Northstar Transplant?

This is something I have not yet seen in f-bodies and I'm surprised, I'm quickly learning about the potential of this thing. At first, i was surprised to was only 4.6 liters, but when you're up close you can see the shear size of the thing. Anyone know somebody who did this conversion into an f-body?

Are there Advantages to have a Northstar V8, Disadvantages? Should I have just used the search option? :evillol:

*corrected liter size

Would be an interesting swap. Not sure really what the benefits of one in an f-body would be other than the cool factor. There isn't really a performance mod market for the Northstar that I know of as there is for the LS-*/LT1 engines. Plus the Northstar is alot more complicated than the LS-*

My .02$

Potential it may have, but the small (or not any at all) size of aftermarket is probably not worth it. You'd likely be stock at stock, or custom work. Maybe in a year or two the aftermarket will pick up, but then again maybe not. Anyhow, other than that I'm with Wall ^

there is a market its just expensive. the cam kits are up above a grand. northstars are excellent performances engines. Think about it. 32 valves letting the beast breath. I was torn for a while between a northstar and an ls1. But just couldnt see myself spending the money required for it.

I wonder how big you could stroke it to.....

http://www.chrfab.com/ they sell built northstars and they sell performance parts

I wonder how big you could stroke it.....

Haha... nice

Thank ya, thank ya.

I wonder how big you could stroke it to.....

less displacement true, but the same amount of cylinders that needs less gas, what about the 5.7 liter v10 in the Carrera GT. What about V6 sized v12s in Exotics? This by the way is why I always wondered why import enthusiasts make such a big case out of 4 cylinders when there's w16s out there :grinyes:

Yes I know we have limits, so i'm sticking with 8 cyls and less spark plugs :icon16:

very true...more cylinders....more money

That would be an interesting swap. Do you have leads on getting one for reasonable price?

That would be an interesting swap. Do you have leads on getting one for reasonable price?

Get in good with an old woman whos selling her caddi cheap.

ditto

I should be able to pick an old one up from the junkyard right? I see they're cheap enough on ebay and I don't want the auto fwd tran with it.

there's a bunch laying around the auto shop at college, it's not fair T__T going to waste like that

Could I mate it to a T56????

One other question, it's mounted horizontally instead of vertically? anyone know why? no...wait it's coming it me...it's fwd?

New engine
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadillac-Northstar-4-6L-v8-XLR-DTS-STS_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33615QQitemZ8043794 484QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
Entire Caddy
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Cadillac-Eldorado-etc-96-Black-Cadillac-Eldorado-2dr-Northstar-v8-coupe_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ6147QQitemZ461894 3440QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW
not sure how much it would rise in 7 more days..I'm not saying i'll buy one of these, just that that's the general worth, so finding one in a junkyard should be fun.

i wouldnt want to rebuild one of those..too many pieces.....stick with the new motor....

i have a northstar coilpack!!!!!!


don't know why but i felt like throwing that in

With all of the shields and crap taken off it looks just like an LS1 but with dohc. Since it is FWD how would you mount it in a RWD car?

With all of the shields and crap taken off it looks just like an LS1 but with dohc. Since it is FWD how would you mount it in a RWD car?

don't ask me the question I asked you the answer for :swear:

I've heard It can be converted to rwd, I just don't know how. I'll ask in the caddy forum about the rwd

Have to fab up some serious engine mounts. Maybe thats why nobody has seen an f-body with one yet.

i have a northstar coilpack!!!!!!


don't know why but i felt like throwing that in
are you proud of yourself, anyways, souds like an awesome transplant, but a hell of alotta work

The first FWD Camaro, quicksilver?

The first FWD Camaro, quicksilver?

....how dare you.....

This thread made me start thinking.....

My grandma has a little old Fiat that is just sitting there in the garage. I just got the idea of an LS1 swap in a convertible Fiat. That would be insanely fast if done right. I think it would need some serious frame beefing up to take a LS1 though, little tiny italian car. Would be sweet as hell though. Rollbar, LS1, T-56, and a little 2 seater convertible Fiat. Fun as hell.

Damn you all for starting this topic that put the idea in my head.

it would be the lightest ls1, i know that!!

Swaping a Northstar into a feiro is pretty common and fiero's are rwd so I'd say it can be done. Over on the fiero board they're doing a build and you might be able to see how they delt with the whole fwd to rwd delemia. I bet a 2500-2700 pound car with a northstar sitting over the rear wheels would turn some sweet 1/4 mile times.

This thread made me start thinking.....

My grandma has a little old Fiat that is just sitting there in the garage. I just got the idea of an LS1 swap in a convertible Fiat. That would be insanely fast if done right. I think it would need some serious frame beefing up to take a LS1 though, little tiny italian car. Would be sweet as hell though. Rollbar, LS1, T-56, and a little 2 seater convertible Fiat. Fun as hell.

Damn you all for starting this topic that put the idea in my head.

ROFL
We're damned alright, if I go through with this and get the project underway, my new name will be Northstar_RWD :naughty: I just think it would be a lot easier to mount the engine vertically like a pushrod engine(they're not the same right?), make the mounts/springs/whatever and mate it to a t56. It just sounds so damn easy in my head but I have to study the caddy engine first, maybe the caddy too :2cents:

I'm still really surprised I haven't found anyone who's done this. It's easy to get the motor itself since it's not majorly popular, then it's all trial and error I guess.

I bet one of those would be pretty easy to pull the tires off the ground with minimal mods too....

ROFL
We're damned alright, if I go through with this and get the project underway, my new name will be Northstar_RWD :naughty: I just think it would be a lot easier to mount the engine vertically like a pushrod engine(they're not the same right?), make the mounts/springs/whatever and mate it to a t56. It just sounds so damn easy in my head but I have to study the caddy engine first, maybe the caddy too :2cents:

I'm still really surprised I haven't found anyone who's done this. It's easy to get the motor itself since it's not majorly popular, then it's all trial and error I guess.

yea, everything seems easy in your head. Then reality strikes...

yea, everything seems easy in your head. Then reality strikes...

I could always go with a VVT RWD Northstar, but why make things easier? Actually that would be more expensive, but it's something to think about.

Adding to discussion, check this out
http://www.sallee-chevrolet.com/Discus/Scripts/discus.cgi?pg=next&topic=653&page=2181

and there's more
http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums/cadillac-catera-cimarron-forum/803-swapping-northstar-into-catera.html
I don't want to pull an all nighter again, should limit my searching

I just want a fast vehicle that I can call my own first. Haha

I just want a fast vehicle that I can call my own first. Haha
Here's my official contribution to the Camaro Forum's Northstar Swap Thread--------- I think it's fun to talk about it :icon16:

Engine swaps are the world's most controversial topic, that's all I can say :grinno:

Swaping a Northstar into a feiro is pretty common and fiero's are rwd so I'd say it can be done. Over on the fiero board they're doing a build and you might be able to see how they delt with the whole fwd to rwd delemia. I bet a 2500-2700 pound car with a northstar sitting over the rear wheels would turn some sweet 1/4 mile times.

Fiero's also have the engine's mounted in the rear, with the same transaxles that are in fwd vehicles, it's just all stuffed in the rear instead.

But it can still be done. It's been done as a matter of fact, just not in an fbody. Some of you may know, from my sig, my daily driver is an Olds Aurora, which is equipped with a 4.0 Northstar V8 aka "Baby Northstar" This same engine was used in the ISMA Aurora supercar, which was RWD. So the answer is YES, it can be done, you just hafta do the research in finding out how.

here's some pics of the ISMA Aurora.

http://www.vintagerpm.com/images/Details/oa960304.jpg
http://www.vintagerpm.com/images/Details/oa960103.jpg
http://www.vintagerpm.com/images/Details/oa960114.jpg
http://www.vintagerpm.com/images/Details/oa960210.jpg

also, the 4.0 is externally the same as the famed 4.6 N* just a different bore/stroke. they both are also equipped with 4 cams, even tho they're labeled as DOHC, 2 cams per head. stock redline is around 7k.

Geno's post made me think of it...

But..... [offtopic] My dad had a hand in designing/making the engine in this car

http://dhost.info/thesupercars/supercars/oldsmobile/aerotech/87aerotech.html

Oldsmobile Aerotech, 1000hp 4cyl, the oil had to be heated before the damn thing was started. Olds spent millions on this thing.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. I think its fricking cool that my dad helped make that engine.

i think the olds quad 4 production engine was based off that as well.

Geno's post made me think of it...

But..... [offtopic] My dad had a hand in designing/making the engine in this car

http://dhost.info/thesupercars/supercars/oldsmobile/aerotech/87aerotech.html

Oldsmobile Aerotech, 1000hp 4cyl, the oil had to be heated before the damn thing was started. Olds spent millions on this thing.

Just thought I'd throw that out there. I think its fricking cool that my dad helped make that engine.
watch the 4 bangers bitch now, lol no offense to any of them but I know when they see this....

watch the 4 bangers bitch now, lol no offense to any of them but I know when they see this....

Let them Bring it.

:nono: 4.6 hey well you might as well put a mustang motor in your camaro:screwy:


89 iroc
383:grinyes:
770 street avenger
extreme energy cam
forged bottom with alum top
400rwhp:evillol:

:nono: 4.6 hey well you might as well put a mustang motor in your camaro:screwy:


89 iroc
383:grinyes:
770 street avenger
extreme energy cam
forged bottom with alum top
400rwhp:evillol:

Try again, the Northstar is a GM engine, just like the SBCs and BBCs. As long as it's in the family.

Does this mean Mustang owners can now use the famed 13B rotary engine? yes, yes it does. :evillol:

Quick, a couple of weeks ago, i saw NorthStar Caddy at the junkyard, but the motor was already gone. Let me check something out for you reallt quick...

Check out car-part.com. Some can be had for about 1G. Go for it man.

he he, know where the starter is?

Behind the driveshaft!!!!!!!

Behind the driveshaft!!!!!!!

:wtf:

maybe on the baby one, the full sizer, rwd it's under the intake plenum in the motor.

Under the f****** intake? What the hell? Man, thats crazy!!! You changed one before Wrightz?

If anyone approached me and asked if I'd change their starter in a Northstar, they'd get the same answer aswer a mopar owner would, hell no.

Nah, I put one back together after someone else f'd it up entirely.

Nice. Why do mopar owners always get a no for an answer?

need you really ask?

Uh, yeah?

the reason it is under the intake is to keep it away from moisture, oil leaks, and all the other things that make starters go bad. a starter on a northstar will almost never go bad, i have seen them with 200,000 plus miles with the original.

Thats alot of miles.

Or did they just make the OEM part REALLY good becuse some idiot engineer put the starter INSIDE the engine?

i am pretty sure they might even consider it a non-serviceable item

mine is under the intake as well, changing it isn't a difficult job.

That's cool, I just saw it in there when I had to put one back together and my first thought was someone replacing it with a substandard non-OEM replacement, putting it all back together and finding out it don't work.

That would suck ass completely.

And it happens. some $7/hr zithead drops it off the shelf or something and breaks the brushes. Same with batteries, people ass uume , oh, I have a brand new battery from the store, i'm good to go. Install, oops, the f'n thing has been sitting on the shelf for 3 years and de-charged, started the car maybe once and fucked the alternator doing so.

HAHAHAHA!!! Let me tell you a really screwed up story. My father was changing a friends brakes, and we having a hard time finding out why there was so much air in the system (we assumed, because thats what it felt like). Tried to bleed the brakes in the rear (the fronts fine and change) and the brake fluid wouldn't even come out. Come to find out, we checked out the rubber hose which goes to the brake line, and found a little nail, the size of the brake, installed on both sides, which prevented the brake fluid from flowing into the caliper. Someone tried to kill whoever owned this car. It was a Ford Taurus (go figure) and my pops friend bought it from an auction. That was some crazy shiT!@#@!!!!!!!

So let me get this straight, someone took the caliper hoses off the calipers and insterted a nail up the hose in an attempt to block fluid travel?