Engine swap project

[GeorgiaVol]

After years of waiting, I am finally about to get started on my "updating" my 1987 Cavalier Z24.
Removing the fun but weak 2.8 MPFI engine and replacing it with a 3500 engine. Hp goes from 140 to about 210.
Project basically consists of putting a 2005 engine in a 1987 car using 1996 electronics.
End result: 210 hp, 2,000 lb car with a pretty zippy 5 speed.
Should be a fun project.

 

[psuiewalsh]

Why not a 3800?

 

[GeorgiaVol]

It would be a lot harder, weigh more, and not have very much more hp over the 3500

 

[esshup]

But its' still a FWD car.....

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Yep.
My high school car.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Did I mention 30mpg?
That too, plus I can still work on it.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Don't know much about either engine, except what I've read from Fiero stuff a long time ago.

Hows the progress?

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Got a few custom parts in, waiting on more.
Got the 1st set of shop manuals for the donor car in, have another set for my car that should be here today or tomorrow.
Still keeping a look out for a complete 96ish 3.1 car that I can use for most of the parts.
Then it is just a matter of finding a low mileage 3500 engine and putting it together.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Ordered the engine yesterday.
145k miles with all the accessories for $400 and free shipping and a 6 month warranty.
Also ordered the rest of the "custom" parts I need for the engine.

 

[Ted Jenkins]

How much experience in electronics do you have. If you do not understand electronics well it will never happen no matter what the donor car looks like. I have seen a dozen good mechanics fail on this because of electronics. Using 1996 and newer would be easier than pre 1996. The ECM is not easily cheated. The few times I have been involved on such projects it took me 80 hours plus just to sort out wiring and I knew exactly what I was doing. Best of luck Thanks

 

[GeorgiaVol]

I am pretty familiar with THESE electronics.
It is an OBDII swap and the PCM was programmed for my setup. I was going to go OBDI, but like you said, tuning was going to be an issue.
The tedious part will be splicing the chasis harness and the OBDII harness. The engine side should pretty much be plug and play.
I got the electronic manuals for my car and the donor to help the splicing.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

It is actually a pretty common swap for J body GM cars.

 

[fordf150]

anything can be done with enough time and patience. friend of mine swapped a 06 or 08 mustang 4.0 into a 92 f150....pulse fuel pump and all. it was 2 bays of the shop tied up with wiring harnesses spread out for a couple weeks.

same guy also swapped a 5.9 12v into a 04 top kick with the 04 half ton dash swapped in and kept the whole dash working like factory....kinda funny opening the glove box and seeing an old distributor laying in the there hooked up to the tach cable on the 5.9 tho.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

All in all this is a pretty cheap project for a "classic" car that I really like. In the end I will be in it for less than $6k with new paint, new tires, newly serviced 5 speed with a new clutch, plus tons of other new sensors, injectors, etc.
And this vehicle is pretty inexpensive to keep running.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

Engine is here. About time to start turning some wrenches

 

[cookies]

sounds like a good ultra cheap project, have fun tearing the donor engine down to replace every 30+ year old gasket and seal

 

[GeorgiaVol]

sounds like a good ultra cheap project, have fun tearing the donor engine down to replace every 30+ year old gasket and seal

Donor engine is 15 years old from a 2006 Saturn Relay

 

[cookies]

Donor engine is 15 years old from a 2006 Saturn Relay

Being GM I would still pull the heads to check the bores for severe wear and install fresh mls head gaskets maybe even have some aluminum tig welded into the valve pockets on the head for added compression, replace valve stem seals then lap the valves in, new rear main seal, intake gaskets(always leak on gm), oil pan gasket.. Always check the crank sensor wires on those they get damaged easily if the shielding crumbles away(always does)..if thats the style with the magnet on the timing chain gear replace it now before you install the engine the lil fookers always fall out of the oe gear.

 

[GeorgiaVol]

I plan on replacing both crank seals, oil pan gasket, and valve cover gaskets. This particular engine doesn't share the same flaws as the 2.8 or the 3400 engines. As long as everything looks ok, just gonna let it ride. Appreciate the advice though.
Worst case scenario, it cost me another $500 and a weekend to swap it out. Back in the day I swapped a 2.8 out in a weekend and it went 60k miles before I threw a rod (my fault). I got pretty good at working on these little cars.

 

[Mad Professor]

I remember the good old days, when you could take a Nova with an I-6 auto and have a 427 and muncie in it in two days........