screw the whole thing - i hate the 4100... swap ideas?

lochenjons · #1 (**permalink**) 10-01-08, 10:00 PM

im sick of the whimpy 4.1. simply put. i hate that gawddurn thing. slow, unreliable, and just plain... PUNY!!!!!

with a suspected valve blown, head gasket on the way, and no oil pressure in my current daily driver, it's definately time for a new engine.

just some questions.

this car will be a daily driver. i'm looking to preferrably get a 350 or a 305. i would like to have fuel injection too but carb'd is always a backup plan (much easier in my opinion to deal/screw with) but FI is always nice to have for a DD.

is there any engine that will just bolt right in? and as far as computer crap and all that is there any engine that uses the same configuration that the HT4100 uses? and would i need a better in-tank fuel pump to go with this new combo?

tranny is not a big deal. i heard the 200r4 (i think thats what my car has?) isnt very strong paired up to a 350 and i could change it if i had to.

please give me some ideas! like i said if everything doesnt fit 100% perfectly, i'm willing to screw around and play with it until it does.

i'm experienced with engine swapping as i took the 472 out of my '69 and put in a '75 500 -- currently my daily driver until i get this thing running again so ya gas $$$ is out the window.

i would like to get this project rolling asap! so help me out guys and i'll start an official build thread!

Ghost C · #2 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 12:48 AM

Put a 4.9 in it.

lochenjons · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 03:18 AM

isnt that for fwd cars only... and isnt it just a little bigger version of the 4.1

Ghost C · #4 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 03:21 AM

Things the 4.9 and 4.1 share in common.

The bolt pattern
They're both 4.x liters
They both have aluminum blocks

Saying the 4.9 is "just a bigger 4.1" is like saying Adriana Lima is "just another woman from Brazil". At it's most basic concept, it may be true, but it's still wrong. Also, by your reckoning, if the 4.9 is a bigger 4.1, wouldn't that mean it's the same bolt pattern as the 4.1?

Just a thought.

lochenjons · #5 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 03:40 AM

i don't know anything about how FWD cars have the engine mounted... is it the same as rwd?

Dave S Texas · #6 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 07:49 AM

If your car is the RWD version: you can put just about any engine you want in it. If you are looking for power the L33 or L35 engines were used in the Fleetwoods until 1979. After 1979, all Cadillac engines went limp in horsepower. GM has plenty of iron-block V-8s to choose from for transplant candidates. The 4.9 wasn't made for RWD cars. The Olds 307cid V-8 was used in '86 (107hp).
If your car is the FWD: 4.5 or 4.9 are the transplant engines

noahsdad · #7 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 10:23 AM

The 4.1 RWD and FWD engines are fundamentally different in their block casting, and are not interchangeable. Hence, no 4.5 or 4.9 is an easy swap, since all the later 4.x series engines were FWD applications. Your best option will be to find a traditional V-8 donor car, as you'll need to modify mounts, swap the trans, and do some serious re-working of the onboard computers.

**I~LUV~Caddys8792** · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 01:56 PM

455 Oldsmobile!

Dave S Texas · #9 (**permalink**) 10-02-08, 08:09 PM

There are 2 425cid Cadillac complete engines for sale on ebay motors. 1 is $100/needs water pump/located in Il. Other is $500 and located in NY.

quins90lac · #10 (**permalink**) 10-03-08, 12:24 AM

455 rocket

excuse me i have to clean my keyboard now

lochenjons · #11 (**permalink**) 10-04-08, 08:05 PM

yah now im debating wether or not to fix my current engine... i dont know if i blew a valve or not but that's sure what it sounds like to me anytime i run it. would a loss in oil pressure mean a valve could blow? or the other way around?

mainly because of funds.... if i happen to come upon enough money to correctly do the swap then i'm 100% going for it!!!!!!!!!

Dave S Texas · #12 (**permalink**) 10-04-08, 09:16 PM

what swap are you thinking of? Your car is a Rear-Wheel Drive, right? The current engine most-probably needs a rebuild job. Running at speed with half the oil gone does all manner of bad things to each part that relies on oil for lubrication/cooling.

lochenjons · #13 (**permalink**) 10-05-08, 04:29 AM

yes its a RWD. i was thinking of a 350 or a something along the lines of that. definately not going to go big block because this still has to remain a daily driver for me. i know it killed me every time i started it but i pretty much couldnt avoid it. i think i started it a total of 4 times since this happened and those times probably added up to a total of 1:30 minutes. i know... definately not good. and the valve sound has gotten worse each time i started the car.

what's weird is i think the system is getting oil... after the last time i ran it, i checked the oil only to find it was a considerable way up the dipstick like it should be, i wiped it off and checked it and it was at the same level. maybe its just the oil pump... maybe ill throw one in there tomorrow and see what it does

lochenjons · #14 (**permalink**) 10-05-08, 04:30 AM

what components could of been the most damaged if i didn't have oil circulating in the system?

lochenjons · #15 (**permalink**) 10-05-08, 05:04 AM

if i do decide to rebuild this engine, what would be good things to replace or upgrade? like heads, cam, pistons, etc. what were the weak parts of this engine?