HELP....Rookie Question on a 2.8 swap. DONE!!!

[dougmac]

I have a 1989 Beretta with a 2.8 (generation II) that has given up the ghost. I found a 1993, 3.1 (generation II) to replace it with. It appears to be exactly the same except for the slightly larger displacement.

If someone has made this swap could tell me if you had to change anything other than the engine? Also, will I have any problems with the old 2.8 ECM working with the 3.1?

Any help information that you have would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Doug

[Guest]

RE: HELP....Rookie Question on a 2.8 swap.

Use the EGR and TB from the 2.8 on your new 3.1 and voila, 3.1 in your '89 'Retta. This is to retain the OEM harness (without modifying) and ECM, which is the easiest way to do it. I would recommend keeping the Vacuum EGR since every emisions inspector I have talked to about the genbII 660 agrees that the vacumm EGR runs cleaner, tail pipe emissions anyways.

[dougmac]

Re: RE: HELP....Rookie Question on a 2.8 swap.

OK then, I will keep the 2.8 EGR and Throttle Body.

Thanks a bunch!
Doug

[geoffinbc]

If it matters in your area you might be restricted in the area of engine swaps. So in this case you might swich the upper plenum aswell so it says 2.8L MPFI

No one will ever be the wiser unless they check the casting marks.

[dougmac]

The donor car was a 3.1 ?93 Beretta and the car I am installing it in is a 2.8 ?89 Beretta. I ended up changing more stuff than I expected. The front timing cover was different. The motor mounts were completely different. The coolant pipes were all different.

I used the 3.1 intake manifold and plenum. They looked the same but were slightly different. The vacuum hose for the PCV is on the plenum on the 3.1. It goes to the manifold on the 2.8. The runners on the lower portion of the manifold were shaped different. The EGR was different. The throttle body looked the same but I used the 2.8 one as recommended.

All in all it was a full day of changing parts over. It is now sitting in the car with a bunch of stuff to bolt on and hook up. I?ll let you know how it runs in a couple of days..........

Doug

[Ja[M]z]

If it matters in your area you might be restricted in the area of engine swaps. So in this case you might swich the upper plenum aswell so it says 2.8L MPFI

No one will ever be the wiser unless they check the casting marks.

Correct me if i am wrong , but i think that 2.8 and 3.2 plenum were not really the same . And plenum gaskets too ... or just the gaskets ... one of the 2 :P

[Grim[Z34]]

If your going to do a swap and your wanting some more power, throw a 3.4 into it

[White93z34]

]If your going to do a swap and your wanting some more power, throw a 3.4 into it

a 3.4 won't fit in an L body...

[White93z34]

also, shoulden't you get a 3.1 memcal for your pcm? i know the 2.8 one will run it, but from what i'd heard it won't run it well.

[Doubt_Incarnate]

i put a 2.8 plenum on my 3.1 build up. the stupid bolts were to big from the 3.1, isnt that stupid? i ended up getting some ss bolts at ace. the gaskets seemed fine. if he uses the 3.1 memcal, wont it throw a ses light or something for the egr?

[Chris88CL]

You can swap the 3.1 and 2.8L plenums but depending on the year you get you MAY have to switch the lower intake manifold aswell because of the routing of the PCV hose. On one of the engines it comes from the upper intake manifold and one it comes from the lower intake manifold, I forget which.

The car will run perfectly fine with the 2.8L memcal and you wont notice any difference with a 3.1L memcal. The reason I'd keep the 2.8L memcal is because you are keeping the 2.8L vacuum EGR and with the 3.1L memcal it will be looking for the digital EGR and will likely set a CEL.

Im not sure how far you are in the swap but you may also notice things like a smaller waterpump inlet diameter on the 3.1L. For some reason its bigger on the 2.8L so you might have to get a new lower rad hose. The reason you had to swap all the mounts is because the L body engine mounts changed in 92.

Why exactly was it suggested that you switch the throttle bodies? The only differences you MIGHT see are the coolant hoses for the TB heater. Everything else should be identical unless you are switching to a 3100 engine (which you arent).

[geoffinbc]

z]

If it matters in your area you might be restricted in the area of engine swaps. So in this case you might swich the upper plenum aswell so it says 2.8L MPFI

No one will ever be the wiser unless they check the casting marks.

Correct me if i am wrong , but i think that 2.8 and 3.2 plenum were not really the same . And plenum gaskets too ... or just the gaskets ... one of the 2 :P

It is the same. But when an inspector opens the hood he expects to see 2.8L MPFI written on the plenum. If he sees 3.1L MPFI when the car should have a 2.8L, in some areas you will fail because this kind of swap in not alowd.

[Grim[Z34]]

]If your going to do a swap and your wanting some more power, throw a 3.4 into it

a 3.4 won't fit in an L body...

Yes it will there's movies on w-body and the guy had a 3.4 in his

[White93z34]

]

]If your going to do a swap and your wanting some more power, throw a 3.4 into it

a 3.4 won't fit in an L body...

Yes it will there's movies on w-body and the guy had a 3.4 in his

NO a 3.4 DOHC will not fit in an L body, it's too wide.

your probably refering to Canada's Beretta it has a 3400 not a 3.4.

[dougmac]

You can swap the 3.1 and 2.8L plenums but depending on the year you get you MAY have to switch the lower intake manifold aswell because of the routing of the PCV hose.

Im not sure how far you are in the swap but you may also notice things like a smaller waterpump inlet diameter on the 3.1L.

Chris,

I kept the 3.1 plenum because of the location of the PCV hose. I certainly didnt want to change the complete manifold.

I changed to the old EGR so I didn't have to screw with the MEM-CAL. I didnt see any difference in the throttle bodies so I think I could have gotten away with not changing them.

The main reason that I changed the timing cover to retain the same size water pump inlet hose. I didn't want to have to search for a odd hose.

It sound like you have done this one before....

Thanks for the information.
Doug

Here is where I am at ...... its bolted in and thats about it....