Cadillac Repair: 1983 250 ci, street rod projects, mike novak

Question
QUESTION: i recently scrapped out a 1983 coupe de ville but i kept the motor and trany and computer which ran well, but know i find out it' a 250cubic inch by the code. my question is would this be a good engine for one of my street rod projects? i would like to take the air pumps ect. off the engine if i was to use it and try and use the computer to run it yet. i guess you get the idea, what is your opinion?   thanks, mike novak

ANSWER: Mike,
The infamous HT4100!
That engine and trans have a rather troubled history unfortunately. So I can't say with any degree of certainty just how long either will last. On the up-side, they're basically free so, however long you get out of them....
Also, I gotta say that if you're looking for a truly unique drivetrain for a project car, you've found it. Can't say I've EVER seen anyone use one for that before. You also have an added plus that it's actually a fairly powerful little thing (for it's displacement anyway). I've seen some actually push those big-ass cars pretty good. Might just be an interesting project.

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QUESTION: just one more thing, about those air pumps and all the junk hanging on that engine, can it be taken off and still run? the motor has only 85thousand actual and seems to run perfectly. thanks for you time and patience. mike novak

Answer
Mike,
To use that engine is a custom application, yes, you can remove the air pump without affecting the way the engine runs. It's only there for emissions. All the "other junk" hanging on the engine may be a different story. You'll need to be more specific.