Hey guys new to this forum as I'm sure you can tell. I have a 95 camaro with the 3.4 in it and the 5 speed. My question is if I were to buy a v8 from a z28 can I use my trans still? Or do I have to upgrade to the 6 speed? Or maybe just get another v6 but buy the 3.8 instead. Little back story on the car for whoever wants to know. I bought the car a month ago sounded fine ran fine and looks good. Garage kept and everything. Well recently the car started to not turn over. It would stay silent and no lights would come on when I turned the key. I jumped it numerous times and it would fire up. Turn it off and it would start fine. Unless I left it off for more than 30 minutes. Anyway about 1 hour from the time of this post the engine started to knock without any warning after I jumped it. Now I'm without a car don't have any money saved up and need to have a game plan. Now my mechanic will work with me but I'd like to get your guys input on what I should do. Thanks in advance!

 

4th gen is engine specific. you would need to change trans for either 3.8 or 5.7. would need to change much more then that. wiring, computer k member,,, im sure theres more. i was figuring a bad battery, maybe alternator and possible failing fuel pump right up till the knocking thing. how does the oil look?

 

First off thanks for the quick response. Oil looked good there was no white milky oil or anything, I pulled the dip stick out and it was just under low. I checked the battery terminal and I checked to see if it was drawing power from somewhere or maybe the alternator but everything came up fine. Okay so what you said about the 3.8 and 5.7 answers my question. I'll just have to find another 3.4. Man this sucks.

 

so it turns over but wont run/start? or it wont turn over at all. was it a knock or a ping? how did you check battery and alternator?

 

It has a problem when as soon as I turn the key past the accessory option everything turns off, lights, radio, dash everything. I'll turn the key to off position and nothing changes. At the point I'd jump it. And it'll crank right over. This last time I jump started it, it started to knock. I've yet to try and start it again. I checked the alternator with a computer I rented from autozone

 

that sure sounds like a bad battery or bad connection from the battery. do you have access to a known good battery

 

I do have another battery but I do t have the car at the moment as it's at the shop right now. I'm waiting on the mechanic to give me a call sometime today or Monday. And see I thought it was the battery too, but I was continuously told by the employees at autozone the battery was fine.

 

This seems like the kind of thing that would take a mechanic 15 minutes to figure out. Could be battery/cables or even an ignition switch.

The engine knock is another story. Most mechanics can give a pretty accurate guess as to the knock. The 95 was last year for the 3.4 so anything used is going to me 24 years old. Meaning it should be all resealed even if you do find a low miles one. Long story short is if needs a replacement engine or an overhaul that repair will cost more then the car is worth fixed.

 

I figured these cars are worth nothing anymore pretty much espicially my v6. It's not to expensive to reseal or rebuild an engine is it? Like say I find a wrecked camaro with the 3.4 and just rip the engine out of that one and rebuild it. There's alot of them in my area. I'd like to just bolt the 3.8 from an 02 up but like craby had said I'd need alot more than just the engine.

 

Craby is right. A 3800 swap is just as much of a project as a V8 swap. The problem is when GM switched to the 3800 they also switch to a new computer. The 3.4 computer can not run the 3800 and the computer (PCM) is tied to everything.


Buying a remanufactured engine is almost always cheaper the rebuilding a high miles damaged motor. The problem with higher miles motors is the cylinders wear out of round. New rings can handle only about .005 of an inch wear. Any more than that your new ring will not break in right and will not seal as well as the old ones that are worn in the correct shape. It hard to say about the knock with knowing what it is but there is a good chance your into crank damage. With a higher miles motor with a knock it is not uncommon to spend $2500-$3000 at the machine shop.

Resealing an engine will cost you about $250 in parts assuming you are getting better then OEM gaskets and seals.

If you are paying a garage to do this expect 15 hours to remove and reinstall the engine, 3-4 hours to reseal it and 8-10 hours to reassemble the engine for a rebuild. Garages around me are $75 per hour but that varies by location.
You can buy a nice running 3800 car for $2000

15 hours RR + 4= reseal
15 hours RR + 10=rebuild.

Keep in mind you want to hear back from the mechanic. To an untrained ear, an “engine knock” can be a simple repairs. My own wife called me with the engine is shot and making noise comment. It cost me $12 to replace a valve spring.
It is pretty rare for an engine to just fail unless it over heats or lost oil pressure.