Thread: 97 GT Motor and Trans into 97 GTP

What am I getting myself into?

I have a 97 GT Couple with a bent frame, the car hit the ditch. I also have a 97 GTP Sedan that I picked up for parts, not motor or Transmission. I did not know the frame was bent on the Coupe until we took took off the broken bumper.

My GTP has only 109xxx miles on it, the GT Coupe has 230xxx. I installed a newer 3800 in the coupe 2 years ago, this motor now has 120xxx miles on it, so my thought is to take it back out along with the trans and install into the GTP. Both being 97 models the plugs, connections should all be the same.

The engine bay of the GTP looks to be ready for a trans and motor. The guy had the motor rebuilt but went through a divorce, I'm not sure what happened to the transmission. He had the motor for sale, maybe trans too but I was just looking for body parts when I bought it last summer. Luckily I did not do anything other than take the left front fender and front bumper off.

Let me know what I'm getting into.

drop the cradle with motor and trans mounted... install to other car, transfer wiring and PCM

^This.

Should be pretty straighforward.

So out the bottom - don't take it out of the top? I don't have a lift - I do have 2 different cherry pickers though.

I wonder if anyone has written a step-by-step procedure?

you could unbolt the mounts and pull it out, just 4 cradle bolts and the whole assembly falls down, or bending down into the engine bay and fighting tight spots and hard corners to get the mounts undone. Your call really.

Either way the the main wiring most likely won't be different, but the engine harness you will want to transfer, and swap PCMs as well. tranny and blocks are basically the same so they will bolt straight up, shouldn't be too tough.

Good Luck

K thanks - this is planned for Saturday, hopefully I'll be driving it by Sat night.

I see two scenarios. If the subframe is bent. Swap the GTP's subframe over. It's the same frame and veryyyyyy easy.

Or you can pull the axles, undo the mounts (unbolt the master cylinder from the booster adn flop it to the strut tower for more room) then pull the combo together. With wiring intact. Flop it in the GTP and off ya go.

Bill - we'll do option 2 for the body on the GTP sedan only has 109xxx miles on it plus it appears to be in better condition, plus leather seats and sunroof. Both cars have Heads Up display. Although the windows on the coupe are tinted...

A lift would be a wonderful thing right now....but I'll make do with my cherry picker.

The existing axles on this GTP are just sitting, resting inside the frame. how do I pull the axles?

You will need the following... Hands, a 25lb Sledgehammer, a rubber ducky, and some beer.












I think you just pull...

I have all but the rubber ducky.....well my sledge hammer might not be 25lbs either... I have BEER !!!

Warm weather would be good, but weather in the 20s is what I'll get. I'll have the wood stove blasting giving us a little heat. I'll be doing this in an uninsulated 30x40 shed with a wood heater in the back that heats up a 12x15 room, but I also have venting that comes out to and over where I work on cars, garden tractors, ATVs, wood working things, etc.

Help! I can't get the axles back in. What is the secret?

I hope to have this back together tonight, I touched it for a bit Monday night, been busy with work and kids the last few days... Hopefully I have good news tomorrow. I've got the motor in the GTP, I have 1/2 the wire connections hooked up, need to get both axles hooked up, radiator, and a bunch more things.

I pulled the radiator from the bent car and then noticed it was bent, this is a new radiator, hopefully I can straighten it a bit and install into the new car.

to get the axle back in you just turn it till the splines line up and push firmly, you should hear a click when its in all the way.

thanks scottdoggs, I'll be happy when I hear that click!

Well I got the axle out, the inner boot has a hole in it so I'll put on a new replacement boot today before I re-install.

But I have bigger issues now... my power steering pump does not seem to be lining up, meaning the solid pipe coming to the pump seems to have been bent, I loosened this pipe but I was still struggling to get either mounting bolt started. So I took off the alternator, then proceeded to take off the heater hose belt tensioner bracket. The bypass elbow that is easily seen literally crumbled, but this bracket sure seemed to be stuck to the motor. So I searched again for possibly a bolt I had missed. Then I just pried it a bit and the other elbow broke, however this other elbow is not plastic, it's steel. It's part of this heater hose belt tensioner thing, and now it's broken....figures...

Tonight I'll look through my bin of a few motor parts, but I think I'll be heading to the junk yard...

Oh, and a its negative 13 at my house this morning, yea -13 kinda cold, but the sun is shining bright!