LW300/LW2 Engine Change

[me2003]

I am in the middle of changing the engine out in my 2000 LW300, cracked block with only 80K on it imagine that (Saturn Customer service no help). If anyone has any helpfull hints or wants to know what I have run into so far I will be glad to share.

There have been several times I have thought about just scapping it so the job is no for the faint of heart.

Joe

[g60racer]

That's a heckuva project. The L300 is basically an Opel Vectra with an Opel Omega motor shoehorned into it. Just getting the thing in and out of the car would be torture, it's such close quarters. I imagine you had to take off the entire front end clip to do it. Good luck!

[me2003]

I did not know about the Opel connection, and you were right about it being shoe horned in there. I got the old engine out this morning and I have the new one bolted up, now comes the fun part of hooking everything back up. I did'nt have to take the clip all the way off but I did have to take the radiator out and the condenser loose. I bought a haynes guide which has helped but it is really too generic.

Joe

[me2003]

I am finished, it took two and a half weeks after work and on weekends. I did find out you have to use the original PCM. This forum was a great help unlike Saturn Service. I called one service department and they did not know how to remove the altenator but this forum had it. Again thanks all and if anyone wants to try it I would be happy to share my experince.


JP

[tomlct]

Wow - you finished a tough job, it seems. Did you have time to take any pictures, that could be posted? I have a 4-cylinder, but it is interesting to think about being actually able to do something like this, and to see what it would look like with the engine bay empty.
Did you end up replacing anything else, just because the front of the car was apart - any suspension pieces, bushings, heater hoses, etc?

[me2003]

I took a bunch of pictures but I did not even think to take one of the empty engine bay. I will go thru the ones that might be of some use and post them. I was happy to discover that the V-6 with automatic came out from the top so I did not have to remove the subframe or take the front clip off. The Haynes manual was helpfull but was a too general to cover everything. It said I had to loosen the transaxel however I discovered if you compeletly take off the passenger side engine mount you can just slide it over up and out. Since I had oil in the coolant I had to replace all the hoses because they were filled with sludge. I also changed the serpintine belt and new o rings for the AC connections. I tried using the PCM that came wiith the new engine but I found out I had to use one off the old engine or have to have the new one progammed by saturn. I used little plastic bags and marked everything and put it in a box in the order removed (wifes idea) and that really made the reassembly much eaiser.

Joe

[ssicarman]

Originally Posted by me2003

Since I had oil in the coolant I had to replace all the hoses because they were filled with sludge.

Are you sure that it was a cracked block? The oil cooler in the V of the block can crack. If this happens the oil and coolant can mix.

[me2003]

I have not tore the old engine apart yet so I am not sure what the exact problem was. I went by what Saturn Diagnosed however these are the same folks that could not tell me how to take the altenator off.

JP