GPX Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 What a sad day. I'd been driving this car since April mostly to and from work, and the occasional longer cruise, pretty much without incident . Three weeks ago I drove it for about an hour and a half and it was perfect. Then the next weekend the whole family is in the redcar and after an hour and a half we arrive at our destination. Car's running okay, but all of a sudden is making a funny valve noise when I open it up. So I don't. Then on the way home on the interstate, it's having trouble going 72 with the cruise on. So I take it off and slow down a little, and there's a clunk. And then a loss of power. Then more hardware--and NO power...I don't know why I'm whining so. Wait, oh yeah, my frickin' car's dead a week before Christmas! I LOVE my w-body. Today I told my mechanic that I wanted to put a "new" motor instead of junking it, but that's going to take me a while to pull the money together for the project. He has located what I presume is a straight swap (3100 SFI) for $900 and wants another $900 or so to swap the motors. That all seems pretty reasonable to me. The new motor has 71k. The car is a '96 Olds Cutlass Supreme SL 2-door. So I find myself at a juncture: do I do the straight swap? I was pretty happy with the 3100's performance, but it's always nice to have more, right? I'm a family man without time and recources to play around much with my car, so here's my chance to upgrade performance without much extra cost (if there is, it can't happen). Do I find a DOHC, or one of the newer Pontiac motors? If it's an aternate swap, what else needs to be taken into consideration mechanically and cost-wise? Any and all advice and condolences are much appreciated. Thanks, --David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 3400. Its a direct swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 sounds a bit high on the motor to me... how about a 3400 from a venture van? it almost a straight swap. you'd have to buy the adapter from 60degreeV6, but there are some good writeups.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 or one of the newer Pontiac motors? Pontiac makes their own motors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5speedz34 Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 or one of the newer Pontiac motors? Pontiac makes their own motors? Yeah, not shit. I would do a 3400 swap personally, a little more power and from what I understand a direct swap pretty much. I agree on the high part about the motor. You can find 3400's for $500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiscoStudd Posted December 20, 2006 Report Share Posted December 20, 2006 X10 on the 3400! They're practically giving low-mileage 3400's away at the boneyards in my area. I'm also sure you wouldn't mind the inherent "kick in the pants" that the 3400 offers over the 3100. http://www.3400swap.com is the place to start... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Find your own 00+ 3400 to swap in there. Low miles for $500 or less. Then pay him to swap it in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97loudcut Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Thats really high for a motor with that mileage. When I was doing research the 3400's with LOW mileage were around $600. I would go for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Price depends on the place where you get it from. Although the 3400 will give you a nice increase in power, you wont see every little bit of power because your still running it off the 3100 ECM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97loudcut Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Price depends on the place where you get it from. Although the 3400 will give you a nice increase in power, you wont see every little bit of power because your still running it off the 3100 ECM. huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 haha! If your still running off the 3100 ECM, you wont feel the 3400's full effects in power because the 3100 ECM is programed for the smaller motor. The 3100 and 3400 are the same, but they are not. Although you will feel an increase in power from swaping the 3400 in, you need the 3400 ECM work to get the full power out of the swap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
97loudcut Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 This is something I did not know. Can you get into further details via PM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCGUY112887 Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 It's just that a 3400 PCM is tuned for the 3400... and the 3100 PCM is tuned for the 3100. The 3100 PCM can still control the 3400, but it has to learn fuel tables and such and will never really make full use of the engine. You could get full (and even better) use of the engine on a 3100 PCM if you had access to tuning it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitaloutsider Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 I'm assuming he's got a '96 from his screenname. Just get the PCM with the engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwingvksm Posted December 21, 2006 Report Share Posted December 21, 2006 Meh - I'd honestly just get the engine, and worry about the PCM later. The computer SHOULD correct it's self after looking @ the O2 sensors n' shit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BIGBULS Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 Since he has a 96 he can just buy DHP's Powertuner later and flash a 3400 program into his PCM (although the 3100 program will work fine for now)...............it's $400 but SOOOOO worth it. And a 3400 swap will make your car about .4-.6 seconds faster in the 1/4...........in fact, I seem to recall a couple of guys with 3400 W's with bolt-ons that were down into the mid 15's (Germ and Manticor from MyMonte come to mind)..............the LA1 powered cars launch well due to a solid low end and have *almost* as much top end as an LQ1 once you mod them a little. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfangd Posted December 22, 2006 Report Share Posted December 22, 2006 definately do the 3.4 swap and you definately wont regret it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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