1985 P30 SouthWind New motor engine/trans Options

Trail-Mate wrote:
I think any of the motors are good but would skip a 4L80e, The computer to run it is expensive. I would run a built 7004r. They can handle all the power and you can lock the Torque Converter in any gear with a simple switch. A 383 Stroker would also work well.

I would not call $35 bucks expensive. I just bought an ECM from a boneyard that would run it just fine. You would need another 80 bucks for a device to program it, but that is not difficult. But having said that, unless you are building the daylights out of the 454 or going with a 502, going to a 4 speed is impractical, as OD would put the RPM so low, it would not have any power.

BTW: You asked about the rear seal. The big question is if you can lift the motor up high enough to get the pan off without removing it from the coach. Jacking the engine up from the bottom is not bad. If you have to pull it from the top, that is just as bad as removing ti from the coach.

I dont believe a 383 stroker will do the trick in a MH, 454-502 will have the needed torque with the big cubes

I think any of the motors are good but would skip a 4L80e, The computer to run it is expensive. I would run a built 7004r. They can handle all the power and you can lock the Torque Converter in any gear with a simple switch. A 383 Stroker would also work well.

Fixing the current will be the cheapest option and install a new tranny.

If you are going for very long trips accross the nation then get rid of the manifold (cause they will crack again, it's just a time issue) install banks torque tubes only.

For a swap I would have gone with the las generation of the 454 the 7400 vortec with 4L80E. You would have gain a significant amount of how and torque even in standard form.

Yes After some thought I concur with just getting a beefy TH400 and fix the basic engine issues. Can you push out a rear main seal on a 4 bolt 454? Its not leaking bad, jut hate leaks. ALso the TH400 in this I assume is the short tail with a fixed yoke? As far as I know the unit does not have any leaks I put a hose on the roof and sprayed around all the windows. Plus this is really a CA only RV. Most of the time I plan to use it there is no rain in CA. It was stored inside for the past 7 years. I will check more but the only thing I might do is replace the rubber weather stripping around the windows.

sounds like a lot of work to me, i wouldn't have anything other than automatic my self at my age. A 502 big block with a later auto/overdrive would be a big improvement. I know of one person that put the 502 in his and he loves it, lots of power through the mountains and better fuel economy too. Someone should have put the Duramax in these things long ago.

Hello...
Iam wondering what you will have after all this....I have pulled a motor out of a MH.....OMG what a Bas**rd....$4,000 wont even get you started and a stick shift is a noble idea but I wouldn't do it. Major nightmare .....If this motor runs fairly good Id fix it and go.....your trans front seal is gone....have to pull trans to fix....if your rear main seal is streaming that's a different story.Its all cause it was not used and all those seals dried up and shrank....That TB 400 trans is one of the toughest built and worth keeping.
Sometime FREE isn't worth it.
Good Luck

A couple of things. The 502 is in fact a direct drop in for the 454. See my sig. As far as bolts or changes, the only things that I had were the bolts on the front of the heads were one size larger, which is a non-issue. All the brackets still bolted on. I did have to barely open up the bolt hole on the alternator, but for 5 minutes with a drill, this is also a non-issue. The engine mount on one side required some tweaking with a sawsall. Because my coach is front wheel drive, I had to tweak the 10 qt oil pan to fit over the differential. This of course is not an issue for you.
For the trans, I recently converted to the 4L85e. Currently using a EZ TCU, which can be purchased from Summit - Current price is $614.97. It is a very good controller, and very simple to program. I like the way it responds, and even though it has the option of manual push button shifting, I never use it. Once in a while, I do switch to performance mode, which changes the downshift points, and increases pump pressure.

As far as fuel injection, mine is based on a GM ECM, which could also control the trans, but in my case, when I first installed the trans, they forgot to install the rear speed sensor reluctor ring. I blamed the weird shifting on the ECM, an bought the EZ TCU. I've since got the trans straightened out, but have not bothered to go back to the GM ECM for trans control. I'll switch it back someday. If you can get around computers pretty well, you could piece together the fuel injection. There is a lot of help on learning to burn chips. I could send you my program, which would give you a good starting point. Mine is set up for multiport, but the ECM only cares about total fuel flow, not how many injectors are hooked up to it. You would have to play with it some, as a duel plane will act different than the Edelbrock.
For numbers, the engine comes in around 420 to 440 HP, based on acceleration tests, which was consistent with desk top dyno calculations. The coach weighs in at 13,580 lbs. I get just over 9 mpg, cruising 72 to 75+ mph.

Biggest question I would be asking is if your coach has any delamination, or has had any signs of leaks that were neglected. Fleetwood products from that era where known for delamination. If you have areas, specifically look below the windows, where the siding is soft and sagging away, then there is no point replacing the engine.

Rebuild the 454 as a 496. The 496 gives a better bore/stroke ratio when compared to a 502 and you can easily make 600 HP with a 496 running on premium gas. The torque will be out of this world. If you have all of the smog equipment no one will ever know what the displacement is or how much power it is making.
I know a number of guys who run 496's in SS and SG. They launch, hit the throttle stop, shift the glide to high and let the thing pull. A 496 SS car will run in the low 9's easily.
Randy
p.s. Put a 4L60E behind it from SW. They are good to around 650 HP.

I thought a 502 is the same block as 454 the 8.1 vortex is a entirely diff motor. Unless I am missing something everything will bolt right up to a 502.

I thought the same thing. I don't know first hand, I only know what I read. If someone here knows for sure if its just a block switch I would also like to know as well. Would be really cool to pop a new 502 in my baby. There's no replacement for displacement.

Hope I'm not hijacking the post...if I am...sorry.