To DIS or not to dis, that is the question.

[X11_STE]

OK, haha, gotta love the bard. Seriously, I have a neighbor thats getting ready to junk an '89 Beretta GT 2.8 5 speed. What I'm wondering is, is there any way I can take the motor out of this car (actually it runs pretty good) and swap the intakes (make it carb) so I can use it in my '81 tation? I nkow the beretta is a DIS system and my car has a dizzy, but if memory serves me, werent there some motors that had a dizzy block off plate? If this is such a motor, will I need to swap cams to get the dizzy drive gear (this will be a deal breaker)?
TiA,
Jeremiah

[ForcedFirebird]

A little more involved than that. Yes there is a dizzy "block off plate" that is actually an oil pump drive. The problems you are going to encounter is the FWD block has different mounts and starter location. You could swap the top end, pistons, oil pump drive and ECM to your block, but there is no place for the DIS trigger to mount in your block.

[SappySE107]

Put the crank in your motor and tap the block for your sensor.

[X11_STE]

??? The Citation X-11 is FWD as well so why should the starter location be an issue? And the motor mounts *should* be the same as well, I would think ( I mean, I know that a cavi is completely different but the beretta seems very similiar).
I dont think I explained myself very well in the first post. I am doing a ground up restoration on my 1981 Chevrolet Citation X-11 2.8 hov6. The original motor blew the headgasket between the oil passage and the outside of the block. Motor runs but strays oil ALL over the firewall. Perfect excuse for a performance rebuild. Problem is, I need a replacement motor to just get around in without oil coating my fresh body work. The car has NO ECM or anything like that, just straight carb. Since I wont be needing the carb, intake, or dizzy during the rebuild (and I just might slap a 4bbl on the original motor), I figured I might try to find a FI motor to swap in. Where I'm at, any 60* is rather hard to find or just too damn expensive. But I might be able to get a good deal on this engine, depending if I can put my intake & dizzy on and it run without issues. I couldnt care less about the DIS trigger or FI or anything like that as it wont be used. I'm pretty sure the intake might work, but what about putting the dizzy in? I am not up for doing a cam swap but it would seem that if there is an oil pump drive then the dizzy should fit in, no?

[X11_STE]

Oh, and before anyone mentions that the beretta used a high pressure fuel pump for the FI and theres no place on the beretta block for the carb pump, I already have that covered. I will be using an external low pressure (9psi, MAX.) electric pump.

[ForcedFirebird]

Sorry, were all Citations FWD? I thought GM had a RWD hatchback with a 660 in the 80's?

*goes to research*

[X11_STE]

Yes, all citations were FWD. A couple of people have converted their cars to RWD and put SBC's in but those were MOL professional drag racers. One goy took a chevy celebrity coupe, put a vr body kit on it, and then crammed a 454 tri-blown (yup, 3 superchargers) into the wheel wells. And yes, it was RWD.

[SappySE107]

would be easier to do FI and the DIS. I am not really sure if it will care that you aren't using the injector drivers or not. Other than that, shouldn't be too much to it other than wiring up the ECM.

[X11_STE]

OOOHHHH, schit!! Forcedfirebird!! After re-reading your post a light bulb went off in my head!!!! The car you are thinking of is whats known as the "Push me, Pull Me" Citation. Basicly what it was was a twin engine 'tation. One engine up front (the primary engine) and one engine in the cargo area. The ultimate in AWD. Both even though both engines were FI, both were FWD.

[X11_STE]

SappySE, Going FI may be "smarter" in alot of respects, but I am triing to keep the car simple (aka carb'd). No FI and DEFINATELY NO ECM. Also keep in mind that my car is an '81 which was a bastard year. For the firewall connectors to work in my car, I'd have to cut the firewall holes. '80 and '81's had really small holes that went through the passenger fenderwell instead of the firewall.

[ForcedFirebird]

OOOHHHH, schit!! Forcedfirebird!! After re-reading your post a light bulb went off in my head!!!! The car you are thinking of is whats known as the "Push me, Pull Me" Citation. Basicly what it was was a twin engine 'tation. One engine up front (the primary engine) and one engine in the cargo area. The ultimate in AWD. Both even though both engines were FI, both were FWD.

Nope, it was the conversions I was thinking about...
http://60degreev6.com/showthread.php?t=37158

[X11_STE]

OK, gotcha. I remember that thread. But that was a CHEVETTE not a Citation. Chevettes were all RWD, Citations were all FWD. Similiar cars yet very different, for one thing the Citations were bigger.

[ForcedFirebird]

OK so that answers the question in post 6.

BTT: Are you planning on using you iron heads? If so, you will need to use the pistons to with them, or your compression will be really low.

[X11_STE]

The iron heads will stay with the original engine and receive a p&p as well as full roller rockers and other stuff. But with the beretta engine, it will stay MOL stock as a backup/ get around til the original motor is built engine.
Basicly ALL I want to do is get the beretta motor, yank the intakes & other un-needed schitt (like power steering pump & anything smog related) off, put my original intake & dizzy on, drop it in my car an go. My original question is, is this a go or no go idea? If its a no go idea, I'll keep looking for something compatible. If its a go idea, is it a simple intake swap and go? Or will I need to get a new cam to drive the dizzy? If yes to this question, I'll keep looking for another motor.

[X11_STE]

Oh, another q is what about the intake gakets? I have a brand new set for the iron heads but will it work on an alum.?