Engine compatibility (Page 1/2) Damian21214L DEC 20, 02:11 PM Hi, I found an 2.8L engine from '85 Fiero with 4 manual tran in good condition. Will it be fit to my '88 Formula with auto transmission? I've to decide quick Damian fieroguru DEC 20, 04:09 PM What are you trying to do with it? There are differences that may or may not be important. Damian21214L DEC 20, 04:33 PM I have a 1988 Pontiac Formula with a 2.8L engine and an automatic transmission. The engine is damaged, with a cracked block and head. I’ve found a 2.8L engine from a 1985 Pontiac Fiero with a 4-speed manual transmission. My question is: is such a swap possible? What additional components would I need to make it work? Damian fieroguru DEC 20, 05:19 PM Possible... yes, but not without a fair amount of work. The 88 is neutral balanced and the 85 is not, so you will need an 85-87 flex plate. You will need to swap the 88 harness to the 85 engine and several of the sensor/component connectors are different. So you will need to swap several of these. The 88 has a different exhaust crossover, exhaust after the crossover, engine mount, alternator, the engraved upper intake, and a few other differences, so those will all need swapped. The 85 water pump will have a pipe that needs plugged as well. You will basically need to tear each engine down to the long block and swap the 88 parts to the 85 block.(except the flex plate must be 85-87). richard in nc DEC 20, 05:41 PM maybe find you a camaro 3.4.gain something for all that trouble. Patrick DEC 20, 05:44 PM quote Originally posted by richard in nc: maybe find you a camaro 3.4... gain something for all that trouble. Being located in Poland, the OP may not have a lot of options. 82-T/A [At Work] DEC 20, 05:45 PM YES, it will fit JUST fine... use EVERYTHING from your 88 engine EXCEPT the flywheel. You will need to get a flywheel for an AUTOMATIC 85-87 V6 Fiero... the one from the 88 will not work because the 88s are internally balanced, and the 85-87s are externally balanced. Again, not a problem, you will just need to get a flywheel... (the manual transmission one won't work with the torque converter, unless you plan to convert your car to a manual also). Damian21214L DEC 21, 05:54 AM Thanks for all the replies. In summary, if I swap the flexplate for an 84-87 one and transfer the ancillaries from the old engine (replacing worn components with new ones as I go), everything should align. As previously mentioned, options are limited in Poland, and essentially in Europe. The 3.4L option, while appealing, is also very hard to find. I've been searching for an engine for my Fiero for 6 months, and this 1985 engine is the first one that's actually available to buy. I hope to finish restoring the car by spring and take it out on the road again after a dozen years. Thanks again. richard in nc DEC 21, 06:28 PM quote Originally posted by Patrick: Being located in Poland, the OP may not have a lot of options. i didn't notice that. 82-T/A [At Work] DEC 21, 11:57 PM quote Originally posted by Damian21214L: Thanks for all the replies. In summary, if I swap the flexplate for an 84-87 one and transfer the ancillaries from the old engine (replacing worn components with new ones as I go), everything should align. As previously mentioned, options are limited in Poland, and essentially in Europe. The 3.4L option, while appealing, is also very hard to find. I've been searching for an engine for my Fiero for 6 months, and this 1985 engine is the first one that's actually available to buy. I hope to finish restoring the car by spring and take it out on the road again after a dozen years. Thanks again. Correct... I don't know if you can buy this (if the shipper is willing to ship internationally), but this is what you need to buy: https://www.ebay.com/itm/384394706471