Engine swap

CLOVUSDAD

MEMBER
2000 CHEVROLET CAMARO
3.8L
6 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
117,000 MILES

Bought this convertible Camaro with a blown head gasket. No oil in the water, no water in the oil, but radiator fluid dissipates quickly, causing it to overheat. Believe that it is blown between and exhaust port and the water jacket. Car start and runs beautiful, has power, just overheats ten to fifteen minutes after starting it. Fill the radiator and start the car with cap removed, and exhaust boils back through. When I bought the car, planned on swapping out the V6 for a V8, but after researching, saw that it would be a larger task then originally anticipated, so my question is, will a newer model V6 out of one of the newer Camaro's with the higher horsepower (I believe that the newer generation V6 Camaro's push around 326hp) bolt in without major modification? I assume that I will have to change out the computer and transmission as well, if I go to the newer, higher output V6, but I need to know if the frame and front end will accept the newer style engine. Please advise, John

1 Reply

STEVE W.

MECHANIC
13,443 POSTS

A 2000 should handle a 99-02 V6 engine without any major work. When you get to 2003 and up there are major changes in the wiring, PCM, BCM, fuel systems and chassis and more that make those swaps as bad as going to the V8.

I would probably opt to repair the current engine. Clean up the car and sell it off, then buy one with the eight in it already. The old days of simply bolting in the bigger newer engines are gone. These days it can even be a trick to get the same engines working correctly with the controls they came with.