OBD2 swap in older car

[3100 MPFI]

Got an update for all of those keeping an eye on this.

First of all, the last couple of days I have been helping a friend out with some stuff. Saturday, I went to a TOOL AUCTION and got some new things to help me in my quest.

This is the stuff I picked up at the auction.

First of all, I got an old stacking toolbox. It looks bad, but it is really in good shape. It is mostly just sun faded, and it is missing one handle, and does not have any keys, but that is nothing major to deal with.



I needed a new soldering iron, and ended up getting 2 of them. This is an OLD one, and I have not yet tried it out.





This was a BRAND NEW soldering iron that was still in the plastic wrap. I have never heard of this brand before, but after only 2 wires, I think this is the BEST solding iron I have EVER used. And I got it for only $20.00





And one of the things that sold me is that it will get so hot that the tips will turn RED HOT.



Next, I needed to finish bolting in the front drivers seat, so I had to use a makeshift power supply to move it back.



The makeshift power supply was a TIRE INFLATOR that has a 12 volt cigarette lighter port. I just jammed a wire in there, and grounded the unit to the car, and that gave me the needed power to move the seat back to bolt it in, then forward to tighten down the rear bolts, then back again into place.

Not pretty, but it works.



The next thing I did was remove the old front light wiring harness from my 1996 Grand Prix MKE parts car. I needed to get them out to compare some stuff, and to also get the rear air vent duct for the PCM box.





Getting that harness out let me figure out how to do the rewire to my stock harness. This is the forward light harness with the plug wires swapped out, and ready to go back in.



And here it is reinstalled in the car.



The last thing I did was work on getting the PCM box back in place and everything fitting in there properly.

Here is where I had to cut out some of the stock setup fender material so that the backing plate would sit all the way in place.



Next, I ran the 2 air ducts, and connected them



Finally, the backing plate was in place



And finally everything all the way back in with the exception of the cross car brace. I have not put that in yet seeing I have to remove all of this when I put the engine in.



And lastly, I finished wiring in the drivers side electrical center. I had to do some work for the FOG LIGHT RELAY seeing the harness I bought was from a REGAL, so it does not have the wiring for the foglights. I also rewired the horns.



I made some changes to the way the wires wree ran. I need to start writing down the specifics in case I ever need to remember some of this later on.

[CobraCDR]

Tat you must realy love that gold car to go through ALL this trouble. I commend you, that is a lot of fuggin work to do. I hate wiring but you love it I Guess! Good job.

[3100 MPFI]

I think I like wiring more than just about anything else. That seems to be the thing that requires the most thinking.

At any given time, I have 5 different service manuals spread out trying to solve some of the more interesting issues.

I have a 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994 and 1996 service manual trying to figure out what wire goes where, how does it work, how is it ran, and what does it do.

I have seen some stuff that made me flat out LAUGH. Like the wiring for the HORNS in the 1996. From interior to drivers side exterior to interior, to passenger side exterior, across the front and right back to the drivers side.

The good news is, with as much reading as I have done with this, I have reached the point where I can just hear a connector or passthrough name/number, and know right where it is, and what it is for. At least, in the W-bodies, that is.

[3100 MPFI]

worked on the gold car today.

I finally got just about everything done to the point where the engine can be dropped in. Today, my stepdad helped me with that. We used the front end loader on his tractor to get the engine in.

Here is the engine compartment ready for the engine:


And the engine ready to go in:


We were trying to get the engine in, but could not get the tractor close enough. The car was at an angle, and we could not get close enough.

This was as close as I could get with the car where it was:




We decided to push the car out from under the carport so we could get the engine in from straight on, and that was when we learned that the tractor was STUCK.





And the nice ruts that were left when we finally got the tractor unstuck:


Finally, when the car was moved out, and the tractor lined up, the engine went right down into place.



And everything back in.

[IsaacHayes]

Getting there! Rare 99 large port 3100 plenum.

[3100 MPFI]

I know a lot of people say that it is restricted, but I don't think it is that bad. Sure, there is room for improvement, but does that not apply to EVERYTHING we do anyways?

Eventually, I will do the 3500 intake, but for now, I have the 1999 parts, so I will use them.

Once I do the 3500 intake, I think I will hang that 1999 LG8 upper intake manifold on the wall, or on a shelf next to my 1988 Cutlass Supreme pace car HUD.

[IsaacHayes]

hehe. Yeah 3500 intake blows either one away.

[geldartb]

looks good. hell of alot of work you did. i dont think i would have went that far with wiring, i absolutely hate wiring.

if you want to you can use the 00+ 3x00 plenum and the egr tube for a quick fix till you use the 3500 one. the yards around here the plenums are pretty cheap.

i bet you willl be happy when its all done.

[3100 MPFI]

why would I need to use the newer 3100 plenum? I have one, but I am not using it because the adapter I have is for the DIGITAL EGR, and my car has the LINEAR EGR.

[IsaacHayes]

I thought you were going to OBD2? LOL ....

[3100 MPFI]

I am going to OBD2.

That is a 1999 upper intake, and it is the same EGR mouting as the 1996 3100. I know this seeing I did the LG8 swap to my 1996 Grand Prix's 3100 before the car was totalled.

The EGR mount is exactly the same, so I don't need to modify or do anything. I will have to change all of that out when I do the 3500 plenum, but for now, the 1996 EGR tube, and EGR itself bolt right up to the 1999 intake manifold. Nothing had to be modified.

[IsaacHayes]

Well you threw me off when you said EGR adapter and digital one... that's where you lost me. I guess you are taking those OFF and putting on the 96 stuff then right?

[3100 MPFI]

yup. Originally I was using a 1993 ecm (hence the screenname 3100 MPFI).

[1994KlrWhaleOlds]

Getting there! Rare 99 large port 3100 plenum.

Just curious...

What makes it rare? Was it one year only?

How can you distinguish the difference between a large port and a small port intake?

[3100 MPFI]

What is rare about it is mostly how the EGR is mounted. I think 1999 was the only year where the EGR and PIPE from the small port 1996-1999 3100 SFI (L82) was a DIRECT FIT for it. In the 2000+ large port, the EGR is SIDE MOUNTED.

I have some pics of the comparison, but I will have to dig them up.