Bearhead

Hey everyone! So, the 305 in my 84 Berlinetta is tired, and I want to swap in the BluePrint 383/410hp motor. BP says their heads are .500 (1/2 inch) taller exhaust port placement than stock Chevy heads, and I'll need shorty headers when I do the swap.

Has anyone else used their engines and used the shorty headers versus long tube headers? Sanderson doesn't make them, although BP referred me to them. Hedman might (closed for Christmas), but I'd like to get my parts dialed in before I get the Camaro back in April.

Let me know if you have some solution to the shorty header / BP heads issue, ok?

TIA!

Jim aka Bearhead

Fred SS

iTrader: (3)

I read a recent post indicating that DynoDon is back making headers for third gen again. Contact him with your question. Maybe he has a set of headers for that. I too am considering a Blueprint 383 for my TPI swapped 87 Monte Carlo SS. But I would pick one of their 383 short blocks and use AFR 195 heads. AFR 195 heads have the exhaust port raised about .100 inches from stock. I think I can deal with that. Blueprint's .500" raised exhaust ports is a bit too much. But it probably would work with shorty headers and a custom dual exhaust. That way all is needed is to bend the exhaust pipe to fit the header outlet location. But can third gen camaro accept true dual exhaust?

Good Luck,
Fred

Bearhead

I don't think there was a true dual exhaust option on 3rd Gens, from what I've researched. Just the Y pipe and whatever large diameter pipe you can use to the 2 in 1 out muffler setup. I live in AZ, and since it's now a "Historical Vehicle" (anything over 25 years old) I'm smog and exhaust exempt and can do whatever I want.

Not a fan of long tube headers anymore, shorty headers (like the Ram Air exhausts in my 69 Bird) are much better for ground clearance. I know the shorty headers aren't the best at high rpm hp, but most of my driving is in the 1500-5000 rpm range anyway.

Does Dyno Don have a website?

Thanks for your help, Fred!

Jim

Bearhead

@Fred SS BluePrint says these Sanderson headers work with the 383 BP heads.
https://sandersonheaders.com/product...l-block-chevy/

Fred SS

iTrader: (3)

The website for Dyno Don headers is "www.top-downsolutions.com"

Surfing thru their website, they have several exhaust systems with the dual cat configuration used on some Firebirds.

Also saw several shorty headers for F-Body. Contact them and ask a question for DynoDon. I have seen posts from him on Thirdgen.

Fred

Firechicken82

Dons headers will likely fit. I have raised d port fast burn heads and his headers work great. Those Sanderson headers probably aren't the move.

Bearhead

Fred,
Thanks for the site link, I'll shoot them an email about fitment. Sanderson said their headers would need to be modified by dimpling the tubes.

Bearhead

Just an FYI: Hedman doesn't offer shorty headers for a 3rd Gen, only long tube headers.

Bearhead

After a bunch of research it seems the BluePrint SBC heads are going to pose a lot of fitment issues. At this point it looks like a 350/330 hp ATK engine is going to be the best option to do my upgrade. Thanks for all the replies and suggestions, I really appreciate it!

Jim

Bearhead

I'm flying to Denver on Thursday to go get my old 84 Berlinetta. Decided on an ATK HP98 350/345HP/400TQ iron head motor.
9.1:1 compression so it will still run on 87 octane. Yes, it has a Z28 front end. 3.08 or 3.23 gears (have to check when I get it).
700r4 auto. Bose sound system on the pod...hope I make it back in one piece! LOL

Some pics...

SbFormula

Just curious. Would that 700R4 shift at 5200rpm during WOT? Probably not! It might end-up shifting at 4800rpm and dropping under 3000rpm, not taking advantage of HP curve! A T5 or T56 would most likely be a better match... no?


ATK HP98 350/345HP/400TQ - Dyno

Bearhead

SbFormula...the 700r4 is good to about 350hp/375TQ. By the time I get to AZ at 5500 ft elevation, I'll lose another 40 hp due to altitude. The 7.5" rear end ain't going to handle any more than that, so the plan is to make it get out of its own way, and drive it.
This is just going to be a long drive car with the 3.08 gears (maybe 3.23) and run on 87 octane.

I've got a 69 Firebird 400 with 500hp, 200r4, 3.73 posi, a 2004 Vette that's supercharged, and a 98 TA vert. If I really want to go fast, I've got better vehicles for that.
Thanks for your input, though!

Bearhead

So I have a check engine light after three minutes. Took her to a local shop up here in Colorado and apparently the wires are frayed on the coolant temperature sensor. But no one has this exact temperature sensor in stock! Apparently, my sensor is round for the electrical connectors and all the other ones are over. Go figure. The shop called me back and said they couldn’t find it so they were going to wrap the frayed wires around the terminals and hopefully that will cure the check engine light as they think it’s shorting after it drives so far. If not, I’ll be paying $600 for airfare to fly back to Arizona.

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

Right: that old stuuupid "coaxial" kind of thing that ALWAYS fails, is NLA. Thank Bozhye.

Good news is, the oval kind bolts right in and works perfect. All you gotta do is put the right pigtail on your harness. You used to be able to get a new sensor with the pigtail included; if not, the pigtail is readily available by itself.

https://www.autozone.com/engine-mana...254/342421_0_0

Doesn't matter which wire goes to which color in the harness. Use solder with electronic type flux (rosin) and heat shrink tubing; NOT Scotchlocks or crimp butt splices.

Not sure about this "shop" thing... isn't that what women do when they want more shoes? What does THAT have to do with repairing an ANTIQUE CAR?

dmccain

iTrader: (2)

Change the governor out in your transmission.. Weights in the governor is what controls the shift point. A corvette governor would be perfect.

Bearhead

Since I was 914 miles from home, I had to have a shop do the work. I wasn't on a tight schedule. Thanks for the links to the new electrical connector. I'll put that in when I do the engine swap. Right now it's working fine.