Seeing as my motor is beginning to die (153,500 miles on it now) and a motor rebuild would take around a week and $1500 labour from my mechanic only to get the gas guzzler back, I decided I should swap the motor out. I was looking at a 2.3L W41 motor found in the 1994 Oldsmobile Achieva packing 175 to 190hp, but to do that swap I have to get new wiring harnesses, new tranny, new computer, new everything really (right down to the axles)... Basically just swapping the chassis. So I decided for a while that a motor swap was not the way to go... Up until I saw that the 1990 Baretta GTZ has a 2.3L motor that packs 190hp. downgrading to a four-banger may have seemed like a bad idea to me at first until I saw that some of them pack far more power than my 2.8L can, therefore giving me the power that I crave.

The 2.8L V6 Cavalier motor (and the 3.1) is a huge motor (physically)and there's no room to put turbos in, nitrous, anything really. The best mod I have for the cav is the "power tower" as someone said, which is basically an entire aftermarket computer that acts like a really big performance chip. With it, my cav has actually kept up to a 1995 3.4L monte Carlo and, surprisingly, a 2004 Ford Mustang GT with performance parts comin out of it's butt on the 1/4 mile. If only I knew how to race a car.

Downgrading to a 4 banger gives me so much more room to work, and to get one with so much more power than my current one and giving me more milage, there are no losses in this swap aside from money...

So, I suppose the question is (after all that rambling on) How difficult would it be to swap a 1990 2.3L Chevrolet Beretta motor into my 1989 Chevrolet Cavalier?
the guy at SGI salvage said Beretta motors will fit into a Cavalier, so I'm lookin for some basic things that would need to be done. I know a new computer is needed because it's a completely different motor (V6 vs I4) but I'm lookin for stuff like Will I need a new transmission? Will I need different wiring harnesses?, etc.

Sorry for the long post. And thanks for any help.

Unless you have another mode of transportation available for more than 2 months, some mad automotive, welding, and fabricating skills, an elaborate shop with all the tools you could possibly ever need (including welding and machining heavy tools), and a bankroll fatter than all of the cars mentioned combined (the Cav, the Beretta, and alternate mode of transportation), give it up and buy a new car.

Serious.

It may look really appetizing to take an 'on-paper' better engine and dumping it into a car it was never destined for. But reality steps in with many points that make this a HUGELY impractical venture.
- How do you know the Beretta engine is in any better shape than the Cav's engine?
- Will a 2.3L 4-cylinder bolt up to a 2.8 V-6's transmission bellhousing, or will there be more fabrication involved?
- will the halfshafts still work, or will you have to graft the stuff on from the Beretta?
- engine/tranny mounts?
- Will the computer work with the Cav's existing wiring harness?
- Do you know how to rewire for compensation of stuff that doesn't match up?

And the big question - can you do all of this yourself? Based on the questions you asked - I'm going to say 'no.'

Go buy a new car and save yourself the time, hassle, and money.

Yeah, I can trade in my car for a 1988 beretta 4 cyl at the drop of a hat, but I like my car too much to give it up, but sometimes it has to be done. There are some issues that have to be addressed however before anything can be done for them:

Cavalier:
1) Fix the radiator (the frame punched right through the radiator and almost in the fan)
2) Fix the frame and any potential hazards
3)Check to see how much it would cost for a 3400 swap (basically taking parts here and there from a monte carlo motor and putting them on the cav for a boost of something like 80hp)
4) Get the motor running in tip-top shape
5) get the rear window fixed
6) Get a new, stronger alternator and battery (the stereo system, 950W total, cuts out while idling, and cuts back in while driving. The CD continues to play during the cut out)

Beretta:
1) Learn how to drive standard transmissions
2) Fix the steering pump (it leaks a bit, not nearly as much as my rad does though)
3) Get the brakes replaced (the warning pad is hitting the brake causing a squeal)

Ummm - again, unless you've got the technical savvy, fabrication skills, the facilities, and time & money to do all of this, you might want to learn how to drive the Beretta, buy a new PS pump, and have the brakes done.

Beretta's are so much cooler than those old boxy Cavaliers anyway. Why is this a problem?

And there is no way in Hell you're going to get 3400 Monte Carlo parts to fit on that old 2.8L.

There's a reason why they don't make aftermarket hop-up kits for these cars... because they suck. Sorry Man - they're econo-grocery-getters, not hot-rods. You should ditch these delusions of grandeur you got from watching 'The Fast and Furious' and go buy a real hot-rod if you want the power. There's no way a tired old 2.8L Cavalier will ever make as much power with aftermarket power-ups (if you can even find the right stuff to put on it in the first place) than a cared for older Camaro or Firebird out of the box. So take the tens of thousands of dollars it would take to make your turd faster and put it into something that's at least upgradable.

get a jap. 4-banger...save some gas, and get better performace...
plus they last longer...i've seen many many hondas that have rolled over...meaning the odometer has reached 1 mill. KM no problem...

-------------------------------------------------------

anyhow, your only concern will be the tranny, and the wiring...
a computer can be bought from a scrapyard, along with the wiring harness...

so, your down to the tranny...ask around to see if the cav will mate with the beretta...

Sid... brother... don't encourage the boy.

This is not like pulling a Chevy 350 out of a Camaro and dropping it into a Firebird we're talking about here.

This is one of those things that's best left up to people that have skills most commonly found on TV shows like Monster Garage and American Hot Rod. And trust me - those people wouldn't waste their time with it.

And quite honestly, there's probably about 4 or maybe 5 people on this forum that could pull off such a swap... and you guys aren't on the list. And I'm pretty sure those 4 or 5 people wouldn't waste their time and money with it either.

Give it up - buy the Beretta, be a man, and learn how to drive a stick.

I could do it , ace could do it and 4x4 too but even if you paid me top dollar i wouldn't because when done you still got a mess

i dont know what your going rate for mechanics is down there...

but for an engine/tranny drop here...its about $2500-6000 canadian...depending on engine performance...

but we are talking honda/acura...

taking an acura B18 and dropping it into a civic, same engine mounts, but you have to swap tranny, and computer...a little fab. and its done...2 day job...

anyhow...i think we all have a little Jesse James in us...right?!?!?!

Define 'a little fab' and why you think it's only going to be a 2-day job.

And yeah - Honda... Chevrolet... apples and dinner rolls.

I want to know...am i one of the five

You must be... since you asked so nicely.

Tow motor mechanic, who had a cottage near us had a little car project years back...

He had a sweet little MGB and an ole 454 he was going to drop into it...

Never ever knew if he did it or not, you put wheels on the 454 and it was about the same size as the MG...

"Death Rocket... how do you turn this thing..."

a little fab meaning work for the stick shift and clutch pedal...

i've seen engine swaps done personally on hondas in 1 day...

just need the right shop to do it...

Again - not worth it for the reasons I mentioned above. Way too much money for an old used engine to be dumped into an old used car.

Sorry, but there's way too much customization involved for this to be a cheap project. For the money he'll be faced with investing, he could buy a nice, newer used car.

It amazes me at how simple this stuff appears to those that have no idea how to do it.

hey, i know how...
dad used to work at Auto Dynamics...
wifes family is all mechanics...

i use one of their shops to do work on my car all the time...


but yah, if you can get a better car for cheaper than the swap...just get the car...

Hey, I'm one of the five too, I've installed 1 Cyl to 16 Cly, no problem, just sign the paycheck.

I do Transmissions 5 lb to 5,000 lb, and I make my own wiring to fit.



No I can't do it anymore, Retired.