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Northstar Swaps - What years are interchangeable and the differences

216K views 102 replies 40 participants last post by  Harry Yarnell 
#1 ·
Northstar Interchangability

93/94 - These engines have the knock sensor below the fire-wall side cylinder head, screwed into the side of the engine block. These engines have slots cut into the intake ports to feed exhaust gas from the EGR system into the combustion chambers. Also, the intake manifolds are cast aluminum with an internally mounted fuel rail. The harmonic balancer bolt uses a 24mm socket. Vertical ridges all the way around the outside of the cylinder walls.

95 - Same block casting as 93 & 94 with the vertical ridges down the cylinder walls. Knock sensor retained it's location from 93 & 94. EGR is now fed through the new-for-1995 thermoplastic intake manifold- the slots are no longer cut into the intake ports. A different oil pump is now used, very similar to the original style.

96 - New block casting with no vertical ridges on the outside of the cylinder walls- the walls are now smooth. Heads are a carry-over from 1995. The knock sensor is new and is positioned under the thermoplastic intake between cylinders 3 and 5, screwed into a new hole with M8x1.25 threads. The harmonic balancer bolt is now smaller (M14) and uses a 19mm socket.

97 - Carryover from 1996 although some left-hand cylinder heads in '97 had the new bolt boss for the liquid cooled alternator introduced in '98. This is identified by a new camshaft cover that has a cut-out in the lip by the lower portion of the wide (chain-case) end.

98 - New lower block casting. This new casting incorporates a new threaded hole (M10x1.25) for the new STS platform engine mount. This hole is on the lower right hand side of the engine by the corner of the timing cover. A new timing cover is now used, with a part number stamped in just above the harmonic balancer. Some very late '97 engines may have had this new bolt hole. A new bolt hole is dilled and tapped for the new-for-1998 liquid cooled alternator, just under the cam cover in the L.H. cylinder head.

99 - A very small portion of late '99 model cars got the new upgraded 2000 style block castings. Identified by a casting # in the R.H. oil passage in the block that feeds oil to the R.H cylinder head. This engine retained all internal components and cylinder heads from '98. 10.3:1 compression ratio has been retained ever since its introduction in 1993.

00 - A new engine is born. All new cylinder heads featuring static hydraulic lash-adjusters and roller followers are used. These heads feature a new combustion chamber with less valve shrouding and larger intake valves. Exhaust valves are a bit smaller, both intake and exhaust valves have longer stems. New camshaft covers are used to accomodate the increased height of the roller valvetrain. A new crankshaft with a different reluctor wheel (crank position wheel) is used, but all bearing journals retain the same dimensions. The bore remains at 93mm as its predecessors. Cast connecting rods are used as opposed to the forged ones of 93-99, and are weaker. These have been known to bend if a cylinder hydraulic locks with coolant or fuel. New completely flat-top pistons with no valve reliefs are used along with a different diameter wrist pin. The timing cover, oil pan, and flex-plate all remain the same from '99. The timing cover uses a new crankshaft front seal with an increased inside diameter. A new harmonic balancer is used and also a new right exhaust cam sprocket to accomodate the new camshfaft position sensor. The knock sensor retained the same location as the 96-99's but a new sensor is used for '00. New crankshaft position sensors are used and will not interchange with the old style. There are new EGR passages incorporated into the exhaust ports. A new coil-on-plug igniton system is used that uses two large coil cassettes that houses the four coils and ICM. These cassettes bolt into the camshaft covers and use a center-mounted spring to ground themselves to the cylinder head. A new coolant crossover has been designed with a throttle body mount cast into it. A new plastic intake is used along with a new plastic & stainless steel fuel rail and new Bosch fuel injectors. AC-Delco spark plug 41-987 is used now instead of the 41-950 from '99. The camshafts no longer are drilled through for oil flow- the oil flow to the cam journals now comes from an oil passage that runs parallel along the head. Also longer head bolts are used. The new 10.0:1 compression ratio allows for full performance on 87 octane fuel.

01- All remained the same from '00 except the engine received new exhaust manifolds with mounts for EGR tubes, that run to vacuum actuated valves (connected to the AIR injection motors). Some '00 models may have had this feature.

02- All remained the same as far as I know from '01.

03- Timing chain tensioners now use a 13mm hex socket instead of the usual 10mm.

04 - Redesigned slightly for 2004. Two new knock sensors are used under the intake manifold between cylinders 3 & 5 and on the left bank, 4 & 6. The oil filter mount now uses three bolts instead of two, and a one-piece gasket instead of two O-rings like the '93-'03 engines. New camshaft covers no longer have a hole between cyls. 4 & 6 and 3 & 5 for the coil cassette grounds. Instead, an individual coil is used for each cylinder and gets the ground from the camshaft cover itself, which is grounded to the cylinder head via a ground strap on the corner of the head. New revised pistons are used that are shorter in height around the circumference but have a "bump" in the middle". This was done to eliminate the "cold-carbon-knock" that was caused by carbon on the piston slapping the cylinder head once too much was built-up, by giving a bit more clearance between the two surfaces. Besides two, different style knock sensors, all other sensors remained the same. M11x2.0 cylinder head bolts are now used instead of the finer M11x1.5 bolts that were used from 93-onward.

Interchangability:

A 93 and onward block & internals can be used on any car all the way up to '99 but you may have to use different heads accordingly. You can drill & tap a hole for the '96-99 style knock sensor under the intake, the boss is there on all blocks.

93 heads will work on a 94 and vice-versa with the slots in the intake ports.

95 heads will work on anything up to 99, as long as you don't need the extra bolt boss for the liquid cooled alternator. If you have the liquid cooled alternator, you will need heads from either a 98 or 99 with the extra bolt hole.

If you need to put an engine into a 98 or 99 Seville body, you HAVE to have a block that has the new style timing cover and bolt hole below it- so it has to be a '98 or '99 block (some late '97s may have had this). All of these Sevilles have the liquid cooled alternator so you pretty much need the whole engine to be a 98 or 99 because of the bolt hole in the LH head.

The Deville & Eldorado aren't as picky with the years, as they used the old style of mounting the engine in the chassis.

1993-1999 and 2000+. You CANNOT under any circumstances bolt a 2000+ engine into a 99 or older body or vice-versa. It simply does not work. Too many differences, too many sensors changed and the holes to mount them. Many people have tried, and gone through all of the work to bolt it in and realize that 1) some things don't bolt up correctly, 2) the wiring won't connect and 3) it won't run.

2000-2003 will swap without any problems at all, just make sure you have the correct exhaust manifolds for your application bolted on.

2000-2004 - any 00-03 will bolt into an 04 body, or any 04 engine will bolt into a 00-03 body but you will need to change camshaft covers, ignition coils, knock sensors (drill & tap a hole for the 2nd knock sensor for a 00-03 engine to go into a 2004 body), and keep the oil filter mount with the engine it came off of. You may need to drill and tap a hole on the L.H. cylinder head for the coil ground strap, if you're installing the 00-03 engine in the 04 body.

The coolant temperature sensor, water pump, head gaskets, and oil pan remained the same across all of these years, along with most timing components, timing chains, intermediate sprocket, etc. Various internal parts changed throughout the years- I will compile a list someday of casting #s and internal parts interchange on my website (www.northstarperformance.com) to make swaps and builds easier.

rear-wheel-drive and front-wheel-drive Northstars will simply not interchange, many, many differences there.

If anything has been left out, moderators: please edit as necessary.
 
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#62 ·
RippyPartsDept said:
how did you do that?

'99 uses coils and wires for ignition and 2000 uses the coil-on-plug design

:hmm:
If that's the case then his 99 special or different. Cuz it's for sure a 99 DHS, has 99 front struts (the sway bar links connect to the strut, not the control arm). And his engine and harness was identical my 2000 DTS. When my mother still owned my DTS we put a scrapyard engine it. That engine leaked oil like crazy. so the scrapyard sent us another and didn't want he first one back. I re-sealed it and put it in my service writers DHS. After 2 years, the scrapyard engine blew thread gaskets. My parents asked if I wanted the car, I took it and fixed it all up. So anyways his 99 DHS is identical under the hood as my 2000. I not know the month it was made, perhaps it's close to the change over to 2000 and has a 2000 drive train.
 
#65 ·
Every since he bought the car he's told me it was a 99. I've never looked for myself. He told me he couldn't find the quick struts for it, cuz they don't make them for a 99. But I know for a fact that everything under the hood is identical to my 2000. But I bet ya first thing Monday morning I'm gonna look and see for myself lol.
 
#66 ·
Check out the build date on the driver's door sticker - Model year 2000 production began in ~August 1999 and ran into late June 2000.

You could enter the sample subscription page in www.compnine.com and plug in the car's VIN to see what it is, too.

Here's the VIN breakdown for the Seville series ............. Deville bodies would have different characters in the 4 and 5 locations.
 
#71 ·
Too bad that almost no one can put 2 and 2 together and come up with 4............ as in the new ads for the "2014" cars - many on sale next month ??????? DUH !!!!!

........... and there's a pretty good chance, particularly with offshore cars, that as of some date - say 07-01-13 - EVERY one of their cars, regardless of when it was actually built, will be a "2014" model. (Remember: We have European members who own and drive "2001" Sevilles - built in 1998 and early 1999 - a VERY different car from the 2000 and later model years.)

Our American lines generally shut down about now, undergo reconfiguration, and start patching together the "2014 Flapfish Xt3bR14GT" in early August.
 
#72 · (Edited)
A note on the 04+ transverse Northstars, you cannot use the oil manifold plate that fits the 1995/96-2003 Northstars. The oil dipstick tube will not fit properly. If you're doing a build or a re-seal on a 2004+, you must use the updated oil manifold plate.

Likewise, 93,94,part of 1995 I do believe, used one type of manifold plate- without the integrated rubber seal for the oil pump pick-up tube. These pick-up tubes were sealed to the oil manifold plate with an O-Ring. I will get part numbers and post to my website yet.
 
#78 ·
Any information on oil pan interchangeability would be greatly appreciated. I have a 2006 XLR 4.6l VVT Rwd engine that I need a rear sump pan for a swap into a 61' chevy. My research thus far seems to point to no different oil pans out there that would bolt on to this engine, but then I found this thread and thought I would pose that question to the experts on this thread. If what I have dug up is correct (no other pans fit this block, no aftermarket options), then I will continue looking for a GREAT welder who can reshape the factory cast aluminum pan, and fab up a relocated oil pickup. If anyone has a resource for me though to avoid that route, I would be forever indebted to them! Thanks in advance for any replies.
 
#79 · (Edited)
A Northstar pan is a Northstar pan, and they changed from time to time over the engine run. BUT no other pan on earth will bolt on and a Northstar pan will fit no other engine on earth.

A Northstar cylinder block, halfcase and oil pan torque together to form one machined single unit.

A '61 Chevy is quite a heavy car for a low torque Northstar. The Northstar has to wind up to make power - a good ol' 348 or 409 would be a MUCH better choice - and the availability of "speed parts" for a Northstar is slim and none.
 
#83 ·
I haven't had the pleasure of working on a Northstar of that era yet. They only come to me when they have blown HGs. 2006 has been the newest I've had in pieces. The differences are minor from 01-06. Mostly the valve covers, coil cassettes, coolant crossover, addition of an extra knock sensor, oil filter mount. I'm fairly certain it will swap in with some minor modifications; but would ask that any other techs who have worked on a 2008 chime in with additional information.

Thanks and good luck! :)
 
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