his turbo spooled-up (probably has more money in just his turbo setup than my whole car), i cant remember what a small block monte feels like, but the big block just feels right in there, like it should have come that way from the factory, you will never regret it (with gas at this price), with the cowl hood and no monte badging people always think it's a grand national, especially when the flex fan was new and had that flex fan whine, and of course after i just blew their doors off....

sorry for the length of post, car has been down for over a year, mostly due to laziness, this is what i needed for motivation, man my right foot is twitching just thinking about it