'96 Century general project thread

[Purple pit]

Bought some GR-2 shocks for a friend at Rock Auto. Didn't know at the time that they sent the wrong ones. They are 343160. I think you can use them, but double check the number. If you can use them they will be sent to you for free. Don't need them and don't want them sitting around.

[Purple pit]

Just was thinking it was something that you felt was not needed. Though it would be very helpful, things are the way they are. Lets just say it's something for later down the road. These engines need all the help they can get when it comes to exhaust.

[LeftVentricle]

I intend no offence when I say this: The name of the game is "budget". There is no room in my budget for all the things that "would be better". I have a broken engine in my car, and this LX9 was more cost-effective and a better value than a stock replacement. Sure, I would love to be able to drop $4200 in WOT-Tech's coffers for intake-heads-cam, and stimulate my local economy by having a custom exhaust fabbed and the cam installed, but I can't. Thank you for your input.

I have removed parts from my new engine that I won't be using or aren't compatible with my car, like the upper intake, exhaust manifolds, EGR valve, fuel rail, idler pulley that's in the way of my power steering pump, the heater pipe that runs across the valve cover, and the like. Most of these parts will be offered for sale at a later date, if anyone is interested. I also test-fitted a 3400 upper I had laying around, and was satisfied with the result.

Parts unrelated to the engine swap are starting to trickle in. As I said earlier in the thread, the '96 and older U-body vans share most suspension components with my car, so I ordered bare van struts, variable-rate car springs, car mounts, and car spring seats. Also on the way are new bushings for the van sway bar I already have installed. New KYB Gas-A-Just shocks will round out the rear. When I need to haul or tow, I have some Monroe Load Assist shocks, which have a 25 lb helper spring. At some later time, I will also replace the rear springs with variable-rate springs, and see about control arm bushings for the front, as the budget will allow.

[Purple pit]

A good exhaust shop should be able to build a down pipe for you and put some bends in to match up to the stock exhaust. I know that you must keep the converter.

[LeftVentricle]

Your 3100 exhaust manifolds are smaller, so it would be better to come up with another down pipe for the 3500 manifolds.

I also have to use my stock exhaust for emissions purposes.

[Purple pit]

Your 3100 exhaust manifolds are smaller, so it would be better to come up with another down pipe for the 3500 manifolds.

[LeftVentricle]

It is an LX9 "3500", which is a 3.5L variant of the 60 degree Chevy V6. This particular one came from a 2005 Chevrolet Malibu, with 116k miles according to LKQ. This 3.5, unlike the later ones, is based on the 3.4L "3400" LA1, with updated head and intake designs, and gaskets that won't fail like the earlier Chevy engines. The later 3.5s are a smaller displacement version of the 3.9L, so they have variable valve timing and E85 capability, which are very difficult to make work in older cars.

This engine is not really plug-and-play. I have had to order the 3500 swap kit and 1997 PCM from Milzy Motorsports. Mike spent almost two hours on the phone with me, ironing out all the details of this swap, making sure the computer would be programmed how I wanted it, doing up a custom throttle body, and all that. He also said that, if there were interest in the A-body community, he might put together a swap kit specifically for A-bodies, using my car as the prototype!

Particulars of swapping this engine into my car, in no particular order:

• I will not be using the LX9 upper intake. It is wholly incompatible with my car. It lacks three vacuum nipples I need, for the HVAC, MAP sensor, and vacuum modulator for the transmission. I will be using an LG8 "3100" upper, which is what Oklahoma used in his top end swap.
• Since I'm not using the 3500 upper, I will not be using three parts from the swap kit: throttle body adapter, coil pack adapters, and MAP adapter pigtail.
• I'm also using an LG8 front valve cover I got from a yard off of a Malibu, which has a GM Goodwrench crate motor sticker on it proclaiming it to be a 3.1L.
• I will have to use my stock exhaust, since the downpipe is routed differently than any other car/engine.
• The throttle body will be from an LA1, modified by Mike to (hopefully) be plug-and-play with my stock cables.
• I will be using my stock fuel rail with 24 pound ACCEL injectors that are the same "fat" design as my stock injectors. The newer "thin" injectors have different connectors, and they are too tall to fit under my stock rail.

I'm sure more will come up once I yank the stock engine and start transferring over parts. Look for that in the coming days.

[LeftVentricle]

[robertisaar]

this is why I don't feel bad about "overfilling" a 60V6 by up to a quart, I have yet to see any evidence of foaming occur(I don't think losses through PCV accelerated either) and it does a good job of preventing situations like this.

[LeftVentricle]

Be careful friends. If you rub the lamp on the dashboard and let the genie out, this is what happens.

[robertisaar]

The car bushing slid right onto the van bar. Thanks for brainstorming with me.

GM's choices of where to save money are odd ones, but at least they're consistent.

I don't know if Sensa-Tracs are softer than FE1 struts, but I have them for the front of the Monte Carlo, with some blue Monroe(or Gabriel? not sure, I know they were fairly cheap) on the rear, I don't think it made an already soft suspension(with slightly oversized swaybars front and rear) any worse.

[LeftVentricle]

I've used Sensa-Tracs before on this car, and they felt fine. Road quality in Las Vegas is actually pretty decent. However, in a couple years, assuming I still have this car, I may want to change over to something more sporting. Comfort is a higher priority right now though, since this is the family car.

[Purple pit]

For me it was more of reaction time if there are multi pot holes in a row. With just two mid size ones my tires seemed to stay in the air and that put a lot of fear in me. After a change to the blues that was no longer a problem(also GR-2's later on another L-body, yes it took them that long to fix them). If the tire is in the air the brakes are useless. Your car may not be the same do to more weight. Or it could be worse. I'll just say that they use to float like an old 70's car. That may be a plus for you?

[LeftVentricle]

I think so. I posted a picture earlier in the thread of the car and van bars.

EDIT: Looks like I'm wrong about posting a picture. Here is one.


Van bar on right, car bar on left.


The car bushing slid right onto the van bar. Thanks for brainstorming with me.

[robertisaar]

relevant part numbers(most sizes grabbed from stuff like Tonkin or Nalley, not sure why bushing and bar sizes aren't matching?):

96 Century Wagon:
22mm bar - 14089551
24mm bar - 14089552

21mm bushing (subframe) - 14036361
22mm bushing (subframe) - 14036362

19mm bushing (control arm) - 14093233
21mm bushing (control arm) - 14093234

95 Lumina APV:
bar - 14089584

bushing (subframe) - 14036363

bushing (control arm) - 10149423



10149423 was superseded by 19208659, which:

http://www.wholesalegmpartsonline.com/products/INSULATOR-Stabilizer-Shaft/2882085/19208659.html

shows to be applicable to early A-bodies and basically all U-bodies.

http://www.oemautopartsandaccessories.com/catalog/parts/view/n/stabilizer-bar-bushing-19208659/v/pontiac-trans-sport-1994/vtec/27964/pid/2dacfe0e892603ab/

that's one source I'm finding when punching in 19208659, but it's odd rockauto doesn't list any. is it a situation like with a w-body where the bar tapers down for the control arm connection to a common size for all bars?