The engine came with the engine harness but without the alternator, AC compressor or compressor bracket. I bought an 97 GTP car harness ($100) and 3800 Camaro manual flywheel ($50) through www.car-parts.com . Here you can see I was attempting to figure out where the harness connections would go.

Since I did not want to spend a lot of money I decided to get an AC bracket and compressor from a Series 1 3800 engine from a U-Pull-It yard for $10. The Series 1 bracket bolts on but does need some grinding to clear the block.

I priced a 3800 SII alternator but decided to adapt my 88 Fiero alternator and bracket since it would create a cleaner install and would fit where the power steering pump would be and using this alternator would not cost me anything.

Then I started to do a lot of measuring of the 2.8 and the 3800 engines. To my amazement, I found out the 3800 was shorter and lower than the 2.8. I had taught metal shop for 8 years so I can fabricate just about anything I need. So I then built my front motor mount for the conversion. The transmission mounts and axles could be left as stock since I was using the 5 speed Getrag.

While doing the measuring I made an amazing discovery. The original dogbone mount for the 3800 could be mounted on the opposite head and was within fractions of an inch of the 2.8 dogbone mount. Hmmmm I think I have to use this. So I proceeded to adapt the dogbone and mount the unit on the cradle.

Next I started to tackle the wiring harness. Most 3800SC I see have a lot of ugly wire harness visible. Most just use the original harness on top of the engine and I have seen some swaps with both the 3800 harness and the 2.8 harness visible. I wanted my harness to be laid out like a Fiero harness and have as little as possible visible. I started by striping the harness from the sheath so I could arrange each wire in the path I chose. I also blended the Fiero harness into the 3800 harness at the same time. You can see the mess in the above and below photographs.

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This process took a very long time since I kept relocating parts and redesigning the harness. I would often just sit and stare at the engine for long periods of time and Vonnie would come down and laugh at me staring at the engine. One evening she sneaked up on me and took this picture while I was in one of these trances.

Now what I had to do with each wire was check what it was for and where it went on the 97 GTP engine wiring diagram then convert the connection as to which pin it would be on the 95 Bonneville ECM diagram as well as if it would connect to the Fiero harness and what pin it might be on the Fiero. I had the 97 GTP diagram blown up to four times its size so I could easily follow the wire path. This hung up over my work bench and is in fact still hanging there. This is only the diagram for the engine not the whole car.

The harness started to come together after a few weeks. Notice that the harness is now designed exactly like a Fiero harness. I have the sheathed bundle extending over to the battery the same as the Fiero harness does. I even used the Fiero harness support brace to hold it securely. In this bundle is all the wires for the 3800 coil pack. I had decided to relocate the coil pack off the engine and over beside the battery. This would allow a cleaner install since the associated wires and spark plug wires would not be on the engine.

The harness was almost done except for the connections at the ECM. I had decided to change to a 95 Bonneville ECM so the connectors would be different. I had to disconnect all the wires from two connectors like this and then solder them to three different connectors for the Bonneville ECM.

That ended up being over 100 wires cut spliced and soldered. I spent many evenings sitting like this splicing-soldering-testing each connection from both ends.

To take breaks from the wiring I worked on a few other things. I painted the valve covers and supercharger, installed the WCF headers and redesigned the pulley arrangement and created new fuel rails that went under the supercharger rather then over it.

[This message has been edited by skitime (edited 02-08-2003).]

Eric at West Coast Fiero was one of my Fiero Chat room buddies and one night he asked me what I was doing for exhaust. I said that I would love their headers but could not afford them so they decided to help me out. They also provided poly motor mounts and a custom dogbone. I would help them out by showing their products at the shows. I owe them a huge thank you for their support. Their headers allow you to design the exhaust system like the original Fiero exhaust system. I sent the headers to Jet-Hot to be ceramic coated prior to installing the engine in the car.

One of the important things I was trying to accomplish was to make the engine appear to have been installed by the factory. . I wanted to engine to look similar to the stock Fiero engine. I really dislike the cheap looking plastic cover GM chooses to hide the mess they made under it.

I felt that the supercharger should be something to show off through the window in the trunk lid and should not be hidden under plastic. Have you ever seen superchargers hidden on high performance show cars? So I removed the supercharger and painted it to match the red of the car, which is close to the Fiero engine color. The valve covers on the Series II engines are made of fiberglass. I wanted to have the look of the brushed aluminum of the original Fiero valve covers. I laminated 1/16th inch aluminum strips to the covers and finished them in the same luster of a Fiero valve cover.

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The fuel rails on the 3800SC engine crosses over the supercharger 4 times. Since I was concerned with the view through the trunk window I decided to redesign them.


What make this even more unacceptable is every 3800SC install then has to run long fuel lines from the inlet and outlet seen here all the way around the engine to connect to the fuel connections below the battery. That leaves ugly hoses running all around the engine compartment. I used the original Fiero steel fuel lines and brazed them into my redesigned fuel rails so no hoses are needed at all.

I also used the original 3800 manifold heat shields and modified them to use with the headers as seen above.

Here is a good picture of how I redesigned my pulleys. I ended up reducing it by two pulleys. Pulleys cost you horsepower.

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I got my flywheel back from the machinist and received V8Archie’s Centerforce clutch so I installed them.

The other system I needed to construct were the connections for the cooling. I wanted to create pipes the would drop exactly to the same locations as the stock hoses. I also needed a way to fill the system. I tried to find something the diameter of pipe I wanted that I could bend to the shape I wanted. I looked and looked and asked my buddies on the Fiero chat. Finally it came to me at the hardware store. PVC pipe. I would use my space heater to heat the pipes until soft then bend it to shape and cool it in the sink. Eventually I had two pieces the proper shape so I could take them to my exhaust guy and say make me copies of these pipes in steel. I brazed a filler fitting from a 4 cylinder to the top of the pipe to create the filler.

I do not have any pictures involving converting the car from automatic to a manual setup. So let me explain what was involved. The hardest part to do was installing the cables which is not hard but involves completely disassembling the center console. Once you have the plastic skeleton out it is easy to change the cables. I have heard horror stories here on the forum how hard it is to change the pedal assembly and some of the stories were by very respected members on the forum. One said you must remove the pedal assembly and suggested to just use a sawzall to cut the old one out the other individual said you cannot add the clutch assembly to the automatic assembly. Well, I added my clutch assembly to the automatic assembly in about 15 minutes. All that is needed to be done is remove the bolt that the pedals swing on and then bolt the clutch assembly onto the automatic assembly with bolts and nuts. Then install all the pedals with the new longer bolt but install the long bolt in from the opposite side of the pedal assembly. Bolt the new master brake cylinder. Remove the old automatic lines from under the car and install the clutch fluid line in place. I suggest removing the plastic pan under the spare tire to make it easier to get the fluid line up to the master cylinder. I did not change steering columns but have on to swap someday perhaps.

Well, it was getting time to install the 3800SC so for the second time in a little over a year I was dropping the 2.8 engine.


I use a skid cut to the size of the cradle. I mount a inexpensive set of refrigerator rollers to the skid. On smooth concrete you can easily slide the assembly in any direction with the engine on it. It sure works great. I only need one floor jack and two jack stands to remove an engine. I roll it out the side usually so I don’t have to have the car up very high.

Out with the old and in with the new.

I had made the 3800 engine setup totally plug and play. So all that needed to be done is remove the 2.8 install the 3800 and connect the exact same connectors that were used to connect the 2.8 to the car. This would allow me to reinstall the stock engine back in without modifying anything or transfer this 3800 to another 88 Fiero with ease. There were no modfications to the car itself to recieve the 3800.

Well I will try to get finished with this soon, maybe tomorrow. Sorry it is getting so long. I am surprised at how few comments there are compared to the number of times it is viewed. Strange??

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Well, let me continue. After physically installing the engine. Vonnie and I towed the car to the muffler shop with a tow strap. Not a very pretty sight since there was no hood, front fenders or nose. Those pieces were not back from the body shop yet.

I had already purchased and modified a Series 80 Flowmaster muffler while the engine was out. I had to make clearance for the cradle.

I had the shop install a flex joint at the header and use 2-½ stainless steel pipes throughout. It then flowed through a high flow CAT and with tight clearance past the oil pan and into the Flowmaster muffler and exhausts out through West Coast Fiero tips.

After towing it home, I had to start hooking up all the lines and hoses and connections. I believe that was on a Wednesday. I spent a few evenings carefully hooking stuff up. I was very nervous about putting electric to the harness. I just knew some wires would smoke, sparks would fly, and flames would appear. Saturday evening I was done and announced to Vonnie I can’t find anything else to do. It must be ready.

Since I was worried about the wiring I disconnected the ECM just in case. So I carefully hooked the battery up. No sparks, no smoke. So I worriedly turned the key to on. No sparks, no smoke. I left the key on for 5 minutes just to be sure. I decided to turn the key to tap the starter. Nothing!! Damn Now what could be wrong. I knew all the wires were connected on the starter. I tested the starter by jumping the solenoid and it worked. I just took the Fiero manual inside and sat down to figure what I could of possibly done wrong. I figured I would be in for a long troubleshooting session. Almost by magic the manual opened to the starter diagram and there it was. On the C500 connector the automatics use a different pin for the solenoid than the manual cars. I had a automatic car and used a manual 2.8 engine harness to create my 3800 harness. I could not believe I found it so easily. I went out and move the pin to the correct location and tried again. OK the starter now turns the engine and no sparks or smoke. Hallelujah!!!

I just waited a while thinking about things and decided to hook up the ECM but removed my custom burnt chip just in case. I again just turned the key on and waited for smoke. Nothing. Turned the starter over. No smoke no sparks. I breathed a sigh of relief. I decided not to push my luck and quit for the night.

Sunday morning I decided to put the chip back in the ECM and do my smoke and sparks test. Nervously, I put it in and turned the key to on. Only heard the fuel pump priming. That’s a good sign. I decided to tap the starter for the smoke and sparks test. VAROOMMMMMM Oh my god it started immediately and scared the crap out of me! I instantly turned if off and was scared to look at the engine. Vonnie by now had run downstairs to the garage to see what the heck the noise was. I had a scared grin from ear to ear. I had started it by accident but it had started so easily. So with Vonnie watching for trouble I restarted it. Boy was the exhaust loud and sweet. It ran without so much as a miss. DAMN that was cool.

After a few test runs and checking that the coolant was full, I let it run long enough for it to get hot and burn off the oil and stuff since this was a new crate engine. Suddenly the entire contents of the cooling system dumped out on the floor. It was a green flood! Oh no, now what happened? Turns out some idiot never tighten the hose clamp to the coolant pipe under the passenger door. I couldn’t even yell at that idiot. Oh well I fixed the problem and refilled the system. After that I could only enjoy listening to the engine since I had not connected the hydraulics for the clutch.

Jim Gilbert (TooManyFieros) and I had dismantled the Getrag transmission weeks ago since this transmission was an unknown trans from a yard. We were amazed that it looked perfect inside. What luck! We decided to replace the differential axle bearings as well as the input shaft bearings. So after rebuilding the master and slave cylinders I bleed the system and luckily the clutch was releasing properly. Gee guess it soon time for a drive.
I put the trunk lid back on and pulled it outside for some trunk lid pictures with a 3800SC. Since I was waiting for the front end body panels I resisted driving it on the street but the clutch and trans seemed fine.

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Finally the front end body panels were ready to be picked up. YAHOO!! I had the nose and spoiler repainted as well just to be sure of a good match. I was excited to get the pieces on after months of working on them.

Well with the body panels on I could finally take the car out for a drive. I cannot totally describe the thrill of accomplishing the engine swap by myself. To know exactly where every wire is located and what it connects to, to know how the engine is mounted and engineered is such a satisfying feeling. It makes you so much more than the driver of your car and you become part of the car. The power of the engine is awesome it loves to pull hard and long. There is no lag in power as with a turbo. You can drive the car easy and it purrs right along. It has the power to lug through slow speeds in high gears that reduces shifting. The exhaust is nice and quite while driving easy but bellows sweetly when you get on the accelerator. One of the first drives we did was to go out and take some pictures of the new bodywork. Here is some of the first pictures we took on our first drive. It shows perfectly the bodylines on the nose I was trying to retain on the hood.

Well let me stop here and post this and I will try to work on it some more.

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Red 88 GT T-Top 3800 Supercharged
White 88 GT Stock
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