I have a 98 Deville that I have had for years and it has been very good, but I recently found one that is mint but has a blown Northstar in it (milkshake in the oil pan). I found and bought another one that has only 51,000 on it that is also mint and runs like a clock, but it was hit in the front in an accident. My plan is to put the great engine/trans assembly into the other car. One is a 99 and the other is a 98 so I know they will swap straight across.

I have the shop manuals and know how to drop the engines out, but my question is, what parts should I simply replace while the engine is sitting on the floor to make it easier to do? I plan on replacing the water pump, thermostat, all hoses, belt, and plugs. They tell me there is a sensor on the front of the engine that leaks oil after a while, what is that and what seal is that to change ?

Any other suggestions will be appreciated. It will be so much easier to do these things before the engine is buried in the engine compartment.


Don