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| SCRebeck's budget 3800 swap thread (Page 1/2) |
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SCRebeck
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FEB 17, 02:16 PM
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Finally took the dive into a 3800 swap for my 86 GT. Since the donor (97 GTP) has high miles, I'll be swapping it in mostly as-is and keep expenses as low as possible, with plans to source a lower mileage engine with some performance upgrades in the future.
I'm hoping so sell a bunch of parts off the donor to recover the costs. So far I've spent $700 and have recovered $340. From my estimate, the total cost will be around $700-800 assuming I can sell all the parts I pulled from the donor. This will save me a bunch to build an engine worth building later, plus it will be an easy swap once I'm done with this one.
Progress will be slow, but I wanted to post here to document it as I go and ask the occasional question.
The GT:
The donor
Took about a day to get the engine/trans ready to pull
And pulled it out the top. I got the hoist super-cheap from Harbor Freight, open box. Just needed a few nuts and bolts from the hardware store
All cleaned up and painted. I'm just replacing some seals/gaskets, nothing else.
Painted fuel rail
I'll probably keep the alternator and heater core lines in the stock location, so I don't have to mess with custom brackets and pulleys.
I really wanted to try and make my own harness, but the more I look into this the more I'm leaning towards buying one. I'm guessing I will attempt to do it myself, give up, then buy one. We'll see.
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pmbrunelle
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FEB 17, 05:33 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by SCRebeck:
I'll be swapping it in mostly as-is and keep expenses as low as possible |
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| quote | | Originally posted by SCRebeck:From my estimate, the total cost will be around $700-800 assuming I can sell all the parts I pulled from the donor. |
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I'm actually really curious, if you track every single expense, if you can meet this target.
For my own project, I've been tracking everything, from engine machine shop work, down to cans of spray paint, bolts, worm clamps, sandpaper, WD-40 and other consumables...[This message has been edited by pmbrunelle (edited 02-17-2019).]
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Spadesluck
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FEB 17, 11:44 PM
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Very sharp looking 86. Looks well maintained, congrats on that! Good luck with the swap. Watching
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SCRebeck
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FEB 17, 11:53 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by Spadesluck:
Very sharp looking 86. Looks well maintained, congrats on that! Good luck with the swap. Watching |
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Thanks! It's taken the past 3 years to get it how it looks now. Wish I had more pictures from the beginning...
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BadNewsBrendan
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FEB 18, 09:16 AM
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What trans are you using? Almost have a 3800 into my 84 and am close to spending 3k before any wiring. That includes a spare engine, 4 speed muncie, custom flywheel and clutch, and a used set of 18 inch wheels however. Would be impressive if you could get the swap done with only a couple hundred more dollars.
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darbysan
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FEB 18, 10:31 AM
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May be too late, but the stock GTP harness, including the fuse box, is almost a direct bolt in. Only thing I did was re-wrap some of the harness to have wires flow a little smoother. Even the Electronic Cruise uses the GTP wiring. Using the GTP fuse box makes wiring very simple- only a couple of connections to the C203, and a couple to C500. Fuse box mounts where the battery sits now ( front battery relocation), ECU mounts near current Fuel Pump relay location. ------------------
'87 GT , '00 3800 Series II SC, 4t65e, Vue Power Steering. (SOLD)
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SCRebeck
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FEB 18, 06:07 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by BadNewsBrendan:
What trans are you using?
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I'm keeping the 4-speed muncie. I'll be "spending" probably over 2k, but if I subtract what I can potentially make selling parts off the donor I'm hoping the end cost will be around 1-1.2k. (went up a bit from my first post- forgot to include exhaust and a couple little things)
| quote | Originally posted by darbysan:
May be too late, but the stock GTP harness, including the fuse box, is almost a direct bolt in.
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I just ordered one of Danny's harnesses, he had one ready to go so I jumped on it. I can handle anything mechanical, but lack any confidence on electrical stuff even when done simply like you said. So having a well-done harness will be peace of mind for me.
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Dennis LaGrua
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FEB 18, 06:49 PM
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| quote | Originally posted by darbysan:
May be too late, but the stock GTP harness, including the fuse box, is almost a direct bolt in. Only thing I did was re-wrap some of the harness to have wires flow a little smoother. Even the Electronic Cruise uses the GTP wiring. Using the GTP fuse box makes wiring very simple- only a couple of connections to the C203, and a couple to C500. Fuse box mounts where the battery sits now ( front battery relocation), ECU mounts near current Fuel Pump relay location.
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I also did it this way on my first swap using the GTP harness along with the fuse box/power center. It is the easiest way to controlling that engine withput a special harness. Its been a while but recall that connections had to be made to the cooling fan, A/C request, ign power, battery power, ground, & fuel pump. I was able to locate the PCM behind the drivers seat and figured that the cooler location was beneficial. Ten years later all is still running fine.------------------
" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Spintech/Hedman Exhaust, P-log Manifold, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, Champion Radiator, S10 Brake Booster, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE COLUSSUS"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
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SCRebeck
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MAR 15, 07:49 PM
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Made quite a bit of progress. Huge shout out to FieroRog for his mounts/ flywheel and Danny McIlmoyle for his swap harness. Both had excellent fit and finish.
I went with the spec 3 clutch. It was quite a bit cheaper than the 3+ but I read mixed reviews about chatter.
Mounted on the cradle with FieroRog's engine mount and low alt mount. The low alt mount had very little clearance with the oil pressure sensor so I got a 90 degree fitting from lowe's to point it towards the front of the engine. I also decided to reuse the plastic 90 heater hose fittings in the timing cover and LIM. Not sure why I haven't seen more people do this, maybe then possibly popping out when the system is pressurized? I'll probably fab up something to keep them in place.
The two biggest things holding me back are the shift cables and exhaust. I've seen threads on people fabricating adapters to move the shift cables from interfering with the crossover but this will be difficult as I don't have a welder. Same goes for the exhaust. I'm also trying to figure out how to mount the coil pack, since I want to keep the battery in it's original location. The connector doesn't have a very long lead and doesn't leave many options. Has anyone tried keeping the battery in place and mount the coil pack without extending the connector for it?
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Spoon
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MAR 15, 09:27 PM
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