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MG MGB GT V8 Factory Originals Technical - Pulled the Camaro Drivetrain, What Can I keep?

I spent most of the day Saturday pulling the engine and tranny from my 91 Camaro donor car. A big job if you do it carefully and not cut wires, etc. (I'm selling the body). I have a 2 barrel intake and carb on the way. Plenty to do before I dig into the BGT, I plan to clean the engine and tranny, new timing chain, seals, paint, etc.

I'm going to attempt to use the stock pulleys, while pitching the power steering, air pump, and AC compressor. Is this possible? Does anyone have any experience with the Chevy 3.1 V6 as far as what I can keep and what must be sourced out (obviously motor mounts and exhaust)?
Terry M

Just curious - are you going to narrow and use the Camaro rear axle?

Wayne
Wayne Pearson

Terry,

You can also look in to CCW water pump pulleys from around the same year S10.. Last time I did a 2.8/3.1 with stock pulleys, we used either an S10 or Camaro water pump pulley- the owner got the two mixed up so all I know is that we ended up using the larger one. A really nice alternative is the CCE pulley setup. They are smaller and come closer to the motor making an extreme tight fit.

-BMC.
BMC Brian McCullough

Wayne: I'm going to try the stock rear end. I think it should be fine with an automatic w/o a firm shift kit.

Brian: What is CCW? Forgive my ignorance.
Terry M

Counter clockwise
Ryan

Terry, you will probably have to get a bit creative to use the serpentine belt without some of the accessories, so be careful what you get rid of at first until you get the drive sorted. It might be easier to keep the air pump just for the extra pully for the belt system. Do check the rotation of your water pump, Clockwise (CW), or Counter clockwise (CCW). I've heard that you can get severe cooling problems using the pump in the wrong direction, at least on some engines which had both types available, and get the right one for the drive you design.
Bill Young

I used a 91 Camaro engine and auto trans. I did not use the air pump(if it had one.) or the PS pump( it had one). I did keep the AC compressor and used a shorter belt. Works great.
The stock rear end if OK. I have driven mine for two years and 30,000 miles. Eighty miles per hour is just under 3000 RPM with 205-74-14 tires.
It is alot of fun accelerating off the stop lights with the short gear.
I am in the process of building a Ford 8 in. for it, but have decided on what gear to use.

Good Luck
Steve
Steve

Bill: I have kept the air pump, but the power steering and compressor go with the donor car (its on eBay). I hope its not necessary to keep the air pump just for the sake of a pulley, but you never know. I checked the current water pump (a new one by the way) and its CCW if you are looking at the front of the car. I would love to have the neat pulley setup from CCE (as well as a ton of nice shiny new stuff from Bill or Brian), but I just can't afford to buy everything I would like at one time. I plan to buy the bare necessities to get the conversion on the road. My GT, while not pretty, is road worthy. I made a trade for a 2 barrel carb and intake, I plan to buy a boneyard dizzy. So the large items to get me on the road are as best as I can figure:

1. motor mounts: Bill or Brian
2. tranny mount: Modify the GT crossmember to fit the 700R4.
3. Have a driveshaft made.
4. pullys: (boneyard S-10, modify the 3.1 pulleys, or?).
5. exhaust manifolds: Bill, Brian, or search the boneyard for some close fitting manifolds from a FWD GM (a long shot).
6. shifter: boneyard or B&M
7. tranny cooler: boneyard

I have received advice (well meaning) saying to rebuild the motor before installing, don't mess with carbs, etc. In my case I think it makes sense to get things up and going and to make improvements (like a Holley 390) as I go. I don't mind the work, it is a hobby after all.

Terry M

Thank you for the info Steve, that it what I need to know.
Terry M

I just spent some time looking at the pulleys, etc., and it appears that I can use only the alternator in its stock location and use a much shorter serpentine belt that would go around the crank pulley, under the water pump, under the tensioner, then around the alternator. It might be even better to find a CW waterpump with a grooved pulley and go over the top of that pulley. More money, but probably a better setup. I guess as long as the waterpump and the alternator don't slip and the belt stays on its ok. It would definitely look more balanced if the alternator was on the driver side of the engine, but the passenger side would probably work for now.
Terry M

Terry,

This may seem like a small thing, but I would recommend saving the plug that plugs into the back up light switch on the T-5. A new one costs about $18.00. I got another one from a juck yard car.

The donor car for my V8 was a '83 Firebird and I saved the T-5, of course, but sold the 305 V8 to a neighbor, and the front clip, doors and T tops to others.

Al
Al Wulf

If you decide to got CW you then will need to change the front timing cover and water pump. the pan may fit but it depends on model of car.


Going with the alt on the driver side will save ots of work.
Bill Guzman

This thread was discussed between 23/04/2007 and 28/04/2007

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