El_Diablos_Buick

I have a 86 Buick Regal T-Type and I am just waiting for the engine to go(Which will be no time soon) But whenever it goes I want to do a 5.3 swap for sure. Now my couple of questions is simple. I walk into the junk yard and ask for what? The simple smartass answer is the engine and the tranny, well no ****. But do I ask for the 5.3l, the tranny that it came with, and all the wiring uncut? PCM? Fuse box? the obd adapter (what inside the car just incase it throws codes)? Just want to make it a easy and less painful swap. I have been reading pleanty of post but I want the stright answer.

El_Diablos_Buick

All I wanted was a complete list of what I would need. Any other little nic nacs that will just have me sitting in my garage and do work without stopping.

loweredd

iTrader: (2)

Wow, what a nice attitude in the first post dude.

I'll give you a simple answer. Yes. Get as much from the donor car as possible. If you get the entire harness and fuse/relay center, you would just be able to hook your battery cable up to the lug, and splice your ignition switch, and drive off.


All you have to do is a little searching on here. G-body's are a popular swap. More info than you will ever need.

El_Diablos_Buick

Oh my god man....I wasn't using an attitude in my post. Since I am deployed I have been running a list and talking to my counter parts around here on how to make this a easy to do in one day swap. I been searching the threads for a couple of weeks now. I been on this site many times since i bought my 04 GTO and never registered. Though it might of been my first post doesn't make this my first time to post on a forum nor does it make me a little 15 year old noob kid. I am on many other forums and I do not us my post count to repersent my knowledge of the all might LS1, LC2, or any other. I ask for a simple question and maybe it will help out others to just take a list and hand it to the worker at the junk yard and bam easy transaction. thank you for your info

loweredd

iTrader: (2)

I never said anything about your post count, or how long you've been looking without joining. I guess attitude was the wrong word, I guess use of swear words should have been the phrase.

I trying to come across like you were a lazy noob kid, I'm sorry if I did. I was just pointing out that G-body's are popular on here, and your question has probably been asked and answered 20 times.

Sorry if I came across as a jerk.

lss1

iTrader: (25)

I think lowerred covered it pretty well. Pretty much get as much from the donor car as possible. Engine,tranny,harness,computer, exhaust manifolds with some of the exhaust still attached if possible. This way you can use as much as you want and sell the rest to recover some of your initial cost. The ALDL connector from any OBD II car can be used and does not need to be from the donor car. I know how you feel with being deployed and trying to put together a project. My best advice would be to search for related posts, print off any lists with part numbers and such or if not available put together a list of parts with part numbers, prices, and vendors to help get everything planned in some order. This will make the whole process alot easier and always a reference to go back to and check. Good Luck out there Brother!

El_Diablos_Buick

So my stock conector in my car should work? Or is that a OBDI?

loweredd

iTrader: (2)

Yours is OBD1. I think it has half the amount of pins in it.

El_Diablos_Buick

Could my tranny be used with the 5.3l? Found one thread on it but it was never answered. 200-4r

loweredd

iTrader: (2)

200R4? Head up to Automatic Transmissions, and click on the search box, I did 200R4, and a bunch of red topics popped up.

I honestly couldn't help you out there. I just used the 4L60E that came with mine.

If it's to save money, my quess would be it would be cheaper to use a 4L60E than to get swap parts for the 200R4.

lss1

iTrader: (25)

you can use the stock 2004r with your engine. I belive you have to leave one of the bellhousing to engine bolts out. There is also a spacer that mates the stock flywheel to the 2004r convertor. Then there is the whole tv cable deal. You are going to have to fabricate a bracket to mount the end of the cable to the throttle body that will give you the proper geometry for it to fuction properly.

50kta

dude you have a T-type! dont change the motor! its a grandnational in disquise! i would love to have that car! with the V6

magic

iTrader: (4)

There was a guy on turbobuick.com that did an LQ4 6.0L and 4L80E swap into his 87 GN....single turbo of course! But he ended up selling it....

El_Diablos_Buick

I saw that on turbobuicks.com

I am only doing the swap if the motor ever goes south. These little turbo 6s are expensive. I figure I will not be even spending half the amount to do this swap as I would be spending to do another v6 or even rebuilding it. I will sell this T-Type of you want it. I am just gathering up info on this swap because it has my mind wondering. There is nothing wrong with the engine right now.

nelson71

I've been studying the same thing for the future buildup of my Monte SS. Keeping your 2004r will have a few benefits. With the 4L60 you will no longer have the gear for your stock speedometer cable, its also a diffrent length which requires a new or modified driveshaft. With your 2004r, you don't have those issues. The way I understand it, the biggest issues are the TV Cable and the lack of a vehicle speed sensor in the 2004r. There are aftermarket solutions for both.

When I get started on my Monte I plan to keep the 2004R and run a megasquirt. I think that will simplify alot.

El_Diablos_Buick

I have a digital gauge but it only reads up to 85 mph still.

El_Diablos_Buick

I thought it was a direct bolt in with the 5.3 and tranny

Formula_LT1

iTrader: (2)

Is a 2004R an electronic controlled tranny? If so, I'm sure with the correct computer programing it would work. It would work even if they're vaccume controlled.

G-Body

iTrader: (4)

The 200r4 is not computer controlled, but the TC lockup function is computer controlled

magic

iTrader: (4)

Is the lock-up function computer controlled in terms of that its controlled by the ECU OR is it inside the transmission?? If so, could it be switched on or off with an auxillary switch?