Thread: [10-09-2013 ] 3800 swap&topswap Complete!

On October 3rd 2011 my DOHC engine died. The timing belt was perfect but the timing chain and tensioner that drives the belt wasnt so. IT had 224,000 hard miles on her... it was time. she ran strong right up till the end. with that many miles and a weak trany, its not worth fixing.

So here comes a 3800 Swap. i got a complete drop in from a 98 Z34 with low miles, a topswap kit, and headers. the drop in came from Morad with a 90 day warranty. That gave me time to port the heads, lower intake, and blower. i already had a 98 Z34 harness for it and have a 98 PCM too.

mods will be as follows:
L36 bottom end
Ported Heads, L76 springs, Manley retainers, Intense light weight push rods, comp valve locks, Si Valves, viaton seals
Port matched Lower Intake Manifold
Ported Gen 3 M90 with stock pulley
Ported L67 TB and have a Northstar... will test to see which I will use. I plan to use a spare MAP sensor to test each TB for pressure drop.
3" MAF from my DOHC
Speed daddy headers to a 2.5" magnaflow muffler and then custom exhaust to dual tips.
4t65e with 3.29's
180* stat
Over sized radiator that is standard on the DOHC
Braided steel fuel lines off the lumina mpv van with 3800
Aluminum coolant elbows
Autolite 104 Iridium plugs .055 gap

Mods down the road will be:
-MPS with 3.6 and 3.4 pulleys
-Cam, timing chain and tensioner.

Dream list:
-Built trans
-Twin Charging!!!

Currently 3800 engine and trans is installed and running with the following mods:
-FWI
-Mild Ported NA TB
-HV3
-Speed Daddy Headers
-Full 2.5" exhaust with single magnaflow muffler and resonator
-plenty of tuning...

__edit 8/8/2013__

Are you buying a long or short block from Morad?

Also...last I remember...his warranty doesn't cover anything you mess with...so if your porting stuff, it voids it.

Just food for thought.

long block. basicly engine trany everything dropped out ready to go in pretty much.

yeah i know if i dive in the warranty is gone... that is why i am going to wait the 90 days and give me time to port the heads and prep the swap parts for the install.

Originally Posted by Z34Phoenix

yeah i know if i dive in the warranty is gone... that is why i am going to wait the 90 days and give me time to port the heads and prep the swap parts for the install.

So, basically whether you wait or not...the warranty is still going to be gone...I'm not seeing your reasoning behind that.

Otherwise, cam it while its out. You'll thank me later.

Skip that boring rocker crap.

I think we are looking at it differently.

i need the car running ASAP. so the NA L36 and trany are going in at the end of the week... basically as soon as the parts arrive. i will then have a driving car again and can make sure the engine is strong and stable. during this break in, i will get the top swap parts ready. i guess i never thought about the warranty on them... not sure if there is?.....

the reason im thinking rockers is that i dont like the sound of the VS cam and not sure if i want to play with a different chain to run an XP cam. ideally yes, i would have liked to build up the engine first and then drop it in but time frame and budget is not in my favor.

besides what is the fun in jumping right into having all that power from headers, cam, ported heads and blower... would be more fun to build it up and feel the gains as they are put on.

yeah im gonna give it a full shake down. Thank you for the heads up on checking for the leaks. - This will be my first "Running" 3800 the GTP i had i bought with a shattered piston and never had the car running. - What should i be looking for to see if the LIM are leaking? or is it something i have to tear into to see...

I plan to do a coolant flush with one of those cleaners, an engine restore bottle for the oil. and then swap to synthetic oil.

If it needs the gaskets changed then i will push up the plans for the topswap kit.

LIM's are a given if they aren't aluminum. There aren't usually any signs they are leaking and typically won't cause a single problem. But the potential for them to get ugly is definately there.

so can i see if they are the AL ones without tearing down the engine?

so you think i should hold back on doing flushes and running oil treatments thru it until i change the LIM gaskets?

I'd drop the motor in since you don't want to void the warranty and see what happens in a week or so. Make sure everything is buttoned up on the motor and power wash that junk at the local u-wash-it and make sure all the junk an grime is cleaned off of it. If the motor has 100k miles the LIM probably haven't been changed along with any other gasket (valve covers, front gasket, etc.).

Ask Morad what his policy is if the motor starts leaking oil/coolant within the 90 days. I never had a problem with the ONE motor I got from him, but I tore it down and replaced the LIM gaskets, valve and oil pan before dropping it in the car and it ran fine.

I'd just drop the motor in, change the oil and go from there. Maybe take out the knock sensors and clean/drain the old coolant out of it.too. That shouldn't void any warranty.

Great! learning more and more. i like the idea of pulling the Knock sensor to clean it out. never thought of that.

and i deff will clean it all down so i can see leaks. im very glad to have everyone's input on this. having a new project and loosing my LQ1, my mind is going in too many directions to hit every nail. so good to have a few hammers! thanks everyone.

The reason I say the KR sensor is that I had one motor one time that the back was so clogged up that when I pulled the sensor nothing came out of it. Stuck a screw driver up there and bam.. more coolant came out.

You got all the wiring and stuff figured out? It's been quite a while for me though but I might remember a few things.

i think so. brianteel sent me a spreadsheet with the changes to the pinouts. so the harness is sitting all freshly wrapped with new electrical tape read to go in. and a 98 pcm with a fresh bin and even the correct 98 pcm box! got the box for free when i got the pcm at the you-pull-it yard. my speed daddy headers will be here some time today and the engine is due in tomorrow. so after work tomorrow the parts and all will be dropped in the car and taken up. some of my friends are upset to see the DOHC go. I am too but i cant wait to start learning all the tricks on this engine too. i know prob everything has been tried and done, but im very creative the great with tuning and porting so... well see if i can make some 3800 magic.

Knock sensor torque is 14ft lbs. It's imperative to be correct. Too tight and it's oversensitive, too loose and under sensitive.

Agreed on checking for deposits in the sensor holes.

Why do you want to flush it with oil treatment stuff? If there are deposits, they got there slowly and regular oil changes will clean them up slowly. Too fast and you send chunks around the motor.

i have always used that silver can of engine restore. figured it helped... cause it said it reconditions seals... was good for my DOHC but i guess valve seals arent that big of a job considering i'll have the topswap under my belt anyway....

k i'll save the $$$ then. great point on not wanting built up junk to break loose

Originally Posted by Z34Phoenix

so can i see if they are the AL ones without tearing down the engine?

look where the lim meets the head, if its black its plastic, if silver its al.

Ok engine was finally pulled today and the shop let me get in and do the pounding and cutting to the fire wall for the headers. they say it should be done tomorrow.... so once running i'll have more pics and maybe some video.
Here are pics:





Before:



After:


thanks to bumpin's writeup over on montecarloforum.com i was able to know where to cut and pound the fire wall back. the engine is going in tomorrow so wont know 100% if it all worked yet but it should have been more then enough.

sub'd!

Cool! Finally a guy who upgrades instead of running the same boring 60* motor.

No offense but the 3800 is alot more fun to mod and drive!

well that same boring 60* motor was a beast. my best track time was a 14.81 and that was with my tires spinning in the back half cause of fluid of some sort on the track. if it was clean it would have been at least a high 14.7 that day. i never did get to run it again, but with the upgrades i did after that it was sure to be able to put down a low 14.7 which is good enough to take a stock GTP

now the plan is to be able to beat a stock mustang GT. my wife wants one... and knowing her she will have it in a month or less... i told her she is on her own with modding it... but knowing me i wont keep my hands off of it.


i hope that they have the car done today or tomorrow... and i can get more pics and maybe a video!