I want to swap the 3.3L engine in my 96 caravan. Will a later year bolt up to the transmittion. I have access to some low millage later year motors. What would be the latest year I could use?

 

1990-2007 3.3's all bolt up to the transmission... it's the other end, intake etc where things are an issue.

 

Thanks for the message regarding the engine swap. Are there any particular issues regarding bolting all the 1996 parts on to the newer engine that you were referring to? As long the transmittion bolts up i would think the rest of the intake and exhaust from the 96 also would to.

 

if you look at a 2001+ 3.3 you will see the TRANSMISSION bolt pattern is the exact same as all 3.3's and 3.8's for that matter.

but the 01 and newer engine is totally different on the front. water pump is in a different location, along with the alternator and more.

I'm no mechanic but if I was to change an engine, I'd look for one that is a direct fit just to make life easy.

why do you need to replace the engine? it's really rare for a 3.3 to go bad, in all my years of being around these vans, I've only come across 3 bad 3.3's and 2 were caused by people running on the expressway stuck in 2nd gear (limp=in) they were so clueless to realize that 5000 rpm on the highway wasn't normal

 

I have 229,000 k on this 3.3 and have some faulty lifters happing. I have a friend that has access to later year low mileage wrecks. It is cheaper to buy the recked van and replace he motor in my van then to repair the old motor. I can get a 2003 with 75,000 k for around $500.00. So I am trying to see what problems I am going to run into by going to a later year. The obvious thing is to find the same year but it is getting hard to find low milage motors that year. I have also read that 96's have lubrication problems the result in lifter failure.

 

I figured that if there are no changes to the 3.3 block all the external parts ( mounting brackets pulleys alternator, waterpump and intake and exhaust parts) from the 96 would bolt on to the newer motor. Thanks for the help by the way.

 

I just went out to my driveway and looked at my 2003 caravan 3.3 and my 1996 3.3 caravan. everything looks different. I'm sure, if you are handy enough, you could make it work, but from my limited mechanical ability, it looks impracticable/impossible, highly time consuming and not a direct installation. all the belt driven components are totally in different locations so you'd have to do a lot of configuring for power steering lines, a/c lines, hose, wiring etc. but the engines both have the exact same transmission bolt pattern and directly bolt up. however the 1996 flex plate is different than the newer engine. if you didn't change that, the torque converter won't bolt up.

I've never heard, read or encountered 1996 vans having any lubrication issues. my 1996 is pushing 300,000 miles on the original engine. I use less than 1/2 qt oil in 4000 miles (I've always changed oil @ 4k for the past 10 years).

I'd think, given all the blown up minivan transmissions, you could find a whole van with ave. miles for much less than $500. I have a 1997 parts van with 120,000 miles that has the diff pin thru the case. I bought the van for $200. I already scrapped off the cat ($80) so I have $120 in it. I'm going to take off the new tires for my 1996 then use the van for parts as I may need and use the van for storage shed.