I own a 1992 cavalier with a 2.2 and an automatic and i was considering doing a 3.8 sc series 2 swap with a 5 speed but i cant find any pics or steps on how to do it. And i was also wondering what would be a good 5 speed tranny to bolt up to the 3.8. Any help would be greatly appreciated thanks.


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you need a tranny out of a cav 00+ from a 2.2

Didn't look very hard...

You need to not be on the ORG for ANY 2nd Generation Cavalier questions. Go to www.V6Z24.com and you'll get all the answers you need.

And for one, DO NOT GET A 00+ tranny for a 3800 supercharged! Get a tranny from a 87-94 Muncie Getrag since the parts are cheaper, easy to find, and easy to work on, and it has the same bellhousing pattern as the 2.8/3.1/3100/3400/3500/3900 engines.

And I wouldn't do the 3800 swap anyways. Too much work for not enough vroom. You can have 200 WHP from a 3400 engine, very little wiring modifications, and with 100 lbs lighter engine than with the 3800.


I hate snakes in the grass who just wait for the weak
and then pounce.

Ive considered the 3400 swap over the 3800 sc. Ive been reading and most of the info brings up the 92-94 j-bodies and the v6 motors and i was wondering if i would have to do more work considering i have the 2.2 motor.


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Well, work would be a lot less with a 3x00 swap to replace your 2.2

With either engine swap, you would need a wiring harness from either a 92-94 Jbody or a complete harness from a 3800. Finding a junk jbody would be easy as cake to find for a parts car.

3800 you have to build ALL custom mounts, all the added/different wiring whereas the 3400 swap you would just need to swap in the new harness/ecm. The 3400 swap would need just one custom mount bracket but your 2.2 tranny and axles should be sufficient unless you plan on building the 3400 up.

Just the weight vs HP alone would deter me from the 3800. maybe 250 HP with a 400lb engine compared to 200 HP with 300 lb engine. It just depends how much $$ you want to spend and if you have fabrication skills. Just my 2 cents!

Or just go 3500 like me in my 88 Z24 and have about 210 HP/220 torque stock.


I hate snakes in the grass who just wait for the weak
and then pounce.

wasas9 wrote:And for one, DO NOT GET A 00+ tranny for a 3800 supercharged! Get a tranny from a 87-94 Muncie Getrag since the parts are cheaper, easy to find, and easy to work on, and it has the same bellhousing pattern as the 2.8/3.1/3100/3400/3500/3900 engines.

Cheaper, easy to find........ wow, compared to $250 Getrags around here, ya much better going after something that you can barely find anymore.

What does the 3times00 mean? And im assuming id have to rewire the car since im convertng it from a 4 cylinder to a 6 cylinder?


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Isaak wrote:

wasas9 wrote:And for one, DO NOT GET A 00+ tranny for a 3800 supercharged! Get a tranny from a 87-94 Muncie Getrag since the parts are cheaper, easy to find, and easy to work on, and it has the same bellhousing pattern as the 2.8/3.1/3100/3400/3500/3900 engines.

Cheaper, easy to find........ wow, compared to $250 Getrags around here, ya much better going after something that you can barely find anymore.

Uh, if you were to look for an 87-94 trans from a J/L/N body you'd see that you can score one for around 100$ bones with 100 k miles on them. I got mine for 90$. Plus I'm sure the 3rd gen Cavaliers trans can hold power and torque much better than a transmission built well like the older getrag/muncies/NVGs. If you were to look at car-part.com, you'd see.


I hate snakes in the grass who just wait for the weak
and then pounce.

wasas9 wrote:Uh, if you were to look for an 87-94 trans from a J/L/N body you'd see that you can score one for around 100$ bones with 100 k miles on them. I got mine for 90$. Plus I'm sure the 3rd gen Cavaliers trans can hold power and torque much better than a transmission built well like the older getrag/muncies/NVGs. If you were to look at car-part.com, you'd see.

I have checked, there aren't that many and for around $100, for sure not that many, especially with low milage. But hey, I am just stating what is easier to get, at least around here.

Isaak wrote:

wasas9 wrote:Uh, if you were to look for an 87-94 trans from a J/L/N body you'd see that you can score one for around 100$ bones with 100 k miles on them. I got mine for 90$. Plus I'm sure the 3rd gen Cavaliers trans can hold power and torque much better than a transmission built well like the older getrag/muncies/NVGs. If you were to look at car-part.com, you'd see.

I have checked, there aren't that many and for around $100, for sure not that many, especially with low milage. But hey, I am just stating what is easier to get, at least around here.

I'd rather have reliability and something that can handle 300 hp and 350 torque. And they are easy to find, if not, replace the input shaft bearing and the syncro's and get it checked out. Plus, it is a direct bolt in to the 2nd gen Jbodies and no need to build hybrid axles due to the differing splines.


I hate snakes in the grass who just wait for the weak
and then pounce.

Now would i have to swap out my old computer for a new 3400 ecu considering i have a 4 cylinder converting it into a v6?


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_009839c3c01049574fa1661e0d1c9598.jpg

the internet is the largest information database in the world. research a bit. you are asking questions that have been answered hundreds of times.



87 Firebird
All stock...........lol.

where would the best place to look for something like that


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zachary virgin wrote:Now would i have to swap out my old computer for a new 3400 ecu considering i have a 4 cylinder converting it into a v6?

Use the computer that comes with the motor or equivalent type of car that came with the same motor, there are different variations there. Get it tuned with HPT or similar type of tuning software.

Ok would i have to completly strip my wiring harness out of my cavalier and replace it with the wiring harness of the 3400. Ive never really messed with ecus while swapping motors im used to doing carberetur motors and my uncle is an exprienced mechanic that will be helping me. I was just majorly confussed on the whole wiring harness.


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_009839c3c01049574fa1661e0d1c9598.jpg

Your best at getting a V6 equipped same model year cavalier engine harness and ECM. Direct plug and play. You can run the 3400 on stock tune of the 3.1 L/2.8L from 88-94 Jbodies ECM. You won't get the best power vs. tuning it but itll run and still have plenty of power. Just don't get up past 5500 rpms or you risk running a very lean condition. Converting an OBD I designed car to OBD II is wayyy to much effort you want to put forth into this easy motor swap.

http://www.v6z24.com/howto/3400/

there's probably the best guide for you.


I hate snakes in the grass who just wait for the weak
and then pounce.

Ive come to the assumption that redoing the 2.2 would be my best bet. Is the 2.2 in a 92 a good motor to build on?


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wasas9 you sir are a douch bag king of all douche bags
you can get 200hp out of a 3400 yes your right you can but why not have 240 right off the hop then change a pully and make more, 3400 wont make the torque the 3800 makes 280 out of the gate then changining hte pully ups that

i pulled my 3.8" pully off for a 3.4 and went from 7lbs to 11lbs of boost all i had to do was colder plugs and a 180 Tstat 30 bucks plus the pully got me 4 lbs of boost they say every lb is equal to 10hp at the crank not sure if thats 100% true but if it is how much money do you have to spend to makethe power i'm making

the only reason the 3400 is an option for 2nd gen guys is because its a very easy change, but never stoot someon edown because the don't wanna be a sheep like you. if someone wants to put a 3800 in and they do the research let them don't tell them otherwise.

however the tranny you mentions is the better one however its accually harder to find then a 00+ getrag, but will be less work to install in a 2nd gen then a getrag will i got my 00 getrag for 300 with the linkage, and mounts, shifter sold my 99 isuzu for 250, shold the shift for 20 and sold the linkage for 20 so my 00+ cost me a wopping 10 bucks

but yeah ask on V6 about the swap you wont get as many douchebags telling you no to do it like you get around here



JBO since July 30, 2001

Quote:

wasas9 you sir are a douch bag king of all douche bags

I guess no one's checking ID's again. <sigh>

wasas9 didn't say "don't do the swap." He said it's a much easier swap, especially for the performance realized. Judging by OP's asking for the step by step instructions, he's probably not in the best place to start a swap which doesn't have anything close to factory support to begin with. No manual FWD trans was ever bolted to the 3800. A highly modified or aftermarket flywheel is required. No 3800 was ever put in a J car, so engine mount fabrication is required. No 3800 pcm was ever installed in a J car, so wiring work and / or custom tuning will be required. All of this requires skill, time, and $$. I agree with the suggestion for a 3X00 swap as being the easiest and fastest engine swap. It can be done with a toolbox full of hand tools, a basic engine hoist, and a few trips to the junkyard. I'd love to see you install a 3800 without fabrication work.

Of course, I have to vote for a turbocharged 2.2.

-->Slow

a 3800 swap isn't that hard to do if you know what your doin a friend of mine and i did mine in a month only working weekends. you make it seem like the flywheel is a hard part get a camaro one and have it machined done

the the OP needs to do is do a search i made a post on things you will encounter and things you need



JBO since July 30, 2001

thanks for the info. if i do a v6 swap ill have to redo my wiring because my cavalier is a basic 2.2 and it has the 4 cylinder wiring harness and id much rather not redo the wiring so how well off would i be building the 2.2 i already have and what kind of power could i expect?


http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/88/l_009839c3c01049574fa1661e0d1c9598.jpg

hey, I know this post is about 15 days old, but just for kicks I was looking around my new forums, (just picked up a W-body a few months ago, getting back into the forum deal) the L67 had a 6 speed mated to it which has the same bolt up you're looking for, just something I came accross, so rather than the 5-speed, go for 6?


"I live my life a quarter mile at a time..." "for those ten seconds or less I'm free"