Аа, моля, успех с пазаруването, дано да се намери някой хубав екземпляр.
Понеже стана въпрос за разни мотори и кубатури при Ф-бодитата и Файърбърдите, може да се отбележи, че всъщност, още от средата на 1977 моделна година, освен оригиналните за дивизията 350, 400, и по-рано 455 куб. инча Понтиак мотори /които дебютират в 1967 год, и се слагат чак до 1979 моделна год/, в Ф-бодитата на Понтиак се слагат и различни други ГМ блоци.
Те вкл. освен 6 и 8 цил. Шевита, и 3.8 литровия шестак от Буик, и 6.6 литровия осмак 403 куб. инча от Олдсмобил.
Редовия 4.1 литра Шеви мотор се е слагал всъщност на базови Ф-бърди още от първата моделна година на 2 Ген- 1970.
Особено една голяма част от правените Трансами 2 Ген от годините 1977, 1978 и 1979, са били именно с привнесените от съседната дивизия Олдсмобил 403 куб. инча мотори, като тези Олдс моторизации, и са се познавали и при серийния при тях 3-скорости автомат, докато Понтиак и Шеви блоците в Ф-бърд и Трансам, е могло да се куплират и с ръчни скорости.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Firebirdhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_V8_enginehttps://www.hemmings.com/.../article/1978-pontiac-trans-am-2ENGINES
An unmolested 1978 T/A should contain only one of two block types of varying cubic displacements: the famed Pontiac 400- introduced to gearheads in the 1967 models, and later referred to as the 6.6L, or the Oldsmobile-built 403, based on the small-block Olds V-8.
All 400s, no matter which year they were constructed, feature a bore and stroke measuring 4.12 x 3.75 inches, as well as five main bearings. Compression ratios varied from year to year, accomplished through the use of different cylinder heads.
Base T/As hit the showroom containing the 180hp version of the 400, which is better identified by the RPO code of L78. However, we're going to focus our attention on the 220hp W72, which sports a compression ratio of 8.1:1 with 320-lbs.ft. of torque, using a Rochester M4MC four-barrel carburetor.
The exception to this optional engine would come compliments of the state of California, along with high altitude areas, where Oldsmobile's 403 was substituted for the Pontiac 400. Basic specs for the 403 engine include a 4.35 x 3.38-inch bore and stroke, 8.0:1 compression ratio, five mains, hydraulic lifters and a four-barrel carburetor. Horsepower came in at 185 and torque was 320-lbs.ft., measured at the flywheel.
TRANSMISSIONS
Unlike the days of old when you could select from an assortment of transmissions, the 1978 T/A was built with only two variants. The Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 automatic, as seen in Blattner's T/A, was standard equipment, coded as M33. This very common three-speed trans was mated with all three available engines.
Granted, automatics don't exactly conjure up visions of tire-shredding smoke shows. Fear not, as Pontiac did offer a Borg-Warner four-speed that had replaced the Muncie in 1975. However, there was a catch for both purveyor and purchaser: The four-speed was available only with the 220hp version of the 400. And since the 220hp 400 was not available in California, neither was the four-speed option.
As is often the case with these sturdy transmissions, they should last a lifetime of cruising, blended with a little thrashing from time to time. On the other hand, if you think the previous owner was practicing to be a stunt double for The Rockford Files or one of the Bandit movies, you might want to have the unit looked over for excessive wear and potential failures. Specialists can complete a rebuild with relative ease, but you can try your hand at a four-speed rebuild yourself with the purchase of a kit for $199.
DIFFERENTIAL
The semi-floating Hypoid axles were housed in a GM "corporate" 8.5-inch, 10-bolt unit that was shared with Pontiac's cousin, the Camaro. Depending upon the engine, transmission, and other options such as air conditioning, one of five final drive ratios was installed; 2.41:1, 2.56:1, 3.08:1, 3.23:1 or 3.42:1.
If the W72 400 engine was selected, it mandated a 3.23:1 gear with the automatic trans and a 3.42:1 with the four-speed. As such, Blattner's automatic T/A has a 3.23:1 ratio. Incidentally, he also has Pontiac's Safe-T-Track limited-slip differential.
Durability is not much of a concern with the 8.5-inch 10-bolt--it was intended as a heavy-duty axle for passenger cars and light trucks, and remains in service today in some half-ton GM trucks. Rebuild parts and gearsets in several ratios are readily available from multiple sources.
CHASSIS
As had been the case for several years, the T/A's wheelbase measures out to 108.1 inches, and the chassis was built via unit-body construction. A bolt-in subframe up front mounts the front suspension and engine/trans combo.
Right off the bat, we can tell you that rust can be an issue at the aft end, more so if the Safe-T-Track was installed. Thankfully, rear unit-body frame rails are available from several sources, including Ames Performance Engineering for $179 each. However, installing them is not an easy task; separating the factory spot welds, positioning the new rails and re-welding them is probably best left to an experienced body or restoration shop.
Connecting the Trans Am with the road is an independent front suspension and live rear axle. All the usual characters of a GM front suspension are in place: coil springs, upper and lower A-arms, tube shocks and an all-important anti-roll bar. Out back, the rear axle sits atop parallel leaf springs, as tube shocks and an anti-roll bar complete the assembly.
Yet, there is a difference between factory stock components from one T/A to another, and it comes down to one code: WS6.
Essentially, the WS6 High Performance Package replaced the otherwise stock leaf springs with units rated 25-lbs.in. stiffer.
The front anti-roll bar was increased to 1.25 inches in diameter, while polyurethane bushings were installed instead of standard rubber. The same was true for the rear anti-roll bar bushings, and the diameter was increased to 0.75 inches, and the normal 16.0:1 steering gear box was upgraded to a quick-ratio 14.0:1 unit. Bigger wheels were also part of the package, which we'll cover in a moment. Combined, these changes meant that the T/A could haul through the skidpad at 0.83g.
The one catch could be a Pitman arm, which according to one source is discontinued, but that doesn't mean that the NOS supply has been exhausted. But that shouldn't be an issue, since the Pitman arm on this chassis is really a "non-wear" item anyway, meaning that the pivot stud and socket are part of the center link--the Pitman is one piece of machined metal.
BRAKES
As had been the case since the start of the second generation F-body for 1970, all Firebirds feature front disc brakes as standard equipment, though T/As were power assisted. The front Delco-Moraine vented rotors are made of cast iron and measure 11 inches in diameter. At the opposite end, rear drums from the same source are also of cast iron, measuring 9.5 inches, and are finned to assist in cooling. Not surprisingly, rebuilding the system is simple, and finding parts is a matter of hitting the local parts store.
The stock system handles the 3,800-pound coupe just fine, and was in use straight up through the 1981 model year. However, starting in 1979, a rear disc package was available, code J65, as part of the WS6 package, which was standard on 10th anniversary models. If you can find this arrangement on a parts car, transplanting the system is a possibility--just make sure to take the master cylinder, power booster, proportioning valve and parking brake cables, too. Modern aftermarket rear disc systems are also available.
WHEELS & TIRES
Forget stamped steel and 14-inch tires. With the arrival of the Special Edition (SE), which is often referred to as the Bandit edition, came the aluminum "snowflake" wheels, which carried over to the 1978 models as standard equipment. Measuring 15 x 7 inches, they were offered in natural silver or were color-matched to the body.
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