3500 swap questions

[IsaacHayes]

Buy 3500. See what you need. Then make it work

[berettafreak22]

looking into putting one of these in my '88 retta minus the already mentioned issues(crank trigger, fuel rail, fpr,vacuum lines, power sterring pump, tuning) what else might pose a problem? people are saying the mounts definetly, but others are saying no. anyone have any idea about this and a remedy for it?

[PCGUY112887]

The only gauges I have are spedo, tach, fuel, coolant temp, and a light that can say "low oil" if it can't detect any oil in the bottom of the pan.

That's about it.

[IsaacHayes]

Wow, no dummy light on the grand prix? Does it have a full gauge cluster? Hmm. I'm glad my car has all kinds of gauges.

[PCGUY112887]

I don't have a low oil pressure warning light I only have a low oil light, which on my 3100 it's on the bottom of the oil pan. The 3500 doesn't have this so I figured I would just have to delete the low oil light from the PCM so it isn't always on.

If it turns out I can plug my stock wire for the oil sensor in somewhere on the 3500 that would be nice

[IsaacHayes]

The stock sensor is for the low oil pressure warning light. In my car it's near the starter. I replaced mine with a variable one since I swapped gauge clusters with one that had oil pressure. Look on the 3100 for it and see if the 3500 uses the same spot.

Or if you need to you could put another sensor by the oil filter. This pic shows it. The plug that takes a square to unscrew.

[PCGUY112887]

Well hopefully I get it right, I'll get it lined up the best I can. When I took it off, the cam sprocket had it's line facing up and so did the crank mark. I guess they can also face eachother when installed due to the difference in the sprocket sizes? (like it ends up being the same when directly up or down becuase of the size difference?).

I also plan on getting an Autometer electric oil pressure gauge since there is no dummy light sensor in this engine. Where is a good place to put the sender? Is there a stock sender I can just replace with the Autometer one?

Thanks.

You can reinstall the timing marks eother facing each other or the cam mark facing up. I prefer to have them face each other, since they are closer together and easier to see they are lined up. If you want some way to measure it, you can line up a ruler or straight edge, piece of cardboard cut in a straight line also works. and imagine a line going directly through the center of the cam and crank and over the two timing marks. It is usually pretty obviousl if you are a tooth off though. IIRC a tooth off is about 12* on these engines, pretty obvious.

[PCGUY112887]

Anyone have pics of either of these? Since I don't see em on my engine outside.

[IsaacHayes]

You might be able to get away with using the LIM gasket again since they are so new. Depends how smashed it was. You could and then check it ever so often for vacuum and coolant leaks and make sure to do that regularly so if it does leak it doesn't trash the motor. The orange side things are used instead of lots of silicone. You could do it the old way with just silicone probably.

That plug is the cam position sensor. They changed from a pigtail to putting the connector right on the sensor.

The CPS is the 7x one that you have to put for the external CPS. It's located in the back of the block and is the tube shaped one. (pull the one from the 3100 or get a new one, but don't buy autozone ones, they are junk).

The 24x is the horseshoe shaped one that you'll swap over with your crank pulley and timing cover from the 3100.

[PCGUY112887]

Where does the Crank Position Sensor plug in at (aka what cable do I move to the new External Crank Trigger?

I also had a question about the timing sprocket and the crank sprocket. I know I have to line the marks up when I put it all back together. Do I just line the marks up at the center of the wheels facing each other? Seems like just doing it by eye could make it off just a bit...

[bszopi]

Cam Position Sensor

Since that is a GM PN, then yes, it will have the orange channel gasket.

[PCGUY112887]

Does that have the little orange channels too for the bottom of the LIM? One of mine ripped apart when I pulled the LIM off.

Everything is so nice and clean, I hate to have to throw these away.

Edit - btw what is that plug for in pic #1?

[Superdave]

Does anyone make gaskets for this engine yet, or is it all GM still?

Anyone have any part #'s?

12594816

that's the whole gasket kit, comes with the LIM gaskets, new style metal plenum gaskets and new headgaskets. It's $139.63

[PCGUY112887]

Does anyone make gaskets for this engine yet, or is it all GM still?

Anyone have any part #'s?