newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

So my younger brother just blew the 3.4 in his 97 monty. He's always been frustrated with how slow the car is and his birthday is looming so i thought i'd swap motors for him as a gift...and sneak in hopped up motor with out his knowledge :D I've done some searching and from what i can gather the 3.8L in later monty's was avail with a supercharger.

A little background on me...i'm a jeep guy who builds rock crawlers. I understand motor swaps, i'm currently building a CJ-7 buggy with a 5.0L mustang motor/C6/Atlas, 1 ton axles and coilovers 40" tire [sm=icon_blah.gif], i've got a welder, tube bender, engine hoist etc..so the basic mechanical skills are there, i just don't have any history/background with GM stuff let alone front wheel drive Monty's. My other toys are a diesel trucks...i just got rid of my 01 audi S4 [sm=icon_rock.gif] which by the way my brother LOVED...hence thedesire to give him a car with some giddy up. Any input on where to start searching and what would be the best route would be GREATLY apreciated.[sm=hail.gif] My thought was some motor/tranny combo from mid 2000's flavor GM front wheel drive line up. I realize a 5.3 from a truck won't fit....but damn that's my first choice [8D]

oh and by the way this is my first post [sm=icon_cheers.gif] So go easy on the new guy:)

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

Steps to pull engine:

1) Go to autozone and buy Haynes overhaul book

2) Follow directions

3) Start car, and drive.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

http://www.l67swap.com/ This will give you tons of answers.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

I think you totally missed my point or you just didn't read what i posted, but i do NOT want to just swap in a nother 3.4, i'd like to suprise him and swap in a larger motor with more power. I did some searching, including a little on motorswap .org, and it appears the 3.8 with a supercharger is the way to go....can anyone help point me in the right direction. I would assume it's best to swap the motor/tranny as a pair. What's the best donor car for this swap.


Thanks guys:D

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

motorswap.org and l67swap are the same place. For donor cars, I would recommend 2000+ Grand Prix, 04-05 Monte, and I don't remember the years for the Bonneville.

You WILL want the transmission that goes with it. It is a 4T65-E HD.

You might be able to get your hands on one from Moradparts.com. Ed always has tons of stuff in stock.


If you can, get your hands on a 05-06 Grand Prix engine. They have the upgraded GenV supercharger and is a really good platform to start with.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

OK, I found an 06 buick lacross 3.8 non supercharged motor with 25K on it. Its still in the car, $1,200 delivered to colorado, complete with wiring/computer/accessories and tranny. Am i asking for trouble going with an 05+ motor due to the electronic throttle on the L32 motors vs the old throttle body style on the L67? Also, what kind of power am i looking at for this motor vs an L67 from a 99 buick regal. I ask because i can get a 99 regal L67 supercharged motor w/38K miles complete, still in the car with everything listed above for $1,800. Is it worth the $600 extra for the power gains....and ease of install....sorry for all the questions, just want to make an informed decision.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

I have a 97 3.4 LQ1and the 3.8L V6 isnt much faster than a good runningLQ1 if any. I have run with two monte SS's now and I beat one by a little and lost to one by a little. They were both 01s non supercharged. If you really want to give your brother's car more power, I would spend the extra 600 and get the supercharged engine. You would probably spend more than that getting the NA 3.8 to the power level of the L67 anyway.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

Just talked to my father who did some work on the car a while back, it's the 3.1, NOT the 3.4, i was mistaken. I posted up pretty much the same thing on motorswap.org, and have been searching a lot over there. Sounds like the supercharged L67 is the way to go, now i just need to find out EXACTLY what parts to get from the donor vehicle and figure out what's going to be the most painless donor car as far as wiring is concerned....again, new to the whole GM thing and don't know much about what wiring harness will swap over easily.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

You COULD go with the L32 and do a top swap for a better supercharger, but that gets pretty expensive. The L32 has better compression, so doing the top swap will actually give you more hp than buying an L67 with the supercharder already, I think the difference is around 20 hp, depending on the SC you use on the L32. I have an L32, and it does pick up pretty quickly. I love mine. Great engines.

RE: newbie motor swap question on a 97 Monty
 

Yeah the 3.4LQ1isa whole different animal than the 3.1 both in anatomy and power. Make sure you get a 4T65e-HD to mate to the L67. The 4t60e (what is in the car already) will be eaten up by that motor and even a 4T65e(non HD) wont like the power.