Engine swaps are normally performed on vehicles that either significantly lack horsepower or are prone to engine problems with the factory engine. The Cadillac Catera is a popular candidate for the V8 engine swap due to its being equipped with a relatively low power factory V6 engine that experienced a number reliability issues.
The Catera was introduced by Cadillac in 1996, and stayed in production though 2001. The Catera was Cadillac's second attempt to produce a smaller, sporty sedan that would appeal to United States drivers. The Catera was offered exclusively with a 3.0 liter V6 engine and a four speed automatic transmission. The Catera was also not known for its distinctive styling, bearing a striking resemblance to other, less expensive GM models of the time. The Catera model was discontinued after being in production for less than five years.
The Catera's V6 engine produced 200 horsepower, but by most accounts, it was not powerful enough, and many drivers found the vehicle to be lacking in terms of speed and performance. The Catera went from zero to 60 in a less than peppy 8.9 seconds, and a number of reviewers claimed the Catera's 3,800 lb. body was too much for the V6 engine that cam standard.
The other issue with the Catera is that it was generally considered to be a rather unreliable vehicle. The Catera's engine was plagued with reliability problems, include a propensity to blow the heads and head gaskets; as well as problems with the timing belt pulleys that ultimately lead to a large number of engine failures. The timing pulley system was eventually recalled.
Swapping the 3.0 L V6 engine for a more power V8 has the potential to solve a number of the Catera's performance and reliability issues. Even a small block V8 engine has significantly more power than the 3.0 L the Catera was manufactured with, and therefore does a better job powering the Catera's 3,800 lb. bulk.
To perform an engine swap, you must completely disconnect and unbolt the Catera's 3.0 engine from the motor mounts, transmission and other mechanical components, and replace it with another GM engine. One of the most popular engine swaps consists of trading in the V6 for General Motor's 5.7 L LS1 engine, which was designed for use in Corvettes. General Motors 305 and 350 engines are also good candidates for swaps, due to many of the Catera's other engine components being able to bolt to the new motor.
