1986 H-body suspention/motor upgrades
Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2010 9:54 am
Just want some thoughts or information relating to my summer project for this year.
Long story short:
1986 LeSabre Limited.
My motor is pissing me off and I need to get new struts because FL blew out and RL "bent" (according to some R*tard who dropped it off a lift doing what he called a "wheel alignment"). The tire on that side sits 1-2" lower than the other side and wears the tire funny since.
So:
I can replace the motor with a newer one, or attempt to run the vin 3 motor with the vin c electronics. Both options are equally labor intensive, and would be fun and challenging.
To swap the vin c electronics in as long as I can align the crank and cam sensors to the proper mechanical reference points I don't see any problems, just time to open the motor and make sure they are referenced properly.
Alternatively, what luck is there in using the MAF sensor from the vin c on the older vin 3 controls? Getting hard to find my MAF sensor and don't want to cough up $80 for a new one just to try it to see if it resolves an issue with the current motor (which would make me not pissed off anymore).
If I do the engine swap I will be putting in either a series 2 3800 or a SC series 1 (common enough at our junkyard), haven't decided. I have a 1991 4t60 in the car and a backup 440t4 with the 1-2 accumulator spring change. I won't use them on a SC 3800, but would work on the series 2 so if I use that motor it's one less thing to swap and fit unless the pcm would throw a fit for not having a electronic trans.
What other suspention packages are available that will fit that body? Being that I will likely have to pull everything to replace the struts anyway, It's not much more work to install upgrades. I've got a front strut tower brace on already, is there a brace for the rear? A range of years and RPO codes would help me for this as well. I'll look at the RPO for my existing suspention as I can't remember what it is, but it is the firmer of the two available.
Long story short:
1986 LeSabre Limited.
My motor is pissing me off and I need to get new struts because FL blew out and RL "bent" (according to some R*tard who dropped it off a lift doing what he called a "wheel alignment"). The tire on that side sits 1-2" lower than the other side and wears the tire funny since.
So:
I can replace the motor with a newer one, or attempt to run the vin 3 motor with the vin c electronics. Both options are equally labor intensive, and would be fun and challenging.
To swap the vin c electronics in as long as I can align the crank and cam sensors to the proper mechanical reference points I don't see any problems, just time to open the motor and make sure they are referenced properly.
Alternatively, what luck is there in using the MAF sensor from the vin c on the older vin 3 controls? Getting hard to find my MAF sensor and don't want to cough up $80 for a new one just to try it to see if it resolves an issue with the current motor (which would make me not pissed off anymore).
If I do the engine swap I will be putting in either a series 2 3800 or a SC series 1 (common enough at our junkyard), haven't decided. I have a 1991 4t60 in the car and a backup 440t4 with the 1-2 accumulator spring change. I won't use them on a SC 3800, but would work on the series 2 so if I use that motor it's one less thing to swap and fit unless the pcm would throw a fit for not having a electronic trans.
What other suspention packages are available that will fit that body? Being that I will likely have to pull everything to replace the struts anyway, It's not much more work to install upgrades. I've got a front strut tower brace on already, is there a brace for the rear? A range of years and RPO codes would help me for this as well. I'll look at the RPO for my existing suspention as I can't remember what it is, but it is the firmer of the two available.