New reatta owner. Couple questions...

[handmedownreatta]

9 hours ago, Barney Eaton said:

Now that we know the engine has 200K.........the answers may be different.

I would install the pan, fresh oil and drive the car......... learn if there are any other problems that need $$ before doing anything with the engine.

Seems you like the car........and are faced with maybe $3000 for a engine and transmission.   

I would take the $3000 and what you can sell this car for and look for a lower mileage Reatta.........there are some real deals out there.   70K coupes for $5000

Do a little research......if you live in the rust belt,  look for a car that has lived in the south and has never seen salt.   

The other good option is a low mileage used engine.   There have been hundreds of thousands of the 3800 made between 1988 and 1990.....a little research and you could probably find a 50-80K engine for $400 or less,   there would be labor to install.

You could go with a later series II engine but some electrical changes would be necessary.......and if you were going that route,  do the 3800 supercharged conversion and have a super upgrade

if i had to replace the engine id look into buying a grandma car with a supercharged 3.8 and swapping it in.

[padgett]

Park Avenue Ultra and it also had a 4T60E trans.

[DAVES89]

I would swap out the pistons for 9:1 compression and polish the intake and exhaust as well as grind the obstruction in the exhaust manifold and pick up 25-30 HP. Then the tranny is not overloaded and you have a car with a bit more zip.

 Did it on the Red with 2seaters input and am very pleased with the result.

[natman92]

I've seen a few mention doing a supercharged swap. That's definitely been in the mix of ideas I want to go with regarding this car. I imagine a series II would be significantly more involved, as it's likely completely different wiring/OBD2 and what not.

Are there any on here that have done a swap like that, with either the series II or I? I'd be curious to see how they did it. 

10 hours ago, Ronnie said:

Spending $1000 for a used engine and transmission purchased as a unit makes a lot more sense.  Just drop it in and go.

Are most series I/4t60 just drop and go? If they're all fairly compatible in the Buick line, there's tons here at the junkyards. I may end up doing that too, or perhaps find a cheap donor car since you can find early 90's GM's all over the marketplace here. Also, is it easier to pull everything from the top, or just drop the front end completely on these Reattas? One thing I do like about these over my regal is that they give you way more room in the engine bay. Can hardly get my hand behind the block/firewall on the regal, but with the reatta, there's significantly more space to get around everything. 

[2seater]

Funny where the suggestions are pointing 🤪 Ordinarily I would be promoting pepping it up a bit if doing extensive work but it sounds like a suspect transaxle too, so a package of both might be in order. If you can do much of your own work, pulling the engine alone is a long day for one person to do and your labor would be low cost. Parts for the 3800 are relatively easy to find but costs will be considerably higher than for a Chevy or even a Ford. You would likely have a grand in freshening up the original engine, with your own labor, so weighing that against a good moderate mileage drivetrain package is worth looking into.

 

By the way, I don't pull the hood anymore when swapping engines. I disconnect the gas strut supports, connect a ratchet strap inside the trunk under the front of the opening, and with scuff protection, I connect the other end to the front of the hood and simply crank it up with the strap over the roof close to vertical. Actually it will go over center but much more difficult to handle like that. I usually tie it to the garage ceiling afterwards.

[padgett]

Interesting thought on the hood, makes sense. If you can find a low mileage powertrain unit, that is a good idea, make sure to get the computer also  The latest 90 and 91 (Pontiac) versions are the most reliable, avoid an 89. If going to an L-67 (supercharged) can contact GM Tuners. I moded one sometime ago for an L67/Getrag 5 speed. Key is to use the much richer L67 maps. Using the leaner non-boosted maps will feel fast but will burn pistons

[natman92]

Alright, after a bit of thinking, I'm going to get some friends and see if I can get a low mileage and/or wrecked series I engine/trans pulled at the Pull-a-Part near me. As nice as more modern supercharged engine sounds, I don't think I'm that advanced in my mechanical knowledge to do something like that. I'd much prefer a "drop and go" deal than making a super modified Reatta function.

 

Is an 89 that much of a drop in quality? I found an 89 Century about 20 minutes from me that has front end damage and is being sold for pretty cheap. I'll steer clear if they're ticking timebombs, though.

Also, can you remove both the engine and trans together from the top of these Reattas? Since mine is slipping, I figure I'd just swap the entire drivetrain from a lower mileage car. I can do all the gaskets and thoroughly go over the block before I drop it into the Reatta.

 

I actually called a shop just out of curiosity for a new engine, and they quoted me a grand total of about 3600.... ouch. The block itself is 1750, with the labor taking most of the cost. So yeah... considering I can get an engine at Pull-a-part for $160 and a transmission for $86, I feel that's a more cost effective alternative.

 

[handmedownreatta]

nothing wrong with a 1989 buick engine.if you are happy with the power,buy the century.make sure the century is a 3.8.wikapedia says the century is a 3.3.

Edited July 3, 2020 by handmedownreatta (see edit history)

[padgett]

Doesn't the 89 Century have a Chevvy 3.1 ?

[2seater]

Pretty sure the Century was the little brother of the 3800, the 3300 up until 1993 and then switched to the 3.1 Chevy V6.

[natman92]

My bad, it's a Lesabre. He says it has the 3.8 in it.

 

Also appears to have the 4t60, so that'd be a direct match with my Reatta's stuff. Hmmm.

Edited July 5, 2020 by natman92 (see edit history)

[padgett]

'89 LeSabre should be the same engine/trans combo as the Reatta. Diff ratio might be different. Would need to use your ECM/BCM. BTW any time an engine is out I replace the freeze plugs, cheap insurance. I use brass (marine) ones.