Okay... not sure where to put this one.. motor/tranny swap...

[EviLette]

Okay, so I need to steal the power steering rack off of the cutlass too, since mine's catching and making racket. The problem is that, considering everything else that's being swapped, my mechanic wants to simply swap subframe-down, I guess. (Not quite clear on this, somewhat but not entirely.) He says it will maintain everything as a single unit, including keeping the suspension and such from the cutlass.

 

To me this doesn't sound like the best idea. I have put new suspension on this car within the last 20,000 miles or so... monroe lifetime warranty stuff, for preservation purposes. It's an entirely different suspension system, correct? (92 grand prix se, 90 CS ) If so, do I need to be a bitch about having my pontiac's suspension swapped to the subframe assembly or let it go on like that? I'm worried about fender well clearance, as well as trash suspension off of the Cutty and different wheel/tire sizes...

 

Opinions, please. I'm worried sick about it, and I was supposed to hand it over to him a week ago. I cancelled the appointment because of this, because I'm really worried about the different suspension. He's family so I can still have it done, I just need to know the aspects you guys think. He's good, but if he can do it easier just to save him effort he will. Hence the reason I'm nervous.

 

I've rambled enough.

 

Thanks for any/all advice or opinions.

[EviLette]

AFAIK? No, I didn't, but he was throwing a tantrum about me wanting to keep the new struts from my pontiac... I wasn't worried about the tires with the subframe, I was more concerned with the cutlass suspension sitting at a different height, so the pontiac tires (wider, maybe taller, can't rememeber tire size) may rub on the lower body trim.

 

They are trying to tell me now that the reason they wanted to do it was that the subframe on my pontiac was cracked... nobody had ever mentioned this before, and of course i have no access to a lift to check it out.

 

But OK, I guess I'll let him do it that way, but I have GOT to keep my pontiac suspension/tires and stuff... new tires, new suspension, different rims... alloy rims, no less, not the crappy ones with chrome-plated hubcabs off the cutlass. =\

[White93z34]

i'd do it but make sure he keeps the same strut assemblies, the cutlass as i recall is a base model? therefore you'd get worse springs and swaybar

 

i'd do it proper and pull the engine out of the cutlass cradle and replace the engine mounts while your at it.

[Cam'ron]

AFAIK = as far as i know

[Crazy K]

i agree. unless there is a problem with the 92's frame. give me this lame asses phone number and let a master tell him how to do it!!!!!!!

 

ok, seriously. I swapped the engine and tranny as a unit from my lumina, mounted it onto another frame, and reinstalled the frame with powertrain attached into the body of my 92 vert. easy as pie.... in fact easier. I can't cook.

 

You should use which ever frame is in better shape, and the entire powertrain as a unit that can be installed on either. BUT use the struts from you GP, and which ever sway bar is a heavier duty sway bar, most likely the GP's, and which ever steering rack is in better condition.

 

I would personally loosen the bolts on engine and tranny mounts on the underside of the frame before starting, and remove the struts and drive axles from the vehicle before removing the frame.

 

 

help up out. what haoppoens to all the old parts you will not be reusing?

Is he going to reinstall the gp frame into the CS or is that all just scrap going out on a wrecker?

[RJansen658]

Yea Really... use only the best of the parts. If this mechanic is capable of dropping the cradle, then the strut assemblies, sway bar, and rack should not take him more than an hour and a half and thats being generous with air tools. With the cradle down everything will be easily accesible, he doesn't even have to take the struts off your car to swap the cradles, its just a half dozen more bolts or so.

 

As for tire size, all you have to do is keep the tires you want, everything will fit exatly how it is supposed to. There will not be any issues with fenderwell clearance, the tires will fit exactly as they do now. You won't be changing the struts or hub assemblies, as they are one assembly, both cradles share the same lower control arms as it is.

 

Sounds like the mechanic might want your old parts? What mechanic wouldn't want to use the best parts.....bleh

[EviLette]

The different suspension systems was my entire point. He has been trying to convince me to leave the cutty suspension on when we swap the entire item as a unit. He keeps telling me the Cutlass suspension is better, which I know it's not.. it's a "luxury" car, not "sport" therefore the suspension is gonna be different in handling and such, right? I want to keep my GP suspension he's just being stubborn about it, and I wanted your guys opinions.

 

Mind you, he's not near as familiar with the w-body's as a lot of you are. I will try to point this out to him though.

 

As for the cutlass parts, I advertised a long time ago about what you guys (if anything) wanted off of the cutty. it's a beat up POS on the outside, and I'm taking the rack and engine/tranny (obviously) and whatever else becomes necessary. As far as the remnants, I was just gonna give them to a friend of mine who is a scrapper. I hate to see it go to the crusher but there is no title to the car.

 

The leftovers from my pontiac, I was planning on keeping. The 3.1 block to play with and see what kind of power is actually derived from race shop type mods and the transmission, I was (hoping) to salvage, shift kit, and use in that 96 GTP with the blown tranny i've been dreaming about.

 

Trying not to waste. Still, anyone want anything off of the cutlass? The trim on the back of the trunk (red stuff I believe) is all broken, and there are lots of dents, crunches, bad drivers' headlight assembly... its a messed up unit.

[Crazy K]

well... I know nothing about this CS. is it a two or four door? an international? interior color/material?

 

 

yeah, if you have a quality mechanic, he should have no probelm changing out the struts and all. it's a bit of work but next time he tells you the CS suspension is better... grab him by the balls and ask him "who do you think i am, your grandma?"

 

 

[Psych0matt]

grab him by the balls and ask him "who do you think i am, your grandma?"

 

I tried that once... turned out it was my grandma

[EviLette]

well... I know nothing about this CS. is it a two or four door? an international? interior color/material?

 

 

yeah, if you have a quality mechanic, he should have no probelm changing out the struts and all. it's a bit of work but next time he tells you the CS suspension is better... grab him by the balls and ask him "who do you think i am, your grandma?"

 

 

 

HAHA that's hilarious. I tried to explain that to him to begin with, sports car needs sports suspension, plus its BRAND NEW. there should be no more argument, if I pay him his going rate for suspension, RIGHT? right. It's still a R&R job!

 

It's a cutlass supreme baseline, pw/pl tilt/cruise am/fm stereo no tape deck, bright silver colored and it is a sedan. The body is beat up in most of the places you'd probably want stuff off it, though. The interior is light gray, same color as my GP come to think of it, and blue if I'm not mistaken... I never paid much attention, all I wanted from the interior was trim screws.

[patgizz]

all that moron has to do is separate the balljoints from the lower a-arms and leave the entire knuckle assembly hang there. he's bitching about that? take it somewhere else, this guy is not worthy of being a mechanic.

[EviLette]

HAHAHAHAHA I think the truth is that he hates the suspension on my pontiac and doesn't want to fuck with it. Period.

 

My mom went and ripped his ass... I know that sounds childish, but by technicality, the car belongs to her... and as such, she does have full authority over it. =\ She was pissed when she found out the whole story... he's pulling the motor from the Cutlass a week from today and my pontiac will be going under the knife soon afterward.

 

He's a really good mechanic... he just likes to do things his way and since I'm supposedly "family" that means the customer-employed tradesman relationship doesn't qualify. BS to me, but yeah... Cross your fingers, I will let you guys know how it comes out.