Ex-Ford guy

Here I am back with yet another post. . I was searchin the net, lookin at some tech articles guys did on the 2.8. Now they are saying that if you put any more than 20 horses into your engine your gonna blow the sides of the dish off the piston....Fact or Fiction? Also, where in gods name can i find the turbos?! lol Thanks, Mike

Ex-Ford guy

Oops...sorry for the massive pic. . . .

Project: 85 2.8 bird

what dish? here's what the 85 2.8 pistons look like


nice wheels

Ex-Ford guy

Thanks, jus got em yesterday. Weld aluminums. Yeah but anyways, some guys have been saying the 87 2.8 has big dishes in the piston....that much of a change from 85 to 87? Thanks, Mike

Ex-Ford guy

Ok heres a page that gives specs for the 2.8, scroll down to the 1987 and read about the pistons.

85f-bird

yep...I.D.'d ur problem, it lies in that you're looking at front wheel drive applications of the 2.8L chevy block, instead of the rear wheel drive version. It's the same reason our RWD versions can't use the heads off the FWD 2.8L Gen II motors, because our pistons aren't dished and the valves would slep right into a piston. I'm also thinking that the redesigned heads might have possibly been a tad to tall to fit under the hood of the f-body, or two wide to fit between the strut towers, either would seem like a bad fix, in any event that'd be ur answer, or to the best of my knowledge that's it. I'm sure someone else will clear things up evenbetter....oh and yeh, i like ur car also...rims aredifferent, cool, and different good job.

TomP

Yeah, when I did the head gasket on that http://www.geocities.com/tomp_3rdgen swap, the pistons were flat. And I wouldn't believe that 20 HP would kill the pistons at all!

I think the Gen II heads will definately fit under the hood. The only problem that I think is unresolved is whether or not by putting our intake onto the Gen II heads, if the throttle body will face the firewall. I don't think it would, but it'd be interesting to see.

KED85

I recently purchased a used running 50K 3.4 for $900
I will have 165 HP & 200 foot pounds of torque
This one goes into my Blazer
I did this to my 1985 Firebird, for $800, total including 44K used engine.
Can't beat the return on the dollar.
Spend your time searching for a low milage 3.4, Slip in, as is, go.
You can't make the same power specs as I can, for the dollars I spend, on your 2.8/3.1 rebuild.
IF you own a TIG welder, you can recreate any 60* manifold you desire to fit those aluminum FWD ONLY heads.
Sucks, but true.

TomP

Would it have to be a TIG? I can do aluminum with my MIG, as long as I buy the conversion kit (new liner for the gun)... but I know TIG gives a better weld.

KED85

Tom, I have an old Aluminum Mag wheel I need the center, back side welded upon (holes got elongated).
You find out your aluminum welding abilities, you have your first customer and something to experiment upon!
I was told for MAXIMUM STRENGTH of that mag wheel center hub reinforcment, TIG is the answer.
I was gonna use Aluminum welding rods, heated by blow torch to fix my problem.
I was told that I would only cover the damage, not create new metal, to redrill wheel stud holes.
Once that hub damaged area is built back up/strengthed, I can have the area, refinished & holes redrilled, easy.

Crazy2.8V6Man

Nice pic of the car I wish mine was that clean

Ex-Ford guy

Thanks Crazy, it gets power washed about every weekend at work, along with some McGuires wax...sp? It aint easy bein beautiful. It needs a little body putty and some touch up paint here and there but its a hell of a car for 800 bucks So, it's a go on addin the horses? Alredy did the major tuneup, where do I go after that? Sorry for all the freakin questions but I'm jus takin in all the GM info. New to these things.
~Mike