Mike. It was Harofreaks stickers that did it.


Get that sucker on the road!

So much of this story is familiar. There are a few differences, though.

Our SSE is the wife'* car. It started life as a rental (Avis, IIRC). Next owners picked it up in 1991 with 6k miles on it, we were next in 2000 when it turned over 104k. It had something over 196k miles on it when I started driving it to work in June while I put a different engine in the Camaro, and wouldn't you know it, that'* when the oil pressure started dropping. Couldn't find anything wrong with the oil delivery system, wasn't making noise so decided to keep driving it. Put another 1500 miles on it, was intending to look at it again the weekend of Aug 13th when it let go - broke the cam. The oil pressure loss most likely was due to a cam bearing going out.

The significant differences: My wife was driving it when it quit, and it was 5 miles from home.

I picked up a 78k miles '91 Park Avenue L27 VIN L engine and tranny on eBay, $400 to get it home. I've chronicled the process in my "L27 under LN3 induction" thread on the 1987 to 1991 forum ( http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=39884 ). I don't think I can use the tranny, but I had replaced that last January when it suddenly quit while cruising at 75 mph in the middle of Kansas. That was about a $1000 and 3 week project, between the recently rebuilt used tranny I located ($450) and the road trip to get a trailer and haul it home, and actually getting around to replacing the tranny.

One question about the new(used) engine I am going to be putting in. I plan on running Mobile 1 full synthetic in it, as I did in the blown engine and in my Malibu. My question is, should I do an oil change and run regular oil for a few weeks then change to Mobil 1, or just do an oil change with the Mobil 1 synthetic, and keep an eye on it, and possibly do another oil change with synthetic again in a few weeks to a month.

I'd pop a valve cover and see what it looks like under there. If it'* fairly clean, then run the synthetic but change it on a short interval. If there is significant build-up, run one quart of synthetic and the rest petroleum for one change, 2 quarts synthetic the rest petroleum for the 2nd, then go with the synthetic after that.

Personally, I use an AMSOIL engine flush, which basically accomplishes the cleanout task in about half an hour. That'* what I'm planning with my "new" used engine.

I've heard about this approach, it seems to make sense.

I know it is only Wednesday night, but I am going crazy over here in the hotel room about 4 hours from home. I mean I could be at home right now tearing into the old engine and diagnosing the problem, even though I am getting the new engine Friday.



And just to go along with the new pic I added to my sig

Well I am home now, and waiting till tomorrow so I can pick up the engine.

One new development to make it an even longer wait, I was speaking to Will today to confirm a couple of things.

I then called the yard that I am getting the engine from. I knew it didn't come with the coil pack so I asked him for the module and coils from a 97+ SC engine, he said he had some from the 96+ SC Riviera(sp). I asked him how much and he said he will throw it in.

I will double check to see that it fits, if not then I will get the mounting plate from the 92-95, which should fit. If I have to pay for the second one, so be it.

Not only am I getting a new (used) engine, upgrading the ignition to the delco type, BUT I am also replacing the AC compressor which was the only place we seen ( did a dye test) that was leaking, so that it will work once again. It was working last year but then the compressor went out on it and we went a whole summer without it. Just happened that this year we set all kinds of records for how hot it was.

Awesome.

As for my AC (never worked since getting the car), it has a bad condensor. Unfortunately, we learned the lesson the hard way: it looks as if the ONLY junkyard donor that will work is a fellow '91 SSE. NO other H-body, NO other Bonneville. Or so it seems. And I've got the black car too :o

Man that really does suck, but you got lucky on the donor find! I know i heard a quad-four (iiiick) once that had that knock, then blew itself to pieces. And i've heard a 2.5 iron duke motor make that sound. 3 hours later it blew a softball-sized hole in the side of the block, spewed oil on the exhaust, and burst into flames. 3 days later we had the title in hand and installed a low mile 65k mile engine. Runs like a top now! But again, good luck on the process Keep the updates coming.

Well I got the engine this afternoon. I also got a coil pack from a 96 Riv SC, and another from a 3.3L ( just for the mounting plate). Started to look over everything to see what needed to be done.
Started to work around 3:30 ish

Found that the crank sensor needed to be changed ( managed that without removing the harmonic balancer, no choice in that matter, it was not a 24 MM like the Bonneville, but I was able to fit a 1 1/8" socket on it and it was NOT coming loose, even with my impact.

Noticed the engine mount was a bit different so I switched the brackets over, then I had to go help some friends unload some drywall.

Then it was later on in the evening, around 8 ish, and proceeded to remove any hoses that were left on it ( rad hoses) and I had Renée remove the oil filter adapter, since the Bonneville has the hoses on it leading to the rad. I also seen that the maf was completely gone, so I was going to simply put mine on it, but seen that one of the 4 holes was half cut, so I figured I would simply remove the section that has the butterfly on it that also has the 4 mounting holes, WRONG. There is a tube under it that runs through it and then goes into the top of the intake, it was not coming off, so I am now missing the gasket that used to go between the section with the butterfly in it and the following section, need engine pic to show you.

After wasting an hour or so with that I just removed the MAF from my old engine and wouldn't you know it, that same screw was not coming out on mine, so I just drilled it out and only have 3 screws for now.

I also put my spark plugs onto the new engine, until I buy new plugs.

I did notice however that 4 out of the 6 were either starting to get white or where really white on the end. on the rear bank it was the center plug and the one closest to the drivers side. On the front bank only the center one was good.

Not sure what cause that but it must have something to do with the engine doing what it did.

I also moved my new O2 sensor to the new engine. Along with grinding out the old exhaust bolts and trying to drill them out.

Tomorrow after work I hope to make new threads for the exhaust studs, install the AC compressor and install the new accumulator. I can them possibly install the engine back into the car. I am getting a feeling that the new engine won't run that great, I don't know why but it is just a feeling.

I did find out more on the owner of the car I got the engine from. It was a woman driver that only drove it during the summer, she wanted the car fixed, but due to the year of it the insurance company wrote it off, she was quite upset about it. ( it rolled once, but the body was in great shape, only the windshield and roof needed repairs.)