96 3.8 Series II Replace or Rebuild?
#12
No, I will not be doing the work myself, at least not the engine replacement.. I may do some of the other stuff, like power steering hose and window motors, but the drivetrain, gearbox and engine I'm letting my mechanic have all the fun...
#13
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Eastern PA,
Posts: 10,462
Have you got it fixed? If you going to have a mechainc to do the work and you want to swap to a newer FWD motor then you may have to "educate" your mechanic about what will fit. Mechanics tend to lean on advice from salvage yards on what will fit. The salvage yards use cross refference book. According to those books the motor will not fit but that is because of what is bolted to the motor and the intake. These things can all be switchs. Just tell your mechainc the "long block" is the same. Mechaincs really want to void anyting with a gray area. When one of us tries something and we run into a issue we can go researchs and see how other people handled it and post question. The mechaincs bay need to generate money every hour there can be no delays or someone is not getting paid.
The long block GM use to sell for our cars had a list of all the cars it fit (it included all the FWD cars). I wish I would have coppied that infor before the discontinued that motor. That would be enough for most mechainc to prove they are the same.
If you look at my 96 Camaro built thread (link below). I found a 2002 motor from a Camaro. The up side to getting a low miles motor out of a camaro is it is less work and if you get all the low miles bolt on accessories. It was hard to find a low miles Camaro 3800 2 years ago. I would imagine it is harder now.
First place to check is http://car-part.com/ I found a complete motor with 48K on it for $650.
The long block GM use to sell for our cars had a list of all the cars it fit (it included all the FWD cars). I wish I would have coppied that infor before the discontinued that motor. That would be enough for most mechainc to prove they are the same.
If you look at my 96 Camaro built thread (link below). I found a 2002 motor from a Camaro. The up side to getting a low miles motor out of a camaro is it is less work and if you get all the low miles bolt on accessories. It was hard to find a low miles Camaro 3800 2 years ago. I would imagine it is harder now.
First place to check is http://car-part.com/ I found a complete motor with 48K on it for $650.
Last edited by Gorn; 12-04-2011 at 08:01 AM.
#14
replace with a series 3 motor. thats what i did last winter when my 98 spun 2 rod bearings. I got a 05 motor with 42K on it for $750 delivered. then add all new gaskets, real main seal, irudum plugs, msd wires, 180 degree thermostat, mobil 1 oil and filter, anti freeze, power steering fluid, tranny fluid and a few other parts to a total of $1200 and it was running again. A few tips: make sure you check and bleed PS when you get to running. That cost me a new pump and dont forget the clpis on the injectors.
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