what problems will i run into swapping an 81 engine into an 83 car? both are n/a, so is it just a swap over and put in my new sensors from the 83 engine?
Was this the same 2.8 in both cars? are there any under the hood parts i will need to carry over from the '81 engine bay? .
My motor was supposedly rebuilt before i bought my car, but it doesn'ts seem to be with some of the problems i am having, losing coolant from overflow and losing oil, but no spots on the ground and really no smoke from burning anything out the tailpipe as far as i can tell. But when i raise my hood i smell coolant, like it dripped on the exhaust while i drove, but i dont see any leaks. Intake / exhaust manifold is new and had no problems losing coolant since installed in March until around December. Also my oil pressure goes down around the 1/4 mark or lower at idle, but my valves arent rattling. That could be bad sensor or gauge. Thanks for any advice or clues!

 

Have You Checked Your Coolent Resivior? The Thing Next To The Radiator? It Could Be What You Smell Is Coming From That.

 

it doesnt seem to be leaking, but the fluid goes out pretty quick. I replaced my resivoir yesterday and refilled the resivoir last night and probably put about 30 miles on the car. then drove to work and put about 25 more. i checked it before leaving to come home from work and the resivoir (however you spell it) was down from max to min. i dont see any stains or runs where it ran out.

 

r u drinking it? i know it tastes sweet but you really shouldnt

 

Did you check the water pump area when it's warm and idling?

 

For the oil pressure change the pressure sending unit. For the coolant problem, take the car out for a spirited run and get it nice and hot, then pop the hood and look for any wet spots on the hoses, around the pump, intake, etc... Pull your plugs and check really good. If the coolant is seeping into the cylinders the plugs will be white/grey with a hard calcium looking shell on the electrode. Also check under the dash for wet spots. My heater core was leaking and I had no clue. Couldn't smell it in the car, but I found coolant on my under dash panels and vents when I pulled them to do some other work.

 

if you can't find the leak. then your burning it. and you will need the igg module from the 83 put onto the 81 dizzy. or just swap dizzy's

 

heck just take the coupla hours and pull the head first, its cheaper, and that extra engine could be worse. it prolly just a head gasket. is the car burning white? for coolant to leave like that, it has to have white smoke to be burning it. also check the hoses on the pass. side of the engine, all those clamps are prone to leaking. mine only poor out when the engine is running and its cold, once it warms up, the leak goes away. i go thru a tank of coolant quite often. im just too lazy to fix it right now.

 

I put an '81 engine in my '82, with little to no modifications. Pretty much a straight swap. I used most of the outside parts from my '82 though. Manifolds, hoses, etc.. I pulled both motors, cleaned the one up, and painted it real good. And put the motor in hooked it up, and did it within less than 2 months. Working 2 jobs, man I was full of energy then. Where did it go? Oh well, it will come back sometime. Anyway, yeah maybe do what Shady suggested. Pull the head, and investigate, might be easier.

 

81 and 83 are basically the same. Just swap the head and block. Then bolt on your intake and exhaust manifolds again leaving all the sensors there in place. EZeeee