LD1985

I recently acquired a free 3.4..It came out of front wheel drive car though...I don't know a lot about this, but I am wondering if there is a way to fit it in my car...I'm really tired of the 2.8..It's enough horse power in my beretta, but not the camaro...Can i buy some type of adapter plate for the transmission? I really don't know a lot about yet about engines (I'm 19 and still learing) any work done would be with the help of my father...just looking to see if it's possible...

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

do a search. but no it is not possible to put a FWD in our cars.

87CamaroMan

You can put a FWD engine into a RWD car but you need to do alot of retro-fitting to to make the FWD engine work as a RWD. I'd suggest selling the 3.4 you got and take that money and buy a 3.4 outta 4th gen. I did the 2.8-3.4 swap its easy. It took me a week end to do it.

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

sorry, i misspoke. its not REASONABLY possible to do.

but remember, do a search before asking. itll help you out a ton and then people wont be yellin at ya

Doward

Yep, the others are correct. What year/vehicle did it come out of? I might be willing to buy it off you, as I need a FWD 3.4 myself.

LD1985

I did do a search..thanks...why are u so sure i didn't? In the search i got and equal ratio of yes's to no's

It's not really my 3.4. There is this kid that comes over a lot and my dad helps him work on his car...The kid got it for free and gave it my dad for a front end alignment...So it was like $50.
The original owner had it in the backyard on cement blocks for a week and forgot to put a tarp over it...it rained....So water pours out of the engine when u move it....It needs rebuilt...Since my dad and brother are Beretta freaks (we've had 6 in the past year) It will definitely get put to use....We have an extra 3100 and 3.4 so i was just seeing if there was a way to fit it....


How would I get a 4th gen 3.4? There aren't any camaros that new in any of my local junk yards...What cars did they come in? Will it fit on my tranny?...How much do they cost? And would it be as much cost and trouble to get a 3.4 as it would be a V8?

I just want the car to get up and go....I feel like a dumb *** in this big cool car that accelerates like a Mack truck.

drdave88

iTrader: (3)

thats why i corrected myself. yes its possible, no its not reasonable. sorry if i came across as a jerk.
the 3.4 came in 93 to 95 camaros and firebirds. if you cant find one around by you, go to ebay, thats where i got mine. they run around $500 to $900 on average. KED85 has a whole article typed up on this swap. its just like swapping in another 2.8, everything you take off the old one, goes on the new one.
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...apboogie.shtml

there is a lot more to change for a V8. hope this helps you out. the 3.4 swap is well worth the time, effort and money.

V6sucker

I feel a need to speak up here.

Just because an engine is FWD, doe not mean it will not have the mount holes for RWD hook up.
Trust me, a Mitsu Eclipse 2.0 is what? FWD. HOWEVER, IT DOES HAVE RWD mounting bolt holes, as the block was once offered in a RWD configuration.

I am not saying that the FWD 3.4 WILL have the propper bolt holes, and I am NOT saying it does. Just take a look, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Take a gander at the block in the car and get a rough estimate about mount placement. Then look at the 3.4. They may be there, they may not be there. And offering up as proof take a look at this...
http://www.starquestclub.com/index.p...num=1091217223

No photo-choping here...

LD1985

Even if the holes were there the intake would be pointed backwards. so i'm not sure how i would tackle that...I was trying to find out if it had been done before mostly.....I understand that they came in early 90's camaros...but what other rear wheel drive cars?? Camaro's don't seem to be a popular junk yard car.....For every 5 beretta's I find there's like one 3rd gen....and a lot of them caught fire uner the hood at one point it seems like...
thanks for helping ....I see that the 3.4 might be more practical on time and effort....but for $900 I'm gonna buy a 350 or something larger......If it's made to go in the car it's not a problem at all to get in for me...

V6sucker

well the thing is if the bolt holes are there, you can use the 3.4 short block, and your cars current engines' uppers. You can recycle your cars intake, accessories and heads, and your done.

chevypower

The FWD 3.4L have FWD & RWD mounting bolt locations. The RWD 3.4L only has a RWD mounting bolt location.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Here's the scoop:

The bolt holes ARE there, but YOU NEED TO SWAP THESE PARTS. The exhaust manifolds WILL NOT bolt up to the FWD 3.4 heads-the bolt pattern is too tall in relation to the RWD stock manifolds, and you cannot reuse the FWD manifolds for obvious reasons. IIRC the engine uses aluminum heads which have a different size porting.

The FWD/RWD thing is what got me stranded at the shop where the junkyard engine was dropped in for 3 WEEKS. Now, the engine the shop was going to use was a 3.1 from a Lumina, but I believe they are similar in appearance.

P.S.: Why do you think our trans bolt pattern is also known as an FWD bolt pattern? Most GM FWD cars, being L4's or V6's (up to the 4.3 and 3.8... those are based on the 350 and 305 blocks so they don't count) have the same identical bolt pattern. That's how a guy on jbody.org swapped in a FWD 3400 into his Jimmy, which originally had either a 2.5 Iron Duke or our 2.8 TBI...

LD1985

so if my rwd manifold wont bolt up and i cant use the fwd what do I do? I found a 4th gen with a 3.4 in it at the jyard...but someone already took the throttle body....could I put the throttle off of the fwd on it? I've also never bought an engine at a jyard..I assume all places differ but how do you get one? Do I have to dissconect it all myself or would they just cut it out for me?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

There's a tech article on this. You have to get an upper end gasket kit and transfer over your existing intake (everything from the intake manifold up) to put in the 3.4 without fighting with the wiring hassles.

Most will pull it for you. Some yards will pull it for a fee. You might even get some back if you take the intake back to them (if you do it will be a small amount). If they wont give you anything for the intake, maybe you can sell it on eBay or something.

Also, you may want to ask if the yard has a warranty on used engines (up to 3 months is about the best I've heard of).

89V6FBIRD

See if you can sell your FWD 3.4 and buy that RWD 3.4 + injectors and make your life a ton easier. Everything swaps over. All you need is to put 3.4 long block under the 2.8 stuff w/ 3.4 injectors.

LD1985

i would..that was already mentioned..but its my dads 3.4 if i dont use it he will

vsixtoy

Show me proof that an aluminium block FWD 3.1 block has provisions for 3rd gen RWD motormounts. I am calling you to the table with this info you have posted. I need facts to back what you are saying to everyone!

You say this info- People can take what you say and turn around and spend hard earned cash for a FWD block- Can you afford to back what you are telling everyone is true?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Now did I say it was an aluminum block engine? I don't seem to recall saying it was an aluminum block engine... IIRC it was RUSTY... ALUMINUM DON'T RUST! I siad that the heads were aluminum, not the block...

Some people REALLY need to read posts through before they say anything...

Okay, so the site wasn't J-body.org... I found the site again:

http://www.domesticcrew.com/raven/James/

The guy don't have great pics, and I am not quite positive how he did it. I do know that you can buy brackets to do a swap of this kind, but I'm not sure how they would be used in an FWD-> RWD application. I can deduce from the pics in the site above (look in the "James" section under "Engine Swap" and "Hybrid" ) that the engine sitting in the Jimmy's engine bay in the "Franken 60 in cropped" (engine swap section) pic is indeed the FWD 3100, based on the cleanliness of the engine, pullies, and the shape of the intake.

V6sucker

1. As he said below your post, it is not an aluminum block.
2. Most auto manufacturers that I know of if they produce an engine (say the 3.4) that they had plans for putting in dual configurations (Fwd AND Rwd) the block would be the same. And the block would be dual patterned drilled.

Again, I can say this because the 2.0 Eclipse motor I have is dual drilled. And anyone that knows what an eclipse is, knows it is Fwd. But the engine was originally a Rwd engine when originally put into production.

The fact is that most engines that come out today are patterned to work in RWD applications. This is requardless of the engine is FWD or not. It is simply easier and cheaper for the manufacturer to do the design once, and never have to worry about it again.

And as far as intake placement goes, it depends on the original direction. If it is to the drivers side, it can be rotated to RWD with no trouble, if it is Left side opening, it needs to be redone. Call me crazey, but most 3100 S2's I have seen, the opening is on the drivers side. So a 90* rotation to the left it is facing forward.
So what is the issue with that?

If the engine is dual drilled, which is more then likely is the case, and the TB faces forward, it comes down to the Trans flange. So you can either keep the original trans at 60*, or swap in a 90* trans. Or if your a manual, you swap bellhousings, and are done.
That would be the only true issue I see besides the wiring.

If the trans needs swapped, its a true remove and replace your done. Wiring is something else, but is not that bad.

vsixtoy

Sorry to tell you Maverick, but you are clueless and making false statements- Thats an iron RWD block with FWD aluminium heads and intake.

V6sucker, I can give a crap about you other cars, we talk about 3rd gens here.

Show me proof- any of you- that FWD blocks have RWD mounts also without having to do any modifications or drill new holes.

I am debating this agressively to get the real truth here, not just speculation.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

That's funny, really. I didn't see an inkling of blue paint on the Franken engine anywhere, did you? The original engine from the Jimmy was painted in Chevy blue (look at the site and you might learn SOMETHING!) and the one that was transplanted was not.

How would you go about transplanting Aluminum heads, and the intake from a later 3100 onto the older 2.8 or whatever cast iron block? Show me proof that this can be done and I'll back out with no problems at all.

vsixtoy

You gave the link with proof that FWD heads can be put onto a RWD block with the proper pistons.
Maverick? You were saying...?

Edit: Do you have any clue to what the term Frankenstein means?

V6sucker

forget it not worth the effort...

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Hey, does anyone besides me notice where the tensioner is on the Franken engine? If not, I'll show you... No RWD engine has the tensioner attached to the timing cover that I have seen....

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

The truth comes out...

V6sucker

It's not worth it. you cannot argue with a brick.

V6sucker

see those 5 black holes, 2 of those are RWD engine mount bolt holes.

V6sucker

Like I said, Most if not all FWD blocks have dual bolt holes. The rear motor mount (considering FWD placement) bracket bolts to 2 or 3 holes (usually 2 vertically on top of each other). Those bolt holes are the RWD mounting bolt holes. They add the bracket for the rear torque mount of the engine.

Again, don't argue when someone says something is a cetain way and know it. All you do is **** them off. And I just personally felt like shutting you .... is really the only reason for posting the pic in the first place.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Raven attends the s10 board, and did attend here for a while. You can search his name.

That is a RWD cast iron block, with gen2 FWD aluminum heads and intake.

It runs off a fwd SFI ignition system, with a home-made cranksensor.

vsixtoy

Thank you Dale for the help.

Dale knows this guy. And it is a RWD block.

Hey V6 sucker, A much closer picture please, No way can anyone see 5 bolt holes in a picture that far away.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

NP brother I wouldnt say I "know" him, but I have read tons on his blazer, and spoke to him via emails when doing my SFI swap.

I did just find a part number to a RWD aluminum block, but the bore is 3.5x. Not the 3.62 of the real 3.4.

59lbs vs 106lbs

vsixtoy

Now I know some of you are probably pissed at me right now, But again, my intentions here are not to argue with anyone and cause a fight just to be an ***, I am merely trying to keep the info factual so no one buys a FWD block thinking they can use it, then are out the money.

I myself am not totally positive if any aftermarket brackets are availiable to make a FWD block work for a RWD application- However, to date I have not see anything factual to back this and have read myself many times that no FWD block will work for RWD mounting. Let me scan for proof on this and I will post it(sorry, I did not have time earlier)

LD1985

omg.....everyone fighting......Can I put the intake and heads from a fwd on my engine? How did that guy get the intake turned around? Shouldn't it be pointing backwards....

vsixtoy

You can mount it forward (Backwards from the FWD application) but the only problem yyou have is no distributor hole. You have to go to the DIS ignition (Distributorless Ignition System) with a crank trigger.
Edit: I want to also note that the CR will go through the roof because the FWD heads have a much smaller head CC. You WILL have to change your pistons.

Jay, The aluminum "Bow Tie" block is made with provisions for FWD AND RWD and has a maximum bore of 3.582" and a maximum stroke of 3.20" (custom crank grind needed for this, the 3.1 & 3.4 cranks are 3.31" stroke. So the total max displacement allowed is 193ci or 3.17l.
Least expensive place to find them retail is through GMParts Direct
For aprox $2900- You'll have to imput part # 10051141 into the link http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/results.cfm

vsixtoy

Directly from the Chev Power Catalog, page 3-2.
It talks about various cars the 2.8 was used in with either FWD or RWD applications with "minor differences between the Fwd and RWD blocks including starter location, motor mounts, and water manifold outlets". FWD block weights 101 lbs, the RWD block weights 106 lbs.

Also says later, "The LB6 engines are produced in two versions, a FWD and a RWD". Not one version that can be used both ways
.

LD1985

it's soooo not worth it..I'll just wait and buy a new car or a new engine....anyone want to donate one to a poor 19 yr old kid?

biff85ta

You can just flip the upper plenum on the intake I think and the distibutor was replaced with a dummy shaft to drive the oil pump which come through the intake and even has the hold down present if I read things right on the w-body board.

P.S. the intake on the fiero v-6 uses the same lower and mid section but the middle is backwards so the upper fits that way too. Just an interesting fact I thought I would share.