Around how long would it take to swap a 3800 from a 88 bonneville into a fiero automatic trans and all. I have a 85 gt auto now. What about mounts buy some make some? Fiero x said in a thread that his took 10 days around how long would it take on average working all day everyday. I have the bonneville in the yard complete and the fiero (duh) I have a tool set a grinder a hoist and strong friends. I have also put a 3.1 from a camaro in my car and have changed about about 5 of the v6's in and out of various fieros. rough estimate? Welder too almost forgot. Thanks

I've done two 3800 S1 swaps. IMO, figure 100 hours and $1000 over the cost of the engine and trans.

The major items are the wiring (30 hours), the shifter (unless you don't want it to look even semi-stock and it's also backwards so it takes some fabrication) and the exhuast. The mounts and axles are pretty straight forward.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 10-30-2002).]

Well the good thing is that I already have the bonneville so the engine trans and ecu with all of the wiring are free. How do you get 30 hours with the wiring alone? Do u use the cpu from the fiero or the bonneville? I am really creative and can do most of the things myself and I dnon't really see 1000 in misc. parts. What is it with the wiring though that takes soo long.
and the shifter thing. Shouldn't it be almost the same as a th-440 swap. What mods have to be made to that?

[This message has been edited by freedog81 (edited 10-30-2002).]

30 hours to do a clean job on the harness. The donor harness is the wrong length and none of the wires point in the right direction. Otherwise you have to mount the ECM under the console, lengthen/route wires to the main connectors, do the AC, gauges, backup lights, start control, cruise control (if it's integrated into the ECM) etc. The grounds aren't in the right places.

If you just toss the ECM in the trunk and apply power using wire nuts you can likey get that down to 5 hours. I wanted the wiring to appear factory as much as possible.

Those times are based on reality. It's amazing how much time you will actually spend on it. For the exhaust, I spent at least 5 hours working out different routing and fabing up the final design. The shifter tooks several hours for the console and indicator and then the reverser design (the Fiero cable goes the wrong way and the tall lever wouldn't work on a Series I engine).

Stuff just adds up.

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 10-30-2002).]

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 10-31-2002).]

Here is the website of a guy who did it annd did it right. Ask him. Also has a 5spd manual.

I'd say you can do it in about 45 hrs with help when needed. I used to pull out the stock V6's and replace them in about 12 to 15 many years ago. I know more and am alot faster now. I think I could do this swap in 45 hrs easily following his schematics and diagrams below. Damn......makes me wanna give it a try. But I'm on workers comp for my back damn it.

http://www.ipass.net/~fieroman/terranexus/fieroman/index.html

Phil

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GTDude
OVER 25 years GM experience

[This message has been edited by GTDude (edited 10-31-2002).]

I will be sure to let you know Phil. I am really excited about it because it should net me better mileage and more power but I won't really be going at it until chrismas. The car is my daily driver and I am in my senior year of college and won't have any time until christmas. But then I plan to charge at it full force. About the wiring do you think that it is worthit to pay the wcf people 300 to do it or not. I want as little down time as humanly possible thanks again.

Well of course you can do it faster with more people. It's like cooking a turkey. 6 hours at 350, 3 hours at 700, 1.5 hours at 1400. 45 minutes at 2800...... At some point you can't get any more hands in there though (or the turkey carbonizes).

quote Originally posted by TK: (or the turkey carbonizes)

Umm..turkey carbon

I'm going on 2 years for my 3800 swap.

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Me & Mrs. Fierohoho

quote Originally posted by fierohoho: I'm going on 2 years for my 3800 swap.

Ok, now that's a little slow. Have you considered buying some tools?

Ok, I admit it. I have some projects that are 5 years old. I just want to take my time and do it right.....Once I figure out what "right" is....

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 10-31-2002).]

I am doing the 4.9 swap, its very similer to the stuff required to the 3800 swap. Trust me, looking at a swap from the outside it looks pretty easy, but trust me, once you get into it, it will eat up a lot more time than you think. I agree with it taking about 75ish hours to do correctly.

And i agree with adding about $1000 to the top after the engine purchase. You need different axles, engine oil cooler, fuel pump if using a 4cyl car, bigger radiator if goin from a 4cyl car, steel to make mounts, belts, hoses, misc stuff, plan to at least poly the rear suspension, fabbing up an exhaust system, ect ect ect. It adds up

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'88 Red SE (4.9 PFI, 4T60E 4speed O/D trans, Custom cradle) Engine installed! Fastback conversion begins.....the fun just keeps multiplying!

What modifications do I have to make to the wiring harness and can those be done before i even begin the swap. Do I just have to make them reach inside to meet the cpu or what? The reason is I am thinking that I can do all of the little stuff before I begin the swap all together.

It's one of those things best done in the car other than maybe getting engine wires to the right spot for the firewall hole.

quote Originally posted by freedog81: I will be sure to let you know Phil. I am really excited about it because it should net me better mileage and more power but I won't really be going at it until chrismas. The car is my daily driver and I am in my senior year of college and won't have any time until christmas. But then I plan to charge at it full force. About the wiring do you think that it is worthit to pay the wcf people 300 to do it or not. I want as little down time as humanly possible thanks again.

Depends on how handy you are with electronics....$300 can be spent in parts and labor rather quicky....especially if you're iffy about what you're doing.

Phil

quote Originally posted by freedog81: About the wiring do you think that it is worthit to pay the wcf people 300 to do it or not. I want as little down time as humanly possible thanks again.

You may want to check with WCF on the prices for having them do the harness. I had the same question and sent them an email to verify the price. The website prices are out of date, and the price is CONSIDERABLY higher... Like about three times higher.