Camaro and Bonneville Engine Swap?
 

Could I use a Bonneville engine in my camaro? I know both cars have the same engine, being a GM V6 3800 Series 3.8L L36 but they could have some differences making them incompatible. We have a 97 bonneville that the cradle dropped on, but we just bought the engine. I also just bought a camaro about 5 days ago and the engine pretty much died. Is it possible to swap out the engines? What I'm really asking is are they compatible?If they are I'm sure a few parts may need to be switched out. Of course the camaro is a 5-speed and the bonneville is automatic. But will the engine itself be able to make the switch? Thanks a lot for your help in advanced!

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

Check out the above link for compatibility of engines. What year camaro? I believe the 3800 Series block and heads will work but the intakes and all accessories as well as the motor mounts will have to be changed over. I believe Massey is doing a swap with a motor from a FWD vehicle but not sure what it came out of. Maybe Massey or Gorn can provide more info regarding compatibility.

Sorry, I should have added that in there. The Camaro's year is 1998. The Bonneville is a 97. Thanks a lot for the link. I called an auto shop and they said different, but I'm going to try a few other places. It doesn't make sense to me. Thanks for the reply!
Oh, and I think you got the number wrong. It's an L36 --not L26. I did a search and found it, though.
http://paceperformance.com/index.asp...&ProdID=282722
It says 95-02 Camaro and 95-99 Bonneville. **Confused**

if your going to do a swap anyway, why not just look for an LS1?

The only external difference between the 98 and earlier 3800's as far as the fit is the plenum and throttle body. Earlier versions throttle body was angled downward and on the 98, they pretty much come straight out on the plenum. Many people at autoparts stores and even some junk yards will tell one that the engine will not fit but usually that is because they are not considering the basic block but the entire engine.

Here is the thread where Massey is replacing his engine with a FWD motor.
https://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-v6-tech-14/fwd-engine-compatability-53487/

I was told that since the Camaro's engine goes in sideways and it's a rear wheel drive I wouldn't be able to use the bonneville's engine, which goes in normal and is front wheel drive. Does this change anything? Would it be too much to do the swap? Or should I just buy a semi-new camaro engine?
I'm not a big car buff, that's why I'm asking here. If any other affordable options are out there I'll take anything. Whatever will cost the least and still get the job done. Thanks!!

I think you have this backwards,the Camaro engine goes in "normal" if by that you mean in line and the Bonnie goes in "sideways" if by that you mean transverse.
From what I've read the engine is the same block,it's just the bolt on parts you would need to swap on to it from the Camaro like the exhaust,intake an accessory brackets etc.

Transverse mounted in a front drive car the engine sits over the transaxle,the transmission is built into the front axle.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...3800II_L36.JPG

Standard rear drive in a Camaro the engine is inline with the transmission mounted to the back of the engien and a driveline running back to the rear drive axle.
http://www.gotengines.com/blog/wp-co...aroZ28-003.jpg

Thanks for the reply. Yeah, I wrote em down wrong, haha. But would it be worth all of the extra work in swapping them out rather than buying just another camaro engine and having them do it that way?

I'm really just looking for the cheapest route. We have a shop nearby that mainly does repairs, but would they be able to do this?

We're also looking into shops around that specialize more in swapping out motors, so we know they get it done right (and probably done in less time.)

If you know of any shops in the Warren City or Trumbull County area of Ohio give me a shout. Thanks!

One reason some people get a FWD engine is because they are more sitting around and if you call and ask for a camaro engine, they will quote you $1000 and if you ask for a FWD version of the 3.8, usually, they are cheaper even though the block and heads are basically the same but as stated above, you will have to transfer intake and accessories from your original motor to the donor motor.

As far as the shop doing the work, if they have a cherry picker and common hand tools, they should be able to do the work. Get a few quotes from different shops and even some people who are gear heads in your area if you know them. When I was looking for someone to do mine, I was quoted anywhere from $300 to $750 with me finding and delievering the engine. I decided to change the engine myself after doing alot of reading on this site and with the help of this site and a Haynes manual, it wasn't all that bad. I was lucky enough to find an engine out of a firebird.