Quick question. Someone has a part (a/c line) that I need for my 1997 Catera. If it came off of a 2000, should it still work? Were all the Catera engines the same for all years?

Yup.

There is much similarity amongst Catera engines regardless year of manufacture. For example, all have the same displacement, the same overhead cam valve actuation, and a great many other "sames".

However, there was evolution of the Catera powerplant at the edges and around an invariant core as the years went by. Whether these evolutionary changes impacted any particular component is relatively easy to learn:

Visit the parts department of your cheerful and friendly Cadilac dealer. For whatever part is of concern to you inquire:

1. What is the part number of that part for the year Cat which is your potential part donor, e.g., 1997.

2. What is the part number of that part for whatever LATER year Cat, e.g., 2000 you hope might become the donee.

If the part number is the same for both years, it's the same part and substitution likely will go forward successfully.

If it's not the same part number, you need to do some research to learn WHY there is a new part number. It could be something minor which will not interfere with your substitution plan. Or, it might be something significant which would make substitution difficult to impossible.

This approach should work for any part. If you check "by the numbers" you should come out better than if you just "wing it".

Good luck! :thumbsup: