I have an 88 with a worn out 2.5 and im looking for options to replace it. Most of the engines covered here are the 6 and 8 cylinders but what about the 4 bangers?

Would I be just as well off to rebuild this one or are there any late model engines I could grab from the junkyards fairly cheap and use without too much modding?

The Ecotecs are the only ones that I have noticed being swapped in but I cant find just what all has to be done to get them in and running.

Any opinions? Thanks,

Steve

ecotec, most nissan, honda, and maybe some toyota 4 bangers are good. nothing is a direct swap.

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First LX9 Fiero GT, 1987
If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem
Fiero's are people too. We pay just as much attention to them, if not more than our loved ones
screw paying those bastards. im not going to become rich by paying for things.....
My Fiero Fuel Economy
Videos of My GT
Google Videos of My GT
MPG Display for OBD I

Also the Quad 4, especially the High Output (HO) version. Some info here.

I have a 1984 SE that has 85% of a Nissan engine swap completed. The particular Nissan engine I chose to do my swap with is called a CA18DET. It's a 1.8L, DOHC, 16 valve, turbocharged engine with a cast alluminum head and cast iron block. It redlines comfortably at 7900 rpm but will still make power all the way to 8200 rpm. The version manufactured for sale in America was the CA18DE. It was basically the same engine but without the upgraded internals to withstand the effects of turbocharging. These engine are very popular, have a large amount of aftermarket support and can be built to generate 300 hp on a very modest budget. Someone with deep pockets can easily make 550-600 hp, but this requires swapping out the majority of the internals with lighter, much higher quality pieces and going to a much larger turbo than the T-25 that my engine has.

I may be forced to sell this project as I am moving to New York and won't have a garage in which to work. I'm also going to have to figure out how to get my fours cars up to New York and figure out how to cheaply store them where they won't rust to pieces waiting for a proper garage to house them. So I may just be better off doing what is right for the car and selling it to someone that can finish it. All that is left to be done is sending the ECU to Australia and having Matt Brown at NIStune reprogram and put a daughterboard in it. The engine wiring harness needs to be seperated from the rest of the chassis harness to cut down on the clutter in the engine bay. In addition to that, the coolant, fuel, brake, and vacuum lines need to be routed and plumbed in. The cradle-mounted Fiero tie-rods need to be turned down and threaded to accomodate the Nissan tie-rod ends. Aside from that, all that is left is to put the interior and body panels back on and it's up and running.

I don't want to sell it because I'm so damn close to finishing it. But if I find it's going to cost too much to transport or house, I may have to.

maybe an idea for you for shipping. when I moved, I had 5 cars to go. I got in touch with a guy that ran an EZ Go , Golf cart co. they use car transports to move them. I got 5 cars moved for $500. they might have an emty truck going to where you need. worth a try

Go for the Ecotec. Its in my daily driver (Olds Alero) and is a peppy little 4 cylinder (peppier than some V6s I've driven). Plus, if more people do the swap, it'll be more common and I can find someone to do that swap for me )

But seriously, its a great little engine with decent gas mileage (33 HWY and 30 CITY) and its super light. I think it would be an ideal Fiero swap ...

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1987 Fiero GT
1986 Fiero SE
2004 Alero GL a.k.a. Raccoon Killer!

The quad would be the easiest swap.. You would have to swap in a getrag with it though.

If you wanted to keep the isuzu, a v6 is the only logical choice, and you can go with an updated, alum head, decent gas mileage setup out of a 01-04 car, and run modern EFI with it too.

A 2.2 pushrod 4 cylinder would be an easy swap. There's a guy on this forum that's done it before. It might be "befarrer"

go to the construction zone .my ecotec swap is usually up near the top .there are kits for mounts and tranny linkages and exhaust available from Roger Thelin .he has a website .member fosgatecavy98 is building megasquirt wiring harnesses .check him out in the general chat section .i did everything myself by using a 2.2 eco and f23 5 speed and all the wiring from a 2003 cavalier .i still dont think it is a hard swap , and i made everything myself .it all depends on your skill level .

quote Originally posted by wftb: go to the construction zone .my ecotec swap is usually up near the top .there are kits for mounts and tranny linkages and exhaust available from Roger Thelin .he has a website .member fosgatecavy98 is building megasquirt wiring harnesses .check him out in the general chat section .i did everything myself by using a 2.2 eco and f23 5 speed and all the wiring from a 2003 cavalier .i still dont think it is a hard swap , and i made everything myself .it all depends on your skill level .

I would tend to agree with this except if you plan on running the auto that goes with the Ecotec, you will need the Ecotec PCM and wiring harness IMO the complexity of the swap rises considerably when the automatic is used. I am also uncertain if anyone has successfully completed an Ecotec/auto swap.

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" THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, 3.4" Pulley, N* TB, LS1 MAF, Flotech Exhaust Autolite 104's Custom CAI 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite.
"THE WILDCAT"
87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H
" ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "

What do you primarily use the car for, and what are your goals for it? If you just want reliable transportation with minimal hassle and good fuel mileage, rebuild the duke. If you want more performance, then swap something else in. And if you're looking for more performance, is sticking with a 4 cylinder an absolute necessity, and if so, why? Some folks like the aesthetics of having a higher performance 4 cylinder under the hood, others like different setups. All a matter of personal choice.

To accurately answer your question, there isn't, to my knowledge, a "drop-in" replacement for the duke. And if you're going to swap for more power, the first thing to do is settle on what your goals (performance and $$$) are, and what you want the car to look and perform like when you're finished.

Whatever you decide, good luck.

The final solution revealed !! Oh,, learned ones it is so simple install the latest model duke..this is the easiest install for increase performance and better MPG than an Ecotecie,,If you are a gluton for swap punishment install the 91 or 92 ecm..
how ever if you need the sense of accomplishment and have many,many hours available to spend on an expensive swap go with the Eco. or quad 4 !!
If you are short of gold bullion and the stock portfolio has made drastic drops,not to mention the wealthy widow would rather marry a circus midget than be seen in public with you !! warm up to an easier swap ,,A duke out of a buick ,,S-10 truck,, Oldsmobile ,,or GM van..even a chevy
Unfortunately these are cheap ,,parts are cheap and plentiful,,another sore point is some of these engines will just drop in..
Of course another major problem is these engines are easy to work on and the stuff is available to bolt right up to your tranny..and info and parts readily available to change to 4 speed auto ..with the 4 speed auto you can recieve 36 to 38 mpg !! terrible correct!!
This is horrible !! worse than the red devils & Poles drop into that dutch town in big 2.. Cheap parts ,,plentiful,,easy install, stock look,,money left over ..
The best Fiero swap is to buy a Good running V6 and modify to increase MPG ,,unless you just are in love with your car..Of course you can swap many parts from old car into new and then sell

member Rodo has a running 2.2 auto swap .i guess i should make myself clearer when i say i used the harness from the cavalier .i used the harness ,ECM and BCM and for a while the ignition switch and key from the donor cavalier .and when you do that , it is pretty much plug and play .Rodo's car can be seen in the thread " ecotec fiero :has anyone actually completed one ? " .dont know which page it is on .really nice car . i did the ecotec because i wanted light weight ,good mileage ,potential for awesome performance , a currently produced engine without a history of problems and something different from all the 3800sc swaps .i really considered doing a 3800 sc until i found out it was all cast iron .its a great motor , but i wanted a loss of weight , not a gain .the handling difference with the lighter motor is a bit like going from a harley sportser to a crotch rocket .

Whats the latest year car or truck that used the same 2.5 block as the Fiero?

http://car-part.com/

You may find a decent engine at a salvage yard near you.

quote Originally posted by jetman: http://car-part.com/ You may find a decent engine at a salvage yard near you.

I have checked there with no luck. I am already doing a swap on my 86 and I really dont want to get into another one right now that needs a wiring harness,mounts,programing,ect...

I just thought there might be a block that I could use from a later model (late 90s?) that I could find with not so many miles on it. I looked into a rebuilt one but the price is around $1500-$2000 plus a core charge which might not be too bad except that I am already spending money on a 3800sc swap in mine so I can have a good DD. Time flies and suddenly I find I have 2 kids in need of a dependable vehicle so I need this one running as well.

It seems to run good but it looks like a bug sprayer when its running.

Steve

Try these, courtesy of Paul McKibben at FieroSails. As a side note, one of our club members used one of the Pontiac 6000 engines to replace his original. He said it was a virtual drop in, with only 1 minor change he had to make. I don't remember if his was an 87 or 88, though.

'87 Fiero 2.5L Engine: The following engines can be used in a Fiero except for the flywheel or flexplate. Change induction, exhaust, and electrical systems, pilot bushings as necessary. Will not interchange with '88 engines due to oil pan interference with frame.
Pontiac 6000 '87 2.5L VIN "R"
Chevrolet Celebrity '87 2.5L VIN "R"
Buick Century '87 2.5L VIN "R"
Olds Cutlass Ciera '87 2.5L VIN "R"

The following information was posted to Pennock's Fiero Forum by "Ray" from Houston, TX:

It is possible to get a better 2.5L engine for the '87-88 2.5L Fiero from a 1993 S-10. The 2.5L engine from the '93 S-10 should provide over 100 HP and considerably better mileage.


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'88 Fiero 2.5L Engine: The following engines can be used in a Fiero except for the flywheel or flexplate. Change induction, exhaust, and electrical systems, pilot bushings as necessary. Will not interchange with '87 engines due to oil pan interference with frame.
Pontiac 6000 '88-89 2.5L VIN "R"
Chevrolet Celebrity '88-89 2.5L VIN "R"
Buick Century '88-89 2.5L VIN "R"
Olds Cutlass Ciera '88-89 2.5L VIN "R"

quote Originally posted by KurtAKX: A 2.2 pushrod 4 cylinder would be an easy swap. There's a guy on this forum that's done it before. It might be "befarrer"

"befarrer" has a HO quad 4 swap done (with matching Getrag) and is saying he is getting on the + side of 40 for mileage, his dad has done the 2.2 turbo swap and is running it with the Izusu 5 speed.

[This message has been edited by Mickey_Moose (edited 03-05-2009).]

It seems that the 2.5 has gone wayward since 93 and nothing after that year will swap out so I guess I am going to have to go with a rebuild some how. I would really like to get a newer engine swapped in but for now I really dont have the time or money for another swap project. Many thanks for the info.

Steve