ok I am just learning about motors as I go so bare with me please. I want to swap my stock 3800 ss with a supercharged one or maybe if its easier just modify it and add a supercharger. Which its the easiest and or cheapest way. And is there maybe a tread out there that can help me more?

 

Just do a top end swap.

All you need is a tuned PCM (order one from ZZP, let them know it's a topswap)

The supercharger, fuel rails, throttle body, lower intake manifold, heads, and the harmonic balancer from an L67.

 

I have not done a 3800 n/a to 3800 SC swap OR a top swap.... But from what I've read, a top swap can come with some added trouble (just stuff unplanned for).

My reading on the topic says if it's a daily driver and your REALLY want to super charge it, get an engine already with a super charger, the PCM and wiring.

There are a LOT of topics on this concept. Best I can recommend, seek people that have done both types of swaps and go from there.

 

Alright thanks

 

Stop worrying the newb

Trouble can happen with anything. Top swap, motor swap, it doesn't matter. Either way, unplanned **** will occur.

Personally, I'd go for a top swap. Higher compression FTW.

 

First obvious question is- who is going to do the work? If you're just learning about engines- then you obviously won't be able to pull something like this off- neither is a beginner mod.

Cheapest is to do a top swap. Obviously a full engine swap is more expensive- because on top of buying the parts for the top swap, you need to buy the whole rest of the engine too. Also, with a top swap- other than the heads/LIM/SC/injectors - most of the rest of the parts go for free or practically nothing since they're not worth much outside of someone doing a top swap.

Easiest is a difficult term- both are very advanced mechanical projects. That's not to say we're talking 100% custom fab work like putting some totally random engine in- but we're not talking about an oil change, or brake job here either. One route, you're replacing an entire engine- the other route, you're doing a full on head gasket job, plus changing the pulley system on the front of the engine. Both routes also have a lot of potential pitfalls as well.

If you do a full L67 swap, the new engine could be garbage- it could have any number of things already wrong with it from a single bad sensor to being totally seized up. It could also have been abused and spin a bearing in 100 miles.

With a top swap, you keep most of your same engine- but there are still massive pitfalls that can make the whole project go bad. People have spun bearings by dumping too much coolant into the valley and not getting it all out. Also, you could have any number of gaskets leak and not seal up right (due to improper prep, or surface warpage/damage) since you're basically replacing every gasket on the engine.

And with either route- its possible to get a dud pcm tune (lots of mixup problems when shipping these out)- and the thing could run poorly or not at all while you wait for the new pcm.

There are tons of threads on both.

Search for "L67 swap" for the complete engine swap
and "top swap" for the supercharger swap only.

There is another option- ZZP makes an "SSM0" setup- where you spend a massive amount of money on their parts, and it lets you get by doing a top swap without pulling the heads or the harmonic balancer (two of the worst parts of the top swap)- but it also crazy expensive- the new fuel logs alone are like $500 (what you could get all the top swap parts for).

 

Thanks that great information. And no I'm not doing it my fiance and his brother is

 

If you need a hand, let me know. I might be able to find some time to help.