Is the 2.8l really what I want?

[1988GTU]

Remove the front seat and door panel. It'll be a nice passenger on your way back home.

[neophile_17]

I've moved a 350 in the back of a Focus and a 4 cylinder in the trunk of a Prizm. This engine doesn't weight more than two average guys so your Cougar can handle the weight. Just get a moving blanket from Harbor Freight to protect the trunk.

[Zandoz]

Remove the front seat and door panel. It'll be a nice passenger on your way back home.

I've moved a 350 in the back of a Focus and a 4 cylinder in the trunk of a Prizm. This engine doesn't weight more than two average guys so your Cougar can handle the weight. Just get a moving blanket from Harbor Freight to protect the trunk.

I've done stuff like that before to, but I can't bring myself to do something like that with this one. Besides, "she who must be obeyed" would have my big ole butt in a sling....LOL

[Ghosteh]

My LX9 is being delivered today. Hope to have it up on an engine stand and cleaned up a little this weekend. Then comes the almost overwhelming task of figuring out how to convert this thing into RWD, mate it to the T5, and drop it in place of the 2.8 currently sitting in the Healey.

You guys are a bad influence!

[Ghosteh]

what have I done? lol!

[caffeine]

Wow engine looks brand new!

[Ghosteh]

I wish! 47K miles and it ran when pulled, so it should have plenty of life left in it.

Pulled the manifolds off & tossed them in the trash, along with the plastic UIM cover. I was going to keep the O2 sensor, but the end of it had been smashed & insulation stripped off the wires where they went into the sensor. No way I could use that. However, I won't be throwing much away until I'm sure that I won't be using it.

Now I have to find the right size bolts & get this thing up on the engine stand, (I'm trying to figure out how to do all this without buying or renting a hoist, but can't quite solve that problem! lol!) and start the FWD to RDW conversion.

Be patient with me, because this is the start; I'm going to be asking a bunch of questions, and posting lots of photos with arrows and question marks!
Actually, I should start a build/conversion thread, shouldn't I?


Ohh... question #1: Where do I look to find the crank part #, so I will know if I have the forged crank version?

[caffeine]

Pull off the harmonic balancer bolt, scrape away the RTV, and IIRC 7484 is the forged crank

[Guest]

I have yet to find one that doesn't have a forged crank.

[caffeine]

Is the 2.8l really what I want?

I've seen one. Seems like '05 is the year least likely to have the forged crank.

[caffeine]

Is the 2.8l really what I want?

You should check if the timing cover on your 2.8 is round where it meets the oil pan or triangular. If it's round, you can bolt it to the 3500 with some minor mods (drill/tap an extra coolant passage for an NPT plug, drill out three holes in TC and water pump for larger bolts, cut tab off the top to clear the FWD intake).

If it isn't round, you'll need to source an 87+ RWD timing cover, and do above mentioned mods to bolt it on. 87-88 Fieros use clockwise rotating water pumps and everything else uses counter-clockwise rotating pumps. It doesn't really matter which one you use, however the Fiero TCs will inevitably be more difficult to source. You can use covers from 87+ F-bodies, S10s, and a few others.

One thing you'll also need to do, assuming you want a front mounted T-stat housing, is go buy a set of LIM gaskets for the 3500, unbolt the intake, flip it 180*, and bolt it back down with new gaskets. While it's out you'll probably want to tap the formerly heater core line location to the right (facing the front of the engine) side of the t-stat to 1/2" NPT. You can then either plug that or use a 1/2"-3/8" NPT reducer and use that location for a CTS.

If your 2.8 is a pre-88 engine, you'll most likely need an 88+ flywheel (neutral balance). You'll know if the old flywheel is 88+ or not because the old flywheels have an obvious weight cast in to the engine side.

That should get you started.

[geoffinbc]

The crate engine timing cover supports the new style pan but uses a clockwise rotation pump this is a 86 S-10 timing cover in disguise. Should the same as a Fiero.

[Ghosteh]

Conversion Chronicles, Day 1 - Harbor Freight took $50 of my money for a new engine stand. of course, I need 4 bolts to secure the block to the stand, so I picked up 4 3x1/2 inch bolts, only to find out that the block is metric thread (Dhoh! I should have known that!). So back to Home Depot, and finally get the correct thread & length. BTW, did you know that metric bolts cost twice what SAE ones cost??? Back home again with my $10 worth of bolts and trying to figure out which holes to use, since my stand apparently wasn't designed with the 60degree V6 in mind. Best bet seems to be using the top two threaded holes & then the two outer-most holes, with a longer bolt, washer & nut (since they're not threaded). Silver lining in this is that I can return 2 of the $2.50 metric bolts!

Day 2 - (Actually it's several days since "day 1", but I had to take the weekend off and paint my daughter's room. I'll remind her of this when I'm old & in the nursing home1)
None of my worthless friends have a hoist to loan me, nor will they go buy one so I don't have to, so I'm off to Harbor Freight again. Space in my 2-car garage is at a premium, so I opt for the foldable 1-ton "shop crane" (I thought everyone called it a hoist"). Although I already have quite a few tools, I'm anticipating this dip into metric will find my collection lacking, so I join their "club" and receive a discount on the engine hoist. Why didn't I join before I bought the engine stand & the floor jack I bought for my dad last month?? Karma can start repaying me any day now....

[1988GTU]

haha nice.

fyi - The 'shop-crane' can vice for 'cherry picker'

[Ghosteh]

Yep, I've heard it called a "cherry picker" too. Funny how many names there can be for the same tool.


Progress! It's on the stand & ready for cleaning! Another trip to Harbor Freight for some scrub brushes and some degreaser, and I'll be rocking!
BTW, anyone need a auto flywheel?



And here's where Karma paid me back (at least a little); a 7484 on the crank! Love it! Although I'm keeping it stock, it's nice to know I've got quality parts inside. Thanks GM!