RWD and FWD interchangeable??

This may be a stupid question but i don't know the answer. Can you take a 3.1 FWD motor out of a grand prix or other car and use the motor in a RWD firebird that has a 2.8 in it right now??

I asked before about the 3.1 linning up with the tranny in a car with a 2.8 in it and everybody seem to say i could because they were both 60 degree motors. I'm just not sure about the FWD being interchangeable with a RWD.

Thanks for your help!:)

If it lines up with the transmission I don't see a problem. Make sure the transmission footprint is the same; you might need to find engine mounts for the 3100 that will fit the TA. Just out of curiosity; why not a 3400 or a 3800? The 3800 has tonnes of aftermarket support.

I was just using a 3.1 as an example because i've worked with them and think they are good motors, not that the other ones aren't. I would like to put a 3800 in it, although i'm not looking to sink tons of money into this car and make it some fast car, i just want it to have some guts. The 2.8 that is in it now doesn't have any guts at all. I had a grand prix with a 3.1 in it that would have smoked this firebird off the line. The firebird might have beat it at top end but i don't know, i can't tell what this car can do because i'm afraid to run it fast because of a vibration at high RPM's. I'm gonna replace the Harmonic Balancer and hope that fixes the problem. It has a slight vibration even at idle but it gets worse the higher the RPM's, and it doesn't matter if the car is in gear or in park so i'm thinking Harmonic Balancer. But anyway i just want to have a nice looking car with some guts. The car looks really good now, just all show and no go though.

I can get a hold of a 3.1 front wheel drive engine for next to nothing just wasn't sure if those FWD motors work in RWD cars. I'm not a car nut when it comes to major things like engine swaps and stuff like that.

Thanks for your info.

No, the FWD and RWD engines are completely different when it comes to them aligning with the tranny's. Yeah I'm sure you could do it, but to get the FWD engine to connect up to a RWD tranny will require alot of custom fabrication, that just wouldn't be worth the time and money. There was an old thread here somewhere, where alot of us were having a discussion about it. I'l try to find it for you if you're interested.

Hey Thanks blind

Sorry for the long delay, i was out of town for some time. No need to look up the thread, you've answered my question.
Thanks

you mentioned the other car would have smoked your firebird off the line. Don't forget there are more factors to performance than just the engine. Things like "gearing" and "power to weight" ratio. Did you compare these from each car?

You may be dissapointed in the performance by going through a lot of work making this engine swap if the firebird's gearing is lacking, for example.

maybe al lyour current engine needs its a better rear end gear ratio? you may find this will give you the performance you desire, or by upgrading parts on your current engine. this would be a lot less work....

I hope this is helpful.


Hey Thanks blind

Sorry for the long delay, i was out of town for some time. No need to look up the thread, you've answered my question.
Thanks

My freind had a GP w/ the 3.1 too, My '01 GAGT had the 3.4 (pretty much a beefed up 3.1) and it smoked his GP double quick, But there was no competition w/ his newer GTP w/ the 3800. So I would go with something larger then the 3.1 on the TA becuase it does have a good deal of weight to it.

I saw some of the Import drag races, and I thought it'd be pretty crazy if some of the Import Companies did an NHRA commemorative Edition of some of their cars that are run in the Pro RWD classes, even if the production car is FWD.