teamaro

i wasnt a guy who cared about cars till i luckly got a year 97 3800 v6 manual camero from a guy after a wreck that wasnt my fault for cheap $1700.such a beast, all black. red and black interior. .never thought i would get so many compliments from a vehicle that i didnt spend more than 2 grand on. it had 170000 miles on it when i got it and it ran awesome for a year. i have a trusted mechanic who i have been going to for years and who also claimed they worked on the car before i had and i always express to them i love the vehicle and want to do what i can do it running the body is in amazing condition. would come to them for tires and even my speaker. ievery once in awhile i would get a ticking noise but a month ago i was getting ticking in the engine constantly it started to get louder.then the engine started knocking side to side and any research i did pretty much led to a oil problem but oil was okay. the first time i took it in they told me i needed a new part something with the word inbalancer.. i paid for it they gave it back to me 20 min later its even worse to where my car just losses power while driving and my coolant was boiling out the cap. two things that didnt happen before i took it in. i take it back now their telling me a part of my motor needs replaced but with labor it would be cheaper to just replace the entire engine because of the way they would have to replace it. after a week or two they tell me today that my best option would a used engine he found with 80,000 miles with labor for $3200-$3400.

that just doesnt seem right too me but again i am not a car expert but from the advice im getting from people around me (not experts) everyone is telling me to lean away from replacing the engine for that much or that im being over charged.
. he is telling me the engine is going to be $2000 just to buy because they are hard to find for my exact vehicle?
.
if i could just get any advice at all. i got alot of people telling me to just get rid of the vehicle but i love the body i have not had problems with anything that wasnt the engine and if replacing the engine for a couple thousand keeps it going for a couple years i do want to do that i just want to know im not being scammed or taken advantage of. i dont look like a car guy and the mechanics are aware im willing to spend money for something i like.
.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

I'm thinking it is a head gasket issue. It would be a lot better and easier to help you if you could tell us what they told you was bad.

Engines are not hard to find online but they are used so there is always a risk....

http://www.lowmileageparts.com/1997-...E#.WdzAjVtSxUQ

RockinWs6

Find another shop, those 3.8 v6 were made from 96-08 and ALL flavors will fit in your car by simply swapping the intake manifold from your engine. They were used in everything from a Buick, Pontiac, Chevy, lots and lots of them everywhere.


Hint, buy a used car for 500 bucks and swap the engine.........

01ssreda4

iTrader: (96)

God i hate retard mechanics.

teamaro

does the fact hes saying its costing $2000 for a used engine seem like a lie?

BudRacing

iTrader: (3)

I think that price would be for a remanufactured engine.

teamaro

so im going back today to ask them
. what exaactly is wrong with the motor
. why they can only find one engine for 3200 to fit
. bring up the fact 3800 v6 engines are in multiple vehicles.

anything else i should ask?

pdxmotorhead

I looked at a similar issue a while back, the number of shops that will even attempt a motor swap out has dropped a lot in the last couple years.. I ended up replacing head gasket on a Honda myself because everybody wanted to hit me for 18+ hours of labor.. It took me a Sunday and a Saturday, about 6 hours each to do the job, + a hour to run the head to the head rebuilder for testing..

I've been shopping 2014 4.3 GM engines and I found several that were < 2000 with transmission and transfer case.. YMMV..

teamaro

yes if only i had the knowledge and skill to do these things myself. its just hard because im supposed to have a good relationship with this place. i keep coming to them with doubts on their pricing and i can tell their getting annoyed but their is just no way they are only finding one used engine for me 80000 miles for 2 grand. that seems so high.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

I believe the front wheel drive engines had some differences.

G I'm glad not to be young and broke anymore. Cant imagine having to take that kind of hit even 6 or 7 years ago. Ouch. Good luck.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

BTW, those cars aren't really worth ****. Might be cheaper to buy another car, either for the motor or just to drive. 20 year old V6 Camaros are cheap.

teamaro

i have the money to fix it. i actually bring them cars on the regular so they know im not broke which is partly why i think their over charging me. where im split is when im being told by them only one engine will fit my camero and then from others im being told 3.8 v6 engines are easy to find for less than 2000

FirstGen F-Body

iTrader: (3)

the 3800 has a rough idle firing order so gm put in a balance shaft thats in the engine valley under the intake. it is supplied with oil from the lifters
the 3800 blocks and the heads are the same. the supercharged 3800 heads are different and they have dish pistons.
the intake, oil pan, ps pump, ac compressor, exhaust manifolds and the engine mounts will need to be swapped over
i have a 98 that came with a 3800 series 2 and put in a 3800 series 3 out of a grand prix b4 i wanted to go ls.

AnotherWs6

iTrader: (17)

I sent you a link for an exact replacement engine for around a grand. Shipped to their door.

jimmyp3353

iTrader: (3)

Sell your car as a rolling chassis and take the money you would have spent on replacing the engine and the money from the rolling chassis and buy yourself a super nice Z28 or Trans Am of the same year. Fukc, I buy Ls1's from pan to intake manifold with harness for less than $2k. If you like that firebird, then just go buy yourself a clean LT1 formula.

Doug G

IF you love that car, want to keep it, not afraid to be upside down on it value....just get a re-manufactured motor.
Yes, little more now, has a warranty, fresh/new, and 0 miles.

I would not stick a used motor in with no details on its history, and having to pay someone else to do it.
You may get a month, a week, a year, or ?????.....are you ready for that ?

Your $$$$ and your call.

Best of luck.

Russ8993

I gotta agree with jimmyp! With what you're planning on putting into this car to fix it, you could take that same amount of money and get a real nice LS1, Trans Am Firebird etc. just something to think about, if you can't part with the car, then I would make damn sure that the engine and replacemet work is top notch, or we're gonna have this same talk down the road with you, just keeping it real brother!!! Good luck!!!

RockinWs6

ALL the 3800 engines will fit in your car. FRT wheel or not. Just need to swap a few thing depending on what you get it out of. You should be able to find one under 1000 dollars with low miles. Now finding a honest shop to help is the real challenge. PLUS WTH is wrong with your engine??????? I really think you need to find a real shop with people who know WTH they are doing. Its painfully obvious your shop knows how to lighten your wallet nothing more.......I deal with this crap all the time. World is full of NON Professionals poseur's.

Look at the White House....CLASSIC EXAMPLE!!!!

383z

iTrader: (2)

I would go ahead and do a LS1 swap for that much money.
I bought a whole (donor with drive train) for $2700.
Your love for the car will grow again if not more if you do this.

I would also ask for secound opinions.

Spamfritter

iTrader: (1)

Depending on where you are, you can get rolling chassis for less than that. I paid $1,000 for mine. Of course it was sans hood and has **** wheels on it. I agree with you on the LS swap. An LS variant and all the swap entails isn't that much more than dropping in another 3800 series II.