3.4 to 3.8

[95DropTop]

Hi i don't want anyone who is going to flame this cause i would go for a lt1 but that's not really in my budget starting around 1500 not including the gauges radiator etc... I have searched and i didn't find the answers i needed.

My questions are will my 3.4 tranny bolt onto the 3.8? also will the gauge cluster need to be swaped out also does my 3.4? Would I need a new radiator? I know i going to need the wireharness computer and all new hoses.

I would asume my car is a decent canidate for 3.4 swap since it's a 95 and it's the first year the 3.8 was available. the reason is my car was in a flood and it's done pretty much. So instead of getting anouther 3.4 i am going to get the 3.8. The blocks cost roughly the same for what i have seen about 500-1000 dollars.

[3.4 [deployed]]

Yes it will, but not sure if the tranny will shift correctley.

Gauge cluster can be reused, jsut make sure it's wired correctly.

I'm stillusing my 2.8 radiator for the 3800. Biggest issue here is finding the right hoses. I'm currently using the lower 3800 hose as my upper hose, and the stock 2.8 lower hose, as it actually fits). You should be able to use the 3.4 lower hose for the 3800 lower hose, but I've not seen the 3.4 lower hose yet.

You mention the car was in a flood huh, are the electronics any good or fried??? From what I've seen in the holy book haynes & GM service manual schematics, the 95 3800 wiring is a bastardification of 95 3.4 & 96 3800 wiring. It looks similar to both, but has it's own thing going. Going into a 4th gen allready, you should have a half of a fraction of the issues I had/have.

edit: [shameless plug] http://www.cardomain.com/id/projeknatedog [/shameless plug]

AND

god pics of the hose thing I talkes about in the 3rd pic

( very shameless [img]tongue.gif[/img] )

[speedracer95v6]

I think the tranny should work perfectly.

Get rid of that 2pc. driveshaft and get at least the 1pc. steel driveshaft.

If I understand it correctly, you should be able to hook up the harness that goes from the instrument cluster, etc. straight across into the 3.8L stuff. Do you have a 5spd. or an automatic tranny? If it is a 5sp. you will only need to get your speedometer recalibrated(just do a search for the stuff) but if it is an auto, you will need to get the speedometer recalibrated and your shift points redone.

The reason for this is cause you should have 3.23 gears and the auto 3.8Ls USUALLY came with 3.08s. Find out what tranny the computer is set for, and what gearing the donor car had. It should be in the VIN i think, but I might be wrong.

I'm about to do this swap when I get my 3.8L built (I bought the engine, wiring harness, computer, accessories, and exhaust to the end of the Y pipe for $610 shipped). I also have a 95, and if you have someone that knows a little about installing an engine, this should be easy as pie.

One more thing, make sure you get the rear 02 sensors that are on the catalytic converter(and the catalytic converter if you can). It will save you an SES light.

[3.4 [deployed]]

from our tech data base:

1995
In 1995 there were two engines available. Initially the L32 3.4L was standard, with these being almost identical to 1994 models. Halfway through the year a few F-Bodies in California were sold equipped with the new L36 3800 Series II V6 engine. These cars only came with automatic transmissions, 3.42 rear gears, and an open differential. The 95 L36 marked the debut of OBD-II (On Board Diagnostic system, second generation) in the V6 F-Body. The OBD-II system included 4 oxygen sensors: one in each exhaust manifold, one in the Y-pipe before the catalytic converter, and one in the intermediate pipe just after the catalytic converter. Brakes, driveshaft, steering rack, and sway bars were identical to models of earlier years.

Noteworthy V8 Parts
1LE Package same as 1994

this is good for me since the 85 2.8 came w/3.42s :cool:

[95DropTop]

well i have 3.42's sitting in my room that need to be installed so i guess i'll be safe thanks

[wolf]

the 3.8 will bolt to the 3.4's tranny,but, the starter(and the the starters pocket on the bell housing) are on opossite sides on the 3.4 and 3.8

[3.4 [deployed]]

interesting...........didn't really think about that, plus the dude that did teh 3800 swap in an 84 camaro reused the original tranny and didn't mention any problems w/it

[crasher]

sweet finnaly someone that is going the 3.4 to 3.8 swap. I plan on doing the same thign in about 6 to 8 months after I get the car painted and a few other things done to it. But my question is are the a/c systems compatible between the 3.4 and 3.8.

[speedracer95v6]

Not sure. If I do mine before you guys do yours, I'll tell ya. Since I've noticed a lack of the how to, I'll make a 3.4L-3.8L swap thing that tells you basically what to do (as far as I will be doing it).

Anyone else that has info on this swap, chime in.

[3.4 [deployed]]

but someone has done a 3.4~3800 swap. Mine just wasn't in a 4th gen [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[speedracer95v6]

lol...yeah, that's true. I'll make a 4th gen to 4th gen 3.4L-3.8L swap thing. You do the more complicated 3rd gen 2.8L to 4th gen 3.4L to 3.8L swap thing..lol.

I bet that won't be confusing.

[crasher]

well sine I work in an auto shop with a lift cherry picker and engien stand I figured that I could probably do the complete swap in a few hours from start to shop and have the car running(hopefuly smoothly). But I'v never taken an engine out of a car before and I'm a lil intimidated but I think I have the know how and tools for it. So any info you could share would be greatly wanted and apreciated.

[wolf]

Originally posted by 3.4 [deployed]:
interesting...........didn't really think about that, plus the dude that did teh 3800 swap in an 84 camaro reused the original tranny and didn't mention any problems w/it

hmm? someone besides you has done it? got a link to it? did they use the 3800 s.2 or a older 3.8?
the 4 cyl tranny would match right up to the 3800 if that was the original motor...

as for going from a 3.4 to the 3800 in a 4th gen all you'd need,afaik, would be the motor, motor mounts, pcm & engine bay wireing harness, and the 3.8 bellhousing(if useing a 5 speed) or the 3.8s auto tranny
you may need the 3.8 crossmember, the 3.4s is very similer, but may not work(at least without some drilling for the 3.8s mounts)

[3.4 [deployed]]

the other person had the carbed version of the 2.8. IT was also a Series II. Tranny crossmember shouldn't be an issue, as it wasn't for me. Motor mounts WILL bedifferent, as when I did the 2.8~3.4 swap, I just had to swap the brackets on the engine. In my cardomain site, you can see the 3800 brackets on the motor mounts & how much different they are.

[wolf]

Originally posted by 3.4 [deployed]:
the other person had the carbed version of the 2.8. IT was also a Series II. Tranny crossmember shouldn't be an issue, as it wasn't for me. Motor mounts WILL bedifferent, as when I did the 2.8~3.4 swap, I just had to swap the brackets on the engine. In my cardomain site, you can see the 3800 brackets on the motor mounts & how much different they are.

hmm, he should of problems with the starter & bellhousing then (rwd 60* v6s have the starter on the passanger side, the 3800 has the starter on the drivers side) he could have just cut a section of the bellhousing away and forgot to metion it

did the 3.8 motor mount brackets bolt to the 3.4's bushings on the crossmember, or did you have to change those to?