I have an 02 monte SS with a 3.8 n/a. The engine is toast. What i am wanting to know is what engines can i replace it with. Does it have to have the letter K in the VIN number in order to just drop in with no extra work.

If looking at different cars, what cradles will simply bolt up to my sub frame?

Thanks!

 

What is wrong with the engine? Best bet is to go to the junkyard and buy any reasonable mileage na 3800 series 2 from a fwd car. Swap on anything different from your engine (mounts, etc) and drop it in. Some cars have slightly different mounts, oil filter brackets, etc. Best bet is if you can find a wbody 3800, but I wouldn't turn away a low mileage H body.

I wouldn't mess with finding other engines that might fit, 3800s are everywhere for cheap.

 

does that cover his "plug and play" question ?
the 98 motor I got for top swap, I was told one year to old without much rigging

I guess it depends if you are working it yourself or paying others to work on it

 

I don't understand the question about plug and play. I'm not suggesting to buy a fully dressed engine with every single sensor and plug to swap it out. That's just going to cost a lot more money, and opens up more unknowns with all of the sensors and accessories being of unknown condition.

If something in the bottom end is shot (say a spun bearing, chipped piston, etc). I'd just buy a short block and swap over all your current accessories and such. Then you know the exact condition of what youre putting in, with the exception of the new shortblock. Plus you can leave your PS and AC hooked up and just hanging in thr car until the new engine goes in.

That also eliminates the issues of getting something that doesn't plug in / mount up correctly because it's from x year or x body car since the 3800 bottom end is the same across any fwd l36 car.


If you're paying someone else to do the work, then I wouldn't mess with sourcing an engine yourself anyways. Let them own the process start to finish so they can't blame you for picking bum parts.

 

I just bought the car with 120k on it. When i bought it i was told it wouldn't turn over and the battery was dead so who knew at the time. when i got it home in the garage i soon found out that the motor was seized on it. we were able to free the engine and get it to turn over, but when it was turning over the motor was hopping and sounded like it was throwing a bag of hammers inside so obviously something has let go inside.

Rather then just rebuilding i have found a 99 grand prix gtp with a supercharger. it is still a 3800 series 2, which is what i have only difference is i currently have a n/a 3800.

With the supercharged engine, it should be a direct drop in and no extras right? wondering if my current computer will work, or if i will need the computer from the grand prix, and if so will my dash work when connected to the new computer?

thanks

 

It will drop right in. You will need modifications though. No, your current computer is not tuned for a supercharged motor. That will need to be changed out for the donor car's engine tune, with your transmission gearing. You will need to get in touch with someone who tunes these cars - ZZP, Wbodystore, Milzy, Overkill are just a few of the PCM tune vendors that come to mind.

Not too sure about the wiring harness. Your current harness SHOULD be compatible, but you might need to look into an L67 swap harness.

 

Awesome! Thanks for the quick reply!
I may have left some details out. The donor car is supercharged with an aftermarket charger. The transmission was redone by stage 3 performance and the computer in the grand prix was programmed by zzp.

i have dropped both the engine cradle out of the monte as well as the grand prix, so engine and transmission are still bolted together, i have no intention on separating them. So that being said all i would have to do is use the computer out of the grand prix since it is all ready tuned/programmed for the supercharger rather than using the original monte computer right?

Thanks

 

Correct, use the Grand Prix PCM. Tuning may still be needed for passlock. What kind of aftermarket supercharger is it?

 

[QUOTE=koss258;690431]I have an 02 monte SS with a 3.8 n/a. The engine is toast. What i am wanting to know is what engines can i replace it with. Does it have to have the letter K in the VIN number in order to just drop in with no extra work.

If looking at different cars, what cradles will simply bolt up to my sub

 

You didnt say what year you've got, but generally you need to stay within the same generation of the same platform. So if you've got a 2nd gen W, then you need to look for another 2nd gen W. With that said, I wouldn't put a steel cradle on an aluminum cradle car.

But assuming you've got the same problem as the OP (a blown engine), I wouldn't bother buying / swapping cradles unless yours is destroyed somehow. Its extra expense for something that virtually never goes bad.