lower intake compatability

hello to all. i am doing an engine swap in my brothers 99 regal. it has a NA3800 in it with a wicked lower end knock. i happen to have a 98 riviera layin around for parts with a good supercharged engine. i was wondering how hard it would be to make this engine work in the regal? i dont care about performance so if its easier i would just swap everything from the lower intake up. i would think thats possible but im not sure if the heads are different on the supercharged engine.

The heads are different between the NA and supercharged engine. The compression is lower on the SC engine, that may cause a problem on a NA engine, but not sure. You could swap the complete SC engine into the regal and get a computer from a regal GS, just a thought.

moldymac wrote:

The heads are different between the NA and supercharged engine. The compression is lower on the SC engine, that may cause a problem on a NA engine, but not sure. You could swap the complete SC engine into the regal and get a computer from a regal GS, just a thought.

This would work really well.

Do you think the front (suspension) springs for the blown GS are different than for the NA version? I don't know.

Albertj

I would swap the completed s/c motor out of the riv into the regal and preferably the HD components for the trans (not too tough to do) and get a w-body s/c harness and pcm. Even with buying the harness or modifying the regal harness or whatever, it'll still be cheaper/less work than re-gasketing the whole motor for a top end/head swap.

Using the N/A top end on a S/C bottom end will give you a pretty gutless, less-efficient motor in comparison. It's not that it wouldn't work, it just wouldn't make sense.

thanks guys. i know it wouldnt make much sense to put a non supercharged intake on those heads. he just isnt paying me enough for the work so im looking for the easiest way possible. i think the supercharged engine is easier. but i also dont feel like dealing with the wiring... gotta do some thinking

I don't think wiring would be an issue at all if you buy a '99 (or compatible) harness and pcm from Morad. It's all under the hood so it would be no problem at all with the motor out to swap the wiring. That's what I'd do. I'm sure Morad would know the years that would work.

the thing is i dont want to spend any money. its not my car and im not getting paid enough haha. thanks for the replies. i will give that some thought

Do you think it might be the "cheapest option" would be get a junkyard NA3800 engine (there are *a lot* of them around) and directly swap it in? Donor 3800s are in buick centuries, regals; olds 88s, Buick LeSabres, Pontiac Bonnevilles, and a bunch of other GM cars. I mean, it depends on what you have locally but it might be worth a shot.

I mean, at the "pick-a-part" near me a used engine goes for $205 including core

http://horseheadspickapart.com/content.php?id=44&parts_id=60

a running engine from a local junkyard might be worth a call. the 3800s are *plentiful*.

Albertj