BSeery

Well - as many may or may not know, I have swapped the L-48 motor out of my 1980 and installed the ZZ4. At the request of several members, I have documented this so others may follow and learn from my success and mistakes.

I haven't updated recently as there has not been much to say.
The motor is nice and strong and runs well. I am still sorting out a few problems that are totaly unrealated to the ZZ4.
I currently have a QJet that needs rebuilding so I can pass emissions. I also have been using a Holley for street and strip.
I was planning on taking the car to the 1/4 mile this weekend, but now I have killed the automatic transmission. Too much torque for a stock 350C with over 97,000 miles on it.
I will still take it to the strip, but the numbers are totaly going to suck. The tranny slips a lot and is not shifting right, but it will either make it, or I will blow it up in the process.
I plan to now do a 700R4 swap, but that will be a different project and different posts.

Once I have more info on the performance of the ZZ4 I will close out this project and it's posts.

To see the entire project from start to now -- go to http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c3/bseery/zz41.htm

MIKER

I can truly appreciate where you are with your project. I'm about the same. Getting the kinks worked out and trying to squeeze out the available power is definitely a lot of fun in itself.

Keep on keepin' on!

Alwyn678

Awesome..I was wondering if that tranny would hold all that power.....Why not go ahead and stick one on those richmond 5 speeds in her??

theandies

Sounds good. I just had fun with mine at lunch. I was driving back to where I work with a drink. Whataburger didn't have any more of those cup holder thingys and I had to hold it. With a 4-speed this can become fun but then it started to drizzle!!! I pulled up to a light to turn right and it was red. The people in the other lanes also had a red light. So as I started to pull out the other cars got the green. I poured on the power and WWWWOOOOOOOOO I got loose. Now picture this, I am fishtailing down the road with no traction, holding on to my drink with one hand and steering like a mad man with the other. It was fun but I don't think I want to go through that again. If I had both hand free it would have been a lot less scary. I know it rain about as much in Phoenix as it does here but be careful when it does. I haven't taken mine to the track yet. As I suspected, I need to replace all the u-joints before I do. I put the hardtop on it and removed the ragtop...now I can hear all the cluncks really well. I may do it next week.....just depends on what the wife has planned for me......you know honey do's
John

BSeery

I don't think the power "killed" it, it just put a really big nail in the coffin lid. I think the 100,000 miles killed the tranny.
I won't go with a stick as long as I live in a city with bumper to bumper traffic --- :nonod: :nonod: just can't do it.

MikeC

Sorry to hear about the tranny.

Hope you don't oil the track when you're there, they don't like that too much!

BSeery

only if it blows chunks !!

Golden80

You can get slapped with a pretty hefty fine if you blow up at Bandimere. I think the website's great because I'm hoping to do almost the exact same swap with the ZZ4 and the 700R4 in my 80 in the near future.


Matt

BSeery

well -- I just found out I can't go drag racing saturday :(:(

the '80 is going in on Friday to get it's new TH700R4 installed :D:D:D:D:D:D:D !!!

Desertdawg

Hey Bryan, What did you do hit the lotto?

Just kidding,,, glad to hear you are getting the 700 put in sooner than you expected... :cool:

BSeery

no -- I smoked my 350C on the way back from GB!! And the 150 mile drive on Sunday didn't help it much either.

Too much HP/Torque for a transmission that old. The rebuild bill was going to be huge. If it were just a 350TH I could buy a race prepped tranny for about $800.
The torque convertor alone on the 350C, if you want a 1800 RPM stall was over $400 !!! That and a rebuild on the 350C made the 700R4 look affordable.

No lottery, but I could sure use some winning numbers about now !!

coda

The ZZ4 is a fine motor for the money. I installed a ZZ3 in my 81, a year later the ZZ4 came out. Same motor but a different cam and a bit louder. I have had zero problems with this motor. It fits nice and passes state smog inspection stations here in calif. I would like to install legal headers but no one makes them for a calif. car for 1980-1982 vettes. Have fun... :yesnod:

BSeery

What are you looking for in a header that you can't find?

Hooker, Dynomax and Hedman all make headers for a 1980 that has the AIR pipe hookups. They dont advertiese them, but they do have them.

I was looking at some Hedmans -- here is what I got in e-mail from them:
Use part # 68301. (68301-6 coated). They are 1-5/8" x 3" full-length's.
For pricing and purchasing information, call your local
speed shop, or Summit @ 800-230-3030, or Jeg's @ 800-345-4545.
Thank you for your interest in Hedman products.
(Note: Exhaust modifications are required).


The uncoated were pretty cheap, but the coated were $$$$$$$
68300 is for non AIR 63-82 Vettes, 68301 adds AIR pipes, and 68301-6 adds AIR and coating.

kennycarpenter

Bryan when I had my tranny rebuilt TH400- $900 a couple years ago I asked them about my 4 or 5 speed options, they said the hardest part would be putting in that damned pedal.

The Wanderer

Bryan... sorry to hear about the tranny... but everyone seems to swear by the 700R4 conversion. Don't you have 3:08 gears right now? Man, at 75 you probably will only be turning 1600 RPMs.

What's the next big AZ event coming up? Carlos Z06 has made it to the Michigan dealership and will be shipped to Albuquerque this week. We are ready for another AZ run. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

BSeery

Yep, I do have the 3.08 -- for now .........
I have a new carrier with new 3.73 gears, bearings and seals already to go in .......
Next big event will be Desert Storm in Febuary. It is a new event being put on by the Desert Corvette Association -- Arizonas largest Corvette club. Check out their calendar of events at http://www.vette.org
I hope you and CarlosZ06 can make it. And you don't need a reason to come to PHX, we're always happy to see you.
Now with the new transmission, I might be swayed towards a 3 day weekend trip out to Alb. NM. some time.

P.S. -- car will be done tomorrow and I pick it up wednesday on my way home from the airport. Can't wait !! :D