Cadillac: engine conversion, wiring harnesses, engine swaps

Question
Thanks Tom. You are a great help. Should I go with 4.5 instead. What do people do when their 4.1's go bad? No one around here will re-build a 4.1, and people like Leggett Motor Exchange don't even offer a 4.1 or 4.5. There has to be some kind of wise solution short of getting rid of the car. I LOVE the car and want to keep her. Can a 4.5 "Transverse, side ways" engine be installed in my '85 Eldo that came with a "in-line, straight up" engine?
Best Regards,
Paul-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
Can my 4.1 engine be replaced with a 4.9 in my 1985 Eldorado convertible?
If so, how difficult? and is it a good or bad idea? What would you do? 4.1's don't have a very good track record, and my experience with 4.9's has been superb.
Best Regards,
Paul
Answer -
VERY VERY BAD idea. Changing the engines on 1970's vehicles and on back were quite simple and very simple.

However, With today's electronics and computers you would need to change the computer and ALL the wiring harnesses under the dash and on the engine that go to and from the engine. Just because they look the SAME does NOT mean that each wire is located in the exact same position in each wiring connector.

Let's say that in the 4.1 engine there is a BLUE plug in connector that has 35 wires in it. Terminal A4 has a YELLOW wire in it.

Now with the 4.9 engine this same BLUE connector that also has 35 wires init. This same terminal A4 may have a GREEN wire in it.

Thus is the same for ALL the other 89 wire connections in ALL of the ECM (computer) plug in connectors.

ONE wire difference and you DESTROY the ECM and other numerous electronic components.

A VERY COSTLY experience.

FORGET IT.

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Answer
Even if you could transverse the inline into a frontwheel drive you STIL have the SAME wiring and computer problems.

It CAN probably be done, But an estimate of time and money would be $5,000 to $8,000 or MORE. I have made engine swaps in late model vehicles and the amount of technological knowledge and several days of work would be so expensive that you would be able to buy a new car cheaper.

Then you have the problems of emission control testing. As the inspection station will pull the card that matches the vehicles VIN # and with the larger engine it will FAIL the emissions test.

If you want to keep dumping money into a bottomless pit, It is up to you. But the last one I did was back in 1987 and I had over 80 hours in it at $45.00 per hour plus over $2,000.00 in parts alone.

I have never done another one since.


Obviously the choice is yours to make, but finding someone with the expertise in electronics is very hard to find.

PLEASE give up on this idea as you will regret every dollar that you will be constantly pouring into it.



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