I recently have done an engine swap- the Intrepid oriiginally came with a 2.7- I thought it would be better to put in a 3.2 or a 3.5- but since I could't find a 3.5, a 3.2 was the next best thing. It cost $600.00.
SOURCE ENGINE: I found the 3.2 at a local salvage yard- it was from a 1999 Concorde LXI that was hit at the LF pretty badly. The salvage yard let me go in and I disconnected all the wiring and accessories from the chassis- I took all the A/C, the gas lines, vacuum lines, air intake, alternator, PS, transmission, starter- so all that the salvage people had to do is to disconnect the motor mounts and exhaust manifolds. Basically, all that went to the 3.2 was disconnected from the Concorde chassis and then I planned for it to be reconnnected with my Intrepid. I left the radiator and condenser but I noted how they were connected.
In the meantime, I had already taken out the 2.7. I dropped the 3.2 in and it was only a matter of connecting the various accessories. I'll list below what I did:
A/C: Since I had removed all the 3.2 lines and the Receiver-Drier, the A/C was relatively easy to go in. I could have put in the 2.7 system, but I wanted everything to be "stock" as all the lines neatly attached to the condenser.
FUEL/INJECTION: Here was just a matter of attaching the gas line.
THROTLE LINE/: A visit to the dealer necessitated the purchase of a 3.2 throttle cable. I also bought all the necessary heater hoses but I suppose the old ones woud have worked fine.
CRUISE CONTROL: Since I had taken the 3.2 system, it was all a matter of connecting it up to the Intrepid.
EXHAUST MANIFOLDS/STARTER: Here the salvage yard charged me an additional $100- which I paid, obviously. They had removed the pipes (they left the manifolds on) so it was only a matter of having the pipes cut just before the first muffler. The right side was no problem; but the drivers side required a little bit of work to get the starter in. It's was all a matter of turning the starter, then feeling my way in and attaching the wires. Could't do it otherwise. After the starter was in, the driver's side catalytic converter and pipe went it. Finally, the two exhaust pipes were temporarily connected and the car was taken to a muffler shop and connected properly.
ALTERNATOR: It was just a matter of connecting a couple of wires.
PS: I had to go to the dealer as the original pump need a new reservoir. Again, as the P/S was already connected, it was just a matter of connecting the lines.
MISCELLANEOUS: The 2.7 had an transmission oil cooler and a PS cooler- no problem here. The 3.2 also has an additional oil cooler- it goes in the passenger side of the radiator. I felt it was better if the lines were connected to an additional oil cooler (the 2.7 radiator doesn't have provision for a cooler)- so I got a transmission oil cooler from a Jeep and I mounted it in front of the condenser. Works fine. Incidentally, I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil which has a 20-30 degree temperature drop as compared to regular oil. In addition, the stock motor mounts drop right in from the 3.2 as does the 3.2 flex-plate and torque converter.
ELECTRICS: All the factory wiring connected up. I had also bought a used 3.2 PCM- but it did not work. I had the Strater Relay checked up - everything showed as fine except for the PCM ground. Anyway, I decided to put in the 2.7 unit and voila! the engine turned over and ran fine!
A few days later, the "Check Engine" came on - 551: Power Steering Switch failure- as the 3.2 engine doesn't have a switch, it was OK. A black piece of tape took care of the Check Engine light.
A few months have gone by- the engine runs fine. I would, though, would like to know can a used 3.2 PCM be programmed? On the Intrepids, there are three controllers which have a the car's VIN- the transmission controller, the body controller and the PCM. They all have to match. So here are some questions to beg to be answered:
Can a used PCM from a 3.2 be reprogrammed to work in a 2.7 car?
If it can't, can a new PCM from a 3.2 be programmed with the car's VIN- which in this case, is a 2.7?
And, a used 2.7 from another car, be used on the 2.7?
The current problem, which is probably going to cost me, is a new PCM. I've installed a new (rebuilt) alternator to no avail, as the voltage is still 11-12- when it should be 14.5. As you know, the voltage regulator is part of the PCM- and if it fails, a new PCM is in order-
Well, that's all for now.
Peter C. Sessler my email is
sessler@ptd.net.
How To: 2.7 to 3.2 Swap
How To: 2.7 to 3.2 Swap
Linear Mode
