Top Swapping?

nmskull66

Blowing up one 3800 at a time
May 14, 2009
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Elmwood Park
I plan on doing my top swap withing the next 2 weeks whenever my gaskets arrive from ZZP but i was wondering.. Has anyone top swapped their GP or help out top swap a GP and would be willing to give me a hand doing mine, since this will be my first major engine mod on my car and i dont want to fuck it up..

So would anyone be up for helpin me out? I live 2 minutes away from the intersection of north ave. and harlem ave.

Thanks in advance
 

OffshoreDrilling

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Really, if you have a torque wrench, I dont see how you could fuck it up. Are you afraid of removing and installing some bolts? Just give it a go.

When I first started modifying my own stuff, I figured id either get it working and save myself a bunch of money or I would just end up spending what an install would cost anyways to get someone to fix it.
 

DanJ

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Really, if you have a torque wrench, I dont see how you could fuck it up. Are you afraid of removing and installing some bolts? Just give it a go.

When I first started modifying my own stuff, I figured id either get it working and save myself a bunch of money or I would just end up spending what an install would cost anyways to get someone to fix it.

For sure. When i did my rockers and valve springs i figured if i dropped a valve it's not like 3800's are that expensive and it would be a learning experience to pull the heads. Cars are not as hard to work on as people might make it seem. Just do your research over and over, ask other people who have done it before and go slowly. I have fucked myself over multiple times rushing a job and forgetting something and then have to take a bunch of shit back apart to do it right. I understand where you are coming from wanting to have someone with some experience there. I tried to get help for awhile but i always ended up getting antsy and just doing it myself.
 

Bob Kazamakis

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Exactly. It's all a learning experience. To make it easier take pics of where things go. But really as long as you have torque specs it's not bad. Patience is key when doing something new. Rushing alway leads to problems.

When I cam swapped I had left 1 bolt loose on the timing cover. When I put water/ coolant in it started gushing out. Oops.
 

Outlaw

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I'm the same way, I'll be looking for a helping hand or two if i decide to go turbo on my '90 525.... I'm confident in my ability but it's still nice to have someone there as a backup... If I was more into the 3800 scene I'd be down for helping you out, doesnt seem like it's too hard of a job, but... I do understand your apprehesion.
 

02BlueGT

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Feb 21, 2008
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Called out.......

Sadly free time is hard to come by right now, but any questions let me know... I ended up doing the swap my self it really isn't that bad, other than the back head and rear manifold, thats difficult cause you cannot see what you are doing most of the tame and need to do it by Feel when back there..... And if you want to learn, I'd suggest buying a tuner instead of a Canned PCM tune, ZZP's top swap tune will be very conservative, and leave you short a lot of power because they don't wanna risk engine damage with all the possible variations out there
 
Called out.......

Sadly free time is hard to come by right now, but any questions let me know... I ended up doing the swap my self it really isn't that bad, other than the back head and rear manifold, thats difficult cause you cannot see what you are doing most of the tame and need to do it by Feel when back there.....

A BIG X2 to that one. Definitely take off the read manifold when you do it. I just helped a friend change the head gaskets on a Buick with a 3800 and we almost fucked up the new rear head gasket trying to get the head on with the exhaust manifold still installed.
 

02BlueGT

No Fucks Have Been Given
Feb 21, 2008
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Now apearing in Hanover Park
Oh, even thought the wire connectors can only go on their own sensor, labeling them makes re-assembly 2x faster Mine:

Image012.jpg


sorry for the quality, cell phone pic
 

nmskull66

Blowing up one 3800 at a time
May 14, 2009
1,078
0
Elmwood Park
I'm the same way, I'll be looking for a helping hand or two if i decide to go turbo on my '90 525.... I'm confident in my ability but it's still nice to have someone there as a backup... If I was more into the 3800 scene I'd be down for helping you out, doesnt seem like it's too hard of a job, but... I do understand your apprehesion.


yes its nice and i plan on doing it within the next 3 - 4 weekends
 
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