[Shaun Moffitt]

I toasted my 3.8 it ran hot= CRACKED BLOCK+CRACKED HEAD! Anyhow I wanna fix it but got a real good question, I got access to a great running super low mile 93 supercharged 3.8 grand prix complete car ecm all that good stuff complete car etc... will the front wheel drive motor bolt to my firebird trans and will it work in my firebird sinces its the same gen? if not why? Ihave done various other motor swaps in other cars but a 3.8is a 3.8 right? or should i just sbc swap it?

 

[Brownie1981]

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/121156-v6-to-v8-swap-thread/

 

[sea dog]

I read somewhere about a person swapping his 3.8 firebird motor for a 3.8 gran prix motor. The swap worked but he had to use many parts from the firebird 3.8 to make it happen. Maybe even the cylinder heads.

My main concern is about motor mounts. A transverse engine uses completely different mounting system than a longitudinal engine. Don't remember what has to be changed to make it work.

As for the supercharger, I don't know if it will work without some plumbing work to change routing of components..

My salvage yard search engine www.car-part.com list the transverse 3.8 engines as compatible for the firebird when I search the site. Search has built in interchange capability.

 

[Injuneer]

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/522537-front-wheel-drive-to-rear-wheel-drive/?hl=%2Bfwd+%2Brwd

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/514105-just-curious/?hl=supercharge#entry1264521

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/463898-supercharge-my-v6-firebird/?hl=supercharge

http://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-v6-tech-14/3800-series-ii-iii-engine-replacement-info-57568/

What caused the block to crack.... very unusual? Cracked one head or two?

 

[Shaun Moffitt]

was driving down the rd in BFE middle of nowhere car was running good and then it was 3/4 way hot wasnt going to let it set on side of rd overnight, so i mashed the gas got up to speed, the local college wasnt to far up the rd and before it completely hit hot, i hit nuetral and coasted to parking lot lol car was steaming all to hell , towed it home the next day it started right up had a hell of a skip like a 4 cyl parked in driveway and pulled dipstick and wow chocolate milk fill radiator with water started back up and it became a cropduster wiith the hose still running in radiator and car still running it will not overflow not to mention chocolate milk spewing from side of head,top of head and intake plus a nice crack on the block under the head lol water then i shut it off and of course cleaned up the sludge off my driveway

 

[Shaun Moffitt]

i didnt wanna leave my car sitting on side of rd in bfe in the middle of the country, it decided to run hotter than normal, so i stomped it to the floor to get up speed to go a lil under a mile to the local college parking lot where i coasted in in nuetral with the car blowing mad steam from under the hood, i towed car home the next morning... it started right up but was running on like 4 cyls. anyhow i checked the dipstick and chocolate milk checked the radiator and nothing so i put water in it and started the car and to my surprise it had turned into a cropduster which of course the radiator was now empty again so for giggles i stuck the hose in radiator while the cropduster is running and needless to say it did not over flow and to my knowledge my wife says whats that under the car dripping? its sludge, and then i noticed the sludge coming from out the head and from between the intake and head and then also from the 1 inch crack from the block under the head lol but hey it still runs but it will not do a burnout! i am going to do the 3.8 supercharged swap as i will have the complete wire harness and the whole engine/trans/subframe and ecm and pcm everything wont be the normal motor swaps im used to but hey im a fabricator and hotrod builder so i will definately keep info updated thanks for the help guys also any more input will help

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/522537-front-wheel-drive-to-rear-wheel-drive/?hl=%2Bfwd+%2Brwd

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/514105-just-curious/?hl=supercharge#entry1264521

http://www.firebirdnation.com/forums/topic/463898-supercharge-my-v6-firebird/?hl=supercharge

http://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-v6-tech-14/3800-series-ii-iii-engine-replacement-info-57568/ just 1 head cracked

What caused the block to crack.... very unusual? Cracked one head or two?

 

[Shaun Moffitt]

thought about a v8 sbc swap but its a pain having to fab firewall for the distributor and having to make a plate for the cluster and run new guages and mod trans mount and driveshaft, did a buddys camaro a cpl yrs ago that way

 

[Lemons Racer]

This link is great!!!

http://camaroforums.com/forum/93-02-v6-tech-14/3800-series-ii-iii-engine-replacement-info-57568/

I don't know what etiquette rules are for posting things between different forums, but it would be awesome to have a sticky to this here as well. I know I will be using this information in the future.

Thank you for sharing Injuneer!

 

[Injuneer]

thought about a v8 sbc swap but its a pain having to fab firewall for the distributor and having to make a plate for the cluster and run new guages and mod trans mount and driveshaft, did a buddys camaro a cpl yrs ago that way

If you used the LT1 (the "Gen 2" SBC) it would fit without the firewall issue, no dash issues (just get a 94 V8 cluster), just need the LT1 engine, PCM, wiring harness, a new K-member, junkyard stock V8 trans cross-member, and stock V8 1-piece driveshaft. And even if you use a Gen 1 with a distributor, it's ugly, but is will fit with a pancake distributor, and no modifications to the firewall.