New with question

I recently picked up a 1997 Riviera with 41,000 miles. I also picked up a stock supercharger for it and am looking for info on the installation. I tried searching the site but couldn't find anything helpful. Does anyone know where can get the short and dirty on this. I have a friend who has a Grand Prix GTP but it's an older model and the layout is a little different. Right off I know I'll need a 2 belt crank pully and tensioner, but it looks like the fuel lines will have to be replaced with longer ones. I thought it would be a simple bolt on but now I'm wondering.
Thanks in advance
Chuck

I'm confused.

This is a 97 Riv w/o a charger? Or missing it's charger? (I'm pretty sure all Rivs after 95 were 100% SC'd)

75% of the 96's had blowers, 79% of them were S/C'd in 97, and they went to 100% in 98/99. i dont know that stat on 95's, but vast majority had blowers too.

but i too am confused...so you have a N/A 3800 you're trying to put a M90 on?

Well, it can be done... https://rivperformance.editboard.com/riviera-talk-f21/my-rivi-t3050-15.htm

BillBoost37 wrote:

I'm confused.

This is a 97 Riv w/o a charger? Or missing it's charger? (I'm pretty sure all Rivs after 95 were 100% SC'd)

Uhhhh, I'm not sure but I know this 97 came wiyhout one. It was offered as an option but not included. I didn't even know it was avaliable. It's not missng or removed, just not there. I was hoping it wouldn't be too much trouble.

You have the N/A 3800 (L36), not the supercharged version (L67). The engines are different in a few ways, so it's a lot of work to do what you're thinking about. Probably easier to swap in another supercharged 3800. If you really want to do put a blower on the L36, talk to someone who's done it before.

Sorry about that, shows what I get for listening to a guy on a Buick forum with a name like Oldsman. (hahahaha)

As mentioned, it can be done, but you would be swapping everything but the short block.

Good time to ask this question: What is different in the short block between the N/A and an SC 3800?
I know typically for build-ups planning a blower, lower compression pistons are chosen as ratio is generally a bit lower to accomodate the added manifold pressure. Just wondering if our set-ups are any different.

http://www.zzperformance.com/grand_prix/products1.php?id=382&catid=109


Thats a kit for installing an m90 on a N/A 3.8.

and welcome!

only problem with that kit is it's not designed for the riv, so the pcm will need to be swaped out and maybe a few other things need to be done IDK.
i think the first line from zzp's site say it best
"One of the most common questions in
the 3800 market is "Can I bolt a GTP supercharger onto my GT (L36)
engine. The short answer is no. The only things the non supercharged
and supercharged 3800's have in common are the block and crank.
Everything else is different."

talk with rivman or other riv owners who have swaped out engines, this would be much easier than a top swap.
on another note, a friend of mine in the local grandprix club bolted up a m90 on his L36 gt and ended up blowing the engine after only about 6months due to the higher compression and forced induction. granted he may have done something wrong or the tune could have been off.

BKRIV wrote:

Good time to ask this question: What is different in the short block between the N/A and an SC 3800?
I know typically for build-ups planning a blower, lower compression pistons are chosen as ratio is generally a bit lower to accomodate the added manifold pressure. Just wondering if our set-ups are any different.

There are so many differences, including the heads, pistons, and rods. The pistons in the L67 are stronger. Also, your supercharger needs to be modified in order to work. The typical advice to use low compression with FI application still holds true. The only reason anyone would want to convert an L36 to supercharged, imo, is because they wish to keep the original engine block, or you wanted to get the most out of an M90 Gen III blower.

That kit is a bit misleading. It appears than you can convert your L36 to supercharged for $200. Actually it's $1000, and to install it in 6 hours is probably wishful at best. This is work best left to the experts.

I've seen a couple of the swaps. Some are better than others. It is probably more work and more costly than picking up the L67 engine and dropping it in with a PCM reprogram.

So you guys thnk that to bolt on this supercharger would be a waste of time and money. I was under the impression that it was an easy job. Anybody want to buy a stcok supercharger?

Not necessarily a waste, but not an easy job, either. Swapping an intact supercharged L67 would make more sense, imo. If you are really serious about power, do a turbo for $2-3K.

AA wrote:

Not necessarily a waste, but not an easy job, either. Swapping an intact supercharged L67 would make more sense, imo. If you are really serious about power, do a turbo for $2-3K.

if u want to save money like me and are a cheap person(like me:] ), scrap yard find. L67 heads, L67 LIM. pretty much L67 top end. i ahve bought everything so far, a whole engine, tranny, and L67 top end for less then the w-body store kit