Engine Swap Questions (Page 1/2) willyt JUL 20, 07:21 PM I know this is talked about a lot, but I wasn’t able to find a post with all of the details I need. I’m looking for the cheapest, easiest, reliable way to make 250hp with a manual transmission. I would be doing all of the labor myself. Thank you! Patrick JUL 21, 12:16 AM quote Originally posted by willyt: I’m looking for the cheapest, easiest, reliable way... You're going to have to settle for two of the three. fierofool JUL 21, 08:43 AM You could start with a 3800 SC with close to that as stock HP. I think they're about 240 hp stock. That would be the easiest way to get to 250 HP. As Patrick said, the other two options may not fit your needs. There is a lot of support for that power train. It's definitely a reliable engine. Awalker W02 JUL 21, 09:25 AM The 3900 lz9 is another good option. 240 ish stock as well. With cheap mods 250 can easily be made. Just not a lot of support with those swaps but you are starting to see more and more. willyt JUL 21, 10:28 AM quote Originally posted by fierofool: You could start with a 3800 SC with close to that as stock HP. I think they're about 240 hp stock. That would be the easiest way to get to 250 HP. As Patrick said, the other two options may not fit your needs. There is a lot of support for that power train. It's definitely a reliable engine. It sounds like the ECM needs to be reprogrammed if going with a manual transmission. Are there still people around here that do that? Awalker W02 JUL 21, 11:16 AM quote Originally posted by willyt: It sounds like the ECM needs to be reprogrammed if going with a manual transmission. Are there still people around here that do that? If you are tec savy you should look into Microsquirt. It’s a stand alone ecm. Not to expensive but it takes some work. I have it in mine and I know quite a few others who have it as well. fierofool JUL 21, 08:39 PM quote Originally posted by willyt: It sounds like the ECM needs to be reprogrammed if going with a manual transmission. Are there still people around here that do that? Sinister Performance aka GM Tuners does that. The pinout conversion tables are also available on his website. http://www.gmtuners.com/ marc-alan JUL 21, 09:31 PM 2nd for micro or megasquirt olejoedad JUL 24, 11:59 AM quote Originally posted by willyt: It sounds like the ECM needs to be reprogrammed if going with a manual transmission. Are there still people around here that do that? Ryan Gick at Sinister Performance is the man to have reprogram your GM PCM or ECU. I have used his services for years on more projects than I can count. Aftermarket management systems are ok if you have a good understanding of engine tuning, but DIY tunes can also destroy an engine or suffer driveability issues. Experience is key to a successful tune. pmbrunelle JUL 24, 06:31 PM quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Aftermarket management systems are ok if you have a good understanding of engine tuning, but DIY tunes can also destroy an engine or suffer driveability issues. Experience is key to a successful tune. I think it's a big of a chicken-or-egg thing. At some point, if you want to gain experience, you need to take some risks. I messed around with tuning the stock engine on my Fiero (that I didn't mind blowing up) to get some practice before tuning a rebuilt/modified engine.