WTD: Help with engine swap- Orlando, FL

[ucfitkid]

I need some help. I've own a 96 Camaro v6 of course! and my miles are starting to rack up. I just reached 150k and things are slowly but surely falling apart on my baby. I picked up a 2002 3.8 engine a few months ago for dirt cheap with only 15k on it. I am a struggling student at UCF and cant really afford a car payment at the moment so I was hoping to swap this practically new motor in and get a few more years out of my ride. I need help doing this. I am pretty good with fixing the normal things (plugs, filters, oil, brakes) but have never attempted an engine swap and am deathly afraid of doing it with nothing more than a Haynes manual. If ANYONE in the area has put a new engine in and could assist me I would be more than grateful. I have money to offer for this of course...not too terribly much but I do have some. Also all the beer and food we can eat/drink during the process (well maybe after for the beer). I will provide an air ratchet as I've heard these make it easier. I also want to change my clutch while I have the tranny off (150K on stock clucth). My goal is to get a small group of people together who are somewhat familure with this process so we can all knock it out in a day or two. I know there are tons of fellow Chevy owners around here that know their stuff about doing this. If you are one that would be able to lend me some of your time (and earn a little cash) please email me or call me as I am sort of in a rush to get this done (next month or so). My contact info is below

Ian Steele
407-282-4246
gonzoflick@gmail.com

Thanks in advance to anyone who is kind enough to respond.!

[khelfrich]

i owuld help you but im way to far away but its not going to be too easy of a swap i ahve done many swaps before but everytime but once i swaped all the wireing the one time i dident they changed the location of the ecm power wire and it took about a day to find it and get the car running

there are going to be az few problems you are going to run into that i know of
1. physically the motor will not fit in the car because of the upper intake manifold changed 95-97 were the same 98-02 come out more stright to the throtle body and i belive you will have clearance issue with the hood hitting the throttle body if you try to close it
2. your 96 has a throttle cable the o3 motor does not have a throtle cable it is throttle by wire and you want have the different pedal or wireign for the throttle
3. with the change from throttle cable to throttle by wire im sure there were other other changes in wireing like how crusie control works and other stuff your best bet is going to be to use the 02 motor as a long block and swap your harness and any sensors that changed on to the 02 motor

ken