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can I put a 3100 into a GT body?

W

willalmo

New member
I have a GT body with a dead engine. I can buy a SE with a good engine but bad body. Can I put the 3100 into the GT body
 




maybe he wants someone to say its a great easy thing to do.

if you dont know the history of the crap that fails on a 3100 read the 3100 section. head gaskets and lim gaskets fail all the time.

and weak sauce. most will try to upgrade to a 3800. so your looking to down grade big time.

n/a whole engine can be found for 300 or so like said already.
 
I haven't been able to find a 3800 near here for a good price and this 3100 runs good. That's why I ask. I need to get this car on the road.
 
Around here the junk yard are asking to much. Like 1200. Idk why what with the engine being so common. Any one for a line on one in the north Georgia area?
 
keep looking for a 3800. the 3100 is just not worth the trouble to make it work. theres more then just dropping it in, pcm, harness the tranny.

search CL for part outs, or engines. call your local junk yards, ( expand your search if need be, you may have to travel some) you pull it yards or the kind where they pull the engine and know its good. sold with a warranty of 60 days or so most of the time.
 


Scottydoggs said:
keep looking for a 3800. the 3100 is just not worth the trouble to make it work. theres more then just dropping it in, pcm, harness the tranny.

search CL for part outs, or engines. call your local junk yards, ( expand your search if need be, you may have to travel some) you pull it yards or the kind where they pull the engine and know its good. sold with a warranty of 60 days or so most of the time.
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Thanks for the response. I will try harder I guess. The 02 se is a friend's and he wants $500 for it. Compared to the search for the 3800 it just seemed easier. My mechanic already noted the computer would have to be changed. But what else would be a deal breaker? Would it really be that much trouble? Cause if I could then I just j junk the body after and get back some of what I already dumped into the gt. I'm just upset still about the gt crapping out.
 
Just get the idear of putting the 3100 in out of your head. You'll swap that in and instead of spending money on a 3800 even if it is 500. You'll be 1000 grand into that swap. Or more I bet
 
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theaceofspades said:
Just get the idear of putting the 3100 in out of your head. You'll swap that in and instead of spending money on a 3800 even if it is 500. You'll be 1000 grand into that swap. Or more I bet
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Word. That's what everyone says so that's that. Thanks everyone for your time.
 
Scottydoggs said:
maybe he wants someone to say its a great easy thing to do.

if you dont know the history of the crap that fails on a 3100 read the 3100 section. head gaskets and lim gaskets fail all the time.

and weak sauce. most will try to upgrade to a 3800. so your looking to down grade big time.

n/a whole engine can be found for 300 or so like said already.
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What crap! The 3.8 has pretty much the exact same issues with failing LIM gaskets and head gasket as the 3.1. I just turned 170,000 miles on my 01 SE 3.1 with zero issues with head and LIM gaskets (pretty much no issues)-don't beat on it at all but drive 80 MPH all day long everyday on the highway. I have owned a 98 Grand Prix GT, 04 Impala LS 3.8, and an 01 LeSabre 3.8 as well the 01 SE 3.1 I currently have and prefer the 01 SE. Why? Unless you plan on modding the motor, there is very little power difference between the 3.8 (195 HP) and the 3.1 (175 HP-01-03),slightly more torque for the 3.8 but barely noticeable. With the magna flow 2.5 inch duals on my 3.1 with the U bend delete, there is virtually no difference in power versus a stock 3.8 and the 3.1. The 60 degree 3.1 is also much smoother than the 90 degree 3.8 and sounds better as well. The highway mileage between the 2 is pretty much the same but the 3.1 has a big edge with city mileage versus the 3.8. Lastly, the 3.1 is just as durable over the long term as the 3.8. I just spoke with a guy with a 3.1 in his S-10 pickup with 310,000 miles on it. The 3.8 and the 3.1 are both great motors, neither being particularly powerful.
 
Since when does the 3800 have HG issues? Very few people have ever popped one. LIM gaskets is still in court for GM...it was a known failure that killed many engines...3100, 3400, and 3800 included. But the LIM design on the 3100/3400 was conducive to head gasket death and destruction of the engine. I replaced 4 3100/3400 this summer due to this issue. I replaced one 3800 and that was due to bad cam bearings.
 


3800 doesn't have head gasket issues, just the 3100/3400.

Not to mention the ignorant offset rocker crap...and how much more it sucks to do LIM gaskets on a 60* motor vs. the 90* 3800.

JBA has been preaching 3100 love for some time...and how his dual exhaust setup added 20 million HP.

Swapping in a 3100 is bass ackwards. They only came in SE's for a reason...leave them there.
 
Scottydoggs said:
yeah, what ya get that crap info from? 3100/3400 is the real pos engine out there.
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Not really. Ive had very good luck out of my 3100 car. Ive had it for 80,000 miles and i have only had to change the water pump once. Gets decent mpg to. At 180,000 it runs great, i dogged it ALLOT when i was younger to.
 
dont mean its the best choice of engines. they fail all the time. lim gaskets are a pita when they do go, head gaskets blow all the time too.

any mods for that engine? not really right....theres a reason for that.
 
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