Fork in the road: Which motor swap plan makes more sense?

[ragejg]

My daily driver's recieving a newer motor after the original puked @ 130k...

 

It's a '93 Lumina Sedan with a 3.1, 125-C tranny, and ABS.

 

The motor going in is from a 91 Regal, and it runs great @ 105k, and sat in my '92 Lumina Euro with a 4T60 for two years... I believe that this was a straight motor only swap, as I think the tranny and computer in the '92 remained original.

 

Now, the shop that's doing this recommended that only the motor be swapped this time around, but said that doing so would require that the '93's intake manifold be installed on the '91 motor due to some difference... so there's some extra labor time and money going into uninstallation, parts (new gaskets), and re-installation...

 

The '91 motor has been uninstalled, and sits in the shop ready for cleanup. The 4T60 was put in the donor car's trunk, and the axles and front end junk sits in front of the car...

 

I've thought a bit about this, and can't seem to really figure this out: Might it be smarter to just bring the '91 motor, the 4T60 tranny, the 92's axles, and the '92's computer over to the '93 instead of doing the intake swap? Or would this be more time consuming? I'm fearing it might, because I want to keep the coils from the '93, and bringing the '92 stuff over would require more disassembly...

 

I kinda want the 4-spd tranny, and would like them to not have to do an intake swap, but I don't know if it's worth it, because my budget's pretty tight, and I don't want 5 hours of extra labor added...

 

Sorry if this is a confusing question, it's kinda confusing to me too... :?

[ragejg]

Bah, I amost forgot, if the 4 spd went into the '93, the 92's rad would also need to make the journey as well... so there's another hour of labor... grr...

[THe_DeTAiL3R]

93 was the first year that SOME w-bodies got the series III 3.1 (aka 3100). Does the engine from your 91 say 3100 on it or 3.1 MPFI? I just ask cause that's what's in your sig. If it's a 3100, then yes you will need the 3100 intake on a 3100 engine due to newer heads/exhaust manifolds that they got.

 

So I'm kinda confused cause you say that your donor engine is from a 91 Regal, which would be a 3.1MPFI not a 3100 (unless it's not the original engine in the Regal, or a different year of Regal).

 

Anyways I'm not a mechanic so I'll stop with the engine talk. I personally would definatly want to have the 4-speed instead of crappy 3-speed auto. I would just check the fluid/drop the pan to make sure that the 4T60 looks okay before doing so, since they aren't the greatest tranny in the world... Also keep in mind that you'll probably have to get a different shifter or something to accomedate the extra gear (PRND321) whereas you must have (PRND21) right now, right?

[terryk2003]

Also keep in mind that you'll probably have to get a different shifter or something to accomedate the extra gear (PRND321) whereas you must have (PRND21) right now, right?

 

actually, you wouldnt have to replace the shifter...but when you hook it up D would be overdrive, 2 would be 3rd, and 1 would be 2nd...you just couldnt manually shift into 1st, which, i see no reason you'd need to be able to do that anywayz...

[ragejg]

The intake says 3.1 MPFI... looks exactly like the intake on my '91 lumina, and looks exactly the same as that on my '92 Euro...

 

Maybe I need to get the codes off that motor and figure out exactly what it is... Where on the block do I look?

 

So anyways, all Luminas I've owned have had the same exact badging on the intake manifold... I'm still a bit confused as to the differences from 91 to 93 that would require an intake manifold swap.

 

I'd like to have the 4-speed, but maybe there might have to be too much screwing around with the shifter stuff etc. to be feasible. I'm on my way to the garage now to clear things up. I just don't want any un-necessary work to be done, and would like the 4-spd if it's a cost-effective move...

 

Thanks for the replies, guys.

 

Oh, and I'll change my sig.