[mike0513]

my dad has a buick regal with a 3.8 in it...would it be possible to do an engine swap? they're both gm cars so i would assume it could be possible.

thanks for input
mike

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

Not worth the time, money, and headache. I'm assuming you have a 3.5 G6? 3.5 is a 60*V6, 3.8 is a 90*V6 so you'll more than likely have to have custom motor mounts, trans mount, subframe, wiring harnesses, and axles made.

Or you could spend $500 on a wet nitrous kit, and achieve the same results with a 50-75 shot. Plus a tune.

 

[EqualPotential]

Couldnt he just do the 3.9 L swap

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

Couldnt he just do the 3.9 L swap

Still not worth the money, just build on your existing drivetrain. A total build on the top 1/2 of the motor would yield some pretty bad ass results, top that off with headers, exhaust, 75 wet shot, & a tune = WIN

 

[gs1990-G6GT]

What headers are available...and what about a turbo or sc?

Still not worth the money, just build on your existing drivetrain. A total build on the top 1/2 of the motor would yield some pretty bad ass results, top that off with headers, exhaust, 75 wet shot, & a tune = WIN

 

[mike0513]

i would rather do the swap than deal with trying to put in a turbo from what ive heard on here lol...what would be involved with the wet shot? could i strap it on the stock system? i doubt it.

thanks for anymore input
mike

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

What headers are available...and what about a turbo or sc?

OBX headers if he has the LX9 motor, s/c or t/c would have to be all custom fabricated.

i would rather do the swap than deal with trying to put in a turbo from what ive heard on here lol...what would be involved with the wet shot? could i strap it on the stock system? i doubt it.

thanks for anymore input
mike

If you're talking about putting a wet shot on a stock motor, then yes you can. The common misconception of nitrous is it always blows shit up, well yea if you don't do your research shit will blow up. You could put a 30 shot on it with 1 step colder copper plugs and probably get away with not having to remove any timing. I always recommend having a car tuned for any kind of power adders though.

I'm sure that motor would take a 50-75 wet shot without any problems. Provided you have a good tuner working on your car.

 

[mike0513]

Whats the difference between a wet shot and a dry shot?

 

[G0VTCH33ZE]

Whats the difference between a wet shot and a dry shot?

A wet shot pulls fuel from your fuel rail and shoots it out the same nozzle as the nitrous, mixing the two before entering the cylinder. A wet shot is a lot safer due to your fuel injectors not having to overcompensate and play catch up for the added nitrous on a dry shot.

 

[DBWatkins]

The other side of the coin.

The other side of this coin has been tossed around extensively on Pontiac Grand Prix forums, that being "Can you put the 6T## transmission in a 3.8L Grand Prix?"

The answer is overwhelmingly what you received above, "yes but what a headache, your better off working with what you have."

The key points are the same though:

• Need to make custom mounts/move things around.
• Too much power from the 3.8/the six speed isn't rated high enough.
• You can achieve better results with a cheaper easier modification.
• Shift timing.

If you do decide to go ahead with the project keep this in mind: The 6T## transmissions are rated at max 315 HP/300 ft lb torque, the 3.8L engines (L36/L26) can produce better than that naturally aspirated, though out of the box they are rated at 205 HP/230 ft lb torque. You'll actually have to modify the 3.8L to get what you get from the 3.5L out of the box.

As to the turbo issue... The W-body crowd has had the 3.8L in roughly it's current incarnation since 1995. Some of the engines have been successfully turbo charged, but far more attempts end in destroyed engines and incredibly thorough wastes of money and time. I expect that roughly the same thing is in store for the 3.5L/3.9L, years until the proper formula is achieved and it will still end up better left undone.

The IVVT (infinitely variable valve timing) and offset bore are the main culprits in problems with boosting the new GM engines. The IVVT adjusts the timing of the valves equally in order to optimize performance, so when you apply the additional air from a turbo the engine ends up running lean and killing itself trying to re-optimize the fuel/air mix. With the center of the cylinder bore being offset from the camshaft and the camshaft itself constantly changing position the elevated compression becomes an issue for the piston rods where applied stress is concerned.

The LX/LZ/LY engines are remarkable in that, for the first time, Pontiac enthusiasts have an engine that takes care of needs for added effective compression without using additional parts (turbo/supercharger). All in all the engine your car has is more than capable of pushing the rest of the drive train to its limits if you make smart modifications.

End advice: Modify fuel system (wet shot), tune, remove weight where you can do so safely, and tune again (after every significant performance modification).

 

[mike0513]

thanks for the help guys!

 

[Thunderbat]

I own a 2001 Grand Prix GT with the L36 engine. It has been very reliable and gets great mileage for the power it delivers, and while there is huge amount of aftermarket available for mods, you have to spend a lot to get any serious power.
There are board members who have spend big dollars on supercharging and intercooling and still have not hit the elusive 300hp mark.
While I have little experience with the various 60degree V6 engines, I have read several times over on 60dgreeV6.com that 300hp is an attainable figure while still in N/A form...this is one of the reasons I have considered swapping to a 60degree engine in my car, which can be done by going to the base SE parts 9for the 3100/3400 engine.

The advice given so far I think is sound. Nowadays swapping engines is quite involved with harnesses and computer modules that must function in order to run and be driveable. Modding what you have usually works best unless you have time, knowledge and deep pockets.