Hey everyone! My names Chris, I've owned an 89sse and I'm now the new owner of a 96se in flawless condition, except the motor is bad. It started out as an intake leak and the owners of the car pulled the plugs to run a compression check, and left the plugs out over the last year. Now it'* seized up. Long story short, I wanna go ahead and put a lower mileage salvage motor in it.

My questions are, is there a more or less desireable 3.8 to get? Do I need to stay within a certain year/years? If I get a 3.8 out of something else, what would I need to make it work? Could I go ahead and upgrade to an SC motor at this time, easily?

This will mainly be my wifes car, but anytime we go anywhere as a family, We'll be in this thing. Me personally? I'm more performance oriented, but I need this thing to be dead on reliable for my wife.

TIA.

*IF* your going to put a supercharged engine in, I suggest changing the tranny at the same time. That way you have the HD tranny.

And welcome to the club.

Thanks for the welcome.

I'm really leaning towards just putting an n/a 3800 back in it. I just don't know enough about about them to know if I should just get something from a 96/97 bonneville, or if say, a low mileage impala. *shrugs* What is good oil/compression numbers for these motors? I found a 3800 from a 96 bonneville with 93k that has 160psi comp and 45psi oil, for $550. Is this a good price for said motor?

I can't say for sure, but those numbers sound about right. As for the price, others have better info on that. I personally like the 97 engine, but I belive you would need to change the PCM with it. The only reason I like the 97 is changing the PCM is easy, no need for a case learn. Does that price include the tranny?

We're in a similar situation with my son'* 94.
Just in the process of removing the engine right now.
I would recommend having it rebuilt by a reputable shop and pulling and reinstalling yourself, like us. It will save you about $1,500 in labour cost and you will get very familiar with your engine that way.
Cost of a rebuild will be about $2,500. for a SC engine but that doesn't include the SC so yours wouldn't be too much different.

I'm going to be doing the swapping myself, with the help of a friend. I've done this sort of thing before, I'm just not real familiar with the differences of all of the 3800 motors. I really don't want to rebuild this one. I don't know why. I just don't. I'd like to get a salvage motor, and anything else I might need. Re-gasket the intake, valve covers, and oil pan, and slap it in over the weekend.

I guess my main question is, "Which motor should I get, and what should it come out of?"



Oh. And no, that price does not include the tranny.

That'* really up to you. If you can get your hands on a SC 3800 for a good price, then go for that. If not, go N/A. You said it'* for your wife. I love what mine can do, and my wife hates to drive my car. Dont see a down side here.

LOL. It'* for my wife because I work less then a block away from work, and just walk or ride my bike. But right now we just have a regular cab Silverado, and a 13 month old daughter. Now we've got another one on the way. Regular cab truck isn't going to work out so well.. lol. This is also going to be our "Primary" transportation, since two kids, the wife, and me won't all fit in my reg-cab truck.

I've also forgot to mention that I'm trying to do this for about a grand. I've found SC and non SC motors for far less then that, I just don't know which I should go with and what other things would need to be changed.

If I'm going to get better fuel economy/performance/reliability out of something newer, and it will be somewhat easy/inexpensive to swap.. I'd like to go that route. But if it'* going to be a PITA and expensive to put a newer motor in, then I'll probably just try and get something that will be simply pull out/put in.

If you go supercharged, you need the engine, wiring harness, PCM, axles, and transmission. Including factory service manuals to pull off the swap. There are many years to pull from, and each presents it'* unique challenges and differences.

Do you know what years besides 1996, and what cars that I could pull from that would be a direct swap? I mean, if I stick with 1996, will an olds88 be the same? park ave? grand prix?