SC SWAP Question for D-a-n-i-e-l

[Guest steveskyhawk]

D-a-n-i-e-l

In your opinion, IF someone were going to start from scratch, what would be the ideal Reatta to start with and the ideal SC donor car to accomplish a seamless engine upgrade? (easiest)

I'm not looking for a maximum horsepower increase but 50 horsepower would seem like alot. Id like to do it with a minimum of fabrication and would need to be California emissions legal.

Problem is the original engines don't go bad, or we would be seeing more of these swaps

Thanks

[padgett]

Still think the best answer is to buy a V-6 Fiero and a trailer hitch. You can still buy a nice complete car for less than the cost of a swap and being 800 lbs lighter will be faster to start with.

Personally think the place for a blower is at either 20,000 feet or on a diesel.

[Ronnie]

Still think the best answer is to buy a V-6 Fiero and a trailer hitch. You can still buy a nice complete car for less than the cost of a swap and being 800 lbs lighter will be faster to start with.

Personally think the place for a blower is at either 20,000 feet or on a diesel.

I had a Fiero Formula as my weekend toy before getting my Reatta. I sold the Fiero mainly of two reasons. No power steering and not enough room for my left foot. I'm a big & tall man (6' 1" and 250 pounds) and I never felt comfortable in the Fiero as I do in the Reatta. To me the Fiero felt more like a sports car than the Reatta and I liked the way it looked better. If it had been more comfortable I would have swapped in a 3800 and lived happily ever after. With a 3800 I think I could have forgotten about the power steering.

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

D-a-n-i-e-l

In your opinion, IF someone were going to start from scratch, what would be the ideal Reatta to start with and the ideal SC donor car to accomplish a seamless engine upgrade? (easiest)

I'm not looking for a maximum horsepower increase but 50 horsepower would seem like alot. Id like to do it with a minimum of fabrication and would need to be California emissions legal.

Problem is the original engines don't go bad, or we would be seeing more of these swaps

Thanks

Any one of the cars 88-91 are pretty much the same. They all run OBD1 and are easily reprogrammed from Sinister performance. The enigine I would stick with is a 94 to 95 series one. The 92-93 have a smaller intake than the 94-95.

Over all for reliability and ease of swap a 91 car would be the smoothest, as the HD trany from a 94/95 would bolt/wire right in and the tranny can be controlled by the 91 ECM. Meaning the only reprograming would be for engine control.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Thanks Daniel. So a 91 would be the easiest with the engine from a 94-95 Riviera

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

Yes 100% easiest. the only thing you would be modifying is the heater hoses, ECM program, and exchanging engine mounts from one to the other. Off the top of my head that is pretty much it.

[Guest gotitright]

I recently traded my 86 1/2 Fiero Gt because my wife would not ride in it. Ingress and egress were the problem same with my Corvette. She loves my Reatta.

[Guest Richard D]

With a lot of the newer cars having electric power steering could any of their pumps be adapted for a Fiero? As I remember in 1988 Pontiac said they were developing electric steering for the Fiero. My 91 NSX had manual steering and it was easier to park than my Fiero, and the NSX had much wider tires. When I got the NSX the Acura dealer said he expected electric steering in the NSX by 94. I don't think it ever happened.

[Guest steveskyhawk]

Daniel,

I read somewhere on this forum that the throttle linkage had to be modified.

I have (3) 91 models and a faster one might be on the horizon if I were to have trouble with one of their current engines. Not likely

This is one mod that I don't believe devalues the car as it is done with all OEM parts. If the car had remained in production this power plant would have been available if only as an option.

Edited March 27, 2011 by steveskyhawk (see edit history)

[D-a-n-i-e-l]

Daniel,

I read somewhere on this forum that the throttle linkage had to be modified.

I have (3) 91 models and a faster one might be on the horizon if I were to have trouble with one of their current engines. Not likely

This is one mod that I don't believe devalues the car as it is done with all OEM parts. If the car had remained in production this power plant would have been available if only as an option.

It has been a while. I belive it is not sessisary to doe any thing to the throtle if you use the bracket from the SC engines. I do recall on my first attempt that I did modify the reatta bracket, much easier to use the SC one.

[Thriller]

I was tempted the other day when I saw a SC engine and tranny for sale locally...the year may have been mentioned, but I don't recall what it was. That was approaching the price paid for the Reatta though....

[padgett]

If you only paid $600 for the Reatta then the engine might be worth it.

ps think steering effort is why the 88 Fiero GT had 6" front rims.

Edited April 4, 2011 by padgett (see edit history)

[jonlabree]

The only reason to modifiy the throttle bracket if if you are going to use the stock transmission.

[Guest mongeonman]

I am going to do a compression test on my SC engine from the 94 SSEI before i take it out of the car,what pressure should i get on this engine?

[Guest jwin]

I am going to do a compression test on my SC engine from the 94 SSEI before i take it out of the car,what pressure should i get on this engine?

100 psi minimum, and the lowest cylinder should not be less than 70% of the highest.