Thread: Engine/Trans assembly swap

I have personally done hundreds of swaps, take what I say as the word of actual honest 3800 dedicated experience or not it's all fine in my eyes.

3.8L engines are 231 ci. All of them. The Grand National to the LN3's to the C motor to the Series I when the first SC'd one was introduced in the H/G body cars to the Series II that finally landed in the W bodies as well. There is only one cam in any of these motors and it's driven by a chain off the crank gear. 96-most 04 L67's had a steel oil pan from the factory in the W bodies. H/G bodies started to see aluminum pans in 2000. Oil adapters changed based on the year and body of the car. Sensors/TB's changed a little over the years, however when you look at these motors in a whole, it is easy to interchange them.

When you get a JY motor typically it will not have the ps pump, AC or alternator on it. The wiring harness is typically cut and the same with hoses. When I receive a motor, I "prep" the engine by removing all these things. Then I sit the two engines side by side and swap any brackets or sensors that are different. Now you new engine is ready to get dropped into your car.

Often the Hollander exchange (program that tells a JY what fits and doesn't) will say an engine won't fit based on a small bracket that you can change in less than a minute. Would you choose not to use a 20K motor for $300 in lieu of a 130K motor for $700 based on something as easy as replacing the alternator bracket with the one from your vehicle and $6 worth of coolant elbows?

You can use the lower end of an NA motor for an SC car.
You can use the 04+ L32 in an older L67 car by simply swapping intake manifold up.
You can use any NA motor in any NA car if you swap the upper intake manifold up.

If you look in the how to section you will find that many people have used the newer parts on older cars to not only get less miles, but also better things like the structural aluminum oil pan that doesn't leak like the steel one. All these things I am mentioning require no pcm programming. They are simply replacing parts.

For approximately 10 years I worked on almost nothing besides a GM 3.8L, my mechanic buddy would call me and ask why a 98 NA motor that was always $200-$300 was suddenly $600 with super high miles. I'd advise him to buy an 06+ lucerne 3.8L with 15K miles for $150-$250 and swap the intake/TB, and alternator bracket. His additional labor and gasket cost was less than $30 to use a better engine and have a happier customer due to lower cost and newer parts.

Short version: Here on this forum you are talking to people that have intimate knowledge and experience of the GM 3.8L platform specifically. A person working at a yard gets questions on tons of different cars a day, they do not specialize. You choose who you would like to believe, people that have done it and are talking from actual experience or guys looking at an interchange book?

There are a couple of write ups that will help you get it done quick and easy.

I believe this one is your best route
How to pull and engine and transmission out the top

if you have an aluminum pan, you just use grey rtv, no gasket..... old black metal pan gets a gasket.