I have a 96 3.8 convertible that has a bad 3.8 motor. Im 70 years old and dont want to pay the steep price of replacing the motor as the used engines are scarce and cost near $1000 for 100,000 mile motors and the rebuild is nearly double that. I want to put in a 3.4 as that motor is readily available and is about $300-400 locally with 75,000 miles. The 3.4 wasnt an option on the 96 model but was until 95, and in the firebird it was available. I am 70 and dont care about speed or any of that stuff, I just want to go back to driving the car around town.
Can some one tell me how involved it is or if they know of anyone that has done the swap?
Thanks

 

You don't have to get a 3.8 from a camaro. There are several 3.8's in other GM vehicles that are the same base motor but will need the intake and motor mounts changed. You can pick them up cheaper than the ones that come from a camaro.

I think you will need to change the wiring harness, ECM, etc if you change to a 3.4.

Here is a link for a replacement motor that tells which vehicles the motor is in, might check on a used engine from one of these vehciles and change the intake. Good luck however you chose!

http://paceperformance.com/index.asp...D&ProdID=96139

 

I have not seen anyone do this swap. The main reason is the fact that in its stock form the 3800 is a better motor then the 3400 in both mileage and power. It is also more reliable. Any RWD 3400 will be 15 years old and will need torn down and resealed (headgaskets and intake gaskets are a common issue with them)

I paid 650 for a 3800 from a 2002 with 48K on it. But I have read dozen of threads of guys putting the 3800 from FWD in their Camaros. Most junkyard will tell they will not fit. They are just looking it up in a book.

You will also have a problem with the computer. In 1996 GM (and everyone else that sold cars in the US) did a huge computer upgrade to OBDII in 96. Trying to make a non-OBDII engine run in a car that was designed for OBDII will be a problem. We have one member that crossed over the 1996 line with an engine but it was the other way. Going from and new engine to an older computer.

 

Doing this swap is going to be just as involved as doing the V6-V8 swap. Plus being an OBDII engine your only option to stay federally legal is to get a 3.4L from an OBDII 95 Camaro with OBDII. They are out there but they are not very common. My friend has one and it makes working on the engine nice but... Keep the 3.8L and if the yards are telling you that they are going to cost you $1000 then call someone else. I have 4 yards around me here in Tacoma that will sell me a 3.8L engine out of a Camaro or FB for $500. You have to watch out for the FWD engine. Not all of them will work. I know that there was a BIG change in the FWD 3.8L engine between 87-88. 87 is the last of the "Even Fire" engine and 88 is the first of the Series I engine. They are different NOT interchangable (just trust me on this one I have personal experience here and it still gives me headaches) I dont know how compatable the Series II FWD and RWD engines are, and Series III FWD engines are a completely different block and heads and not compatable. All and all here in Tacoma you can get the engine with less than 100K on it for $500 and most shops will do a swap engine to engine for around $1500. That is still less than a new Gen 4 Camaro. Oh and the 3.8L will go strong for over 300K if taken care of.

Massey

 

I took the bottom end from a FWD car (everything below the heads) and used it on mine. You will need to keep your top end (heads and above) but the bottom end is what is probably shot.

 

I think I've seen it all now...

 

I did an LT1 swap in my 96. I also owned a 94 3.4 car at the time, so I used it as a model to see where things went and I found out that 3.4's use a different AC system than the 3.8 cars. So add the AC system to the list of things that will have to be changed out if you go 3.8 to 3.4. Im not sure if the transmissions on the 3.4's and 3.8's are interchangeable. For some reason, I dont think they are.

 

most buicks are 3.8

 

Everything is different, so swapping to a 3.4 will be way more expensive in the long run, you will need a new cooling system, computer and wiring, transmission, your body control module may not accept the passkey code from the new engine swap. The crossmember may even be different. So in the long run it is cheaper to stay with what you have as far as the 3.8