Hi guys, im in a real pickle here. I bought a camaro, and the guy workin on it has taken way to long to "get around to it" so i am going to rebuild this thing by myself, unfortunately im no mechanic. I have a good understanding of how engines work, just not an actual mechanic. anyhow, does anyone know of a site where i can go to to see how to put back together a 1986 2.8 piece by piece? I need a chilton really, however i have no access or cash to one at the moment, so i was hoping to find a diagram online for reassembling one from the block up. surely somewhere on the internet such a guide exists. Thanks for any help.

Some points that may help

1. The engine is completely disassembled clear down to the block.
2. I have all the new gaskets required.
3. also have the gooey stuff to make them stick :P
4. do have all the bolts and such.

anything else feel free to ask..thanks!!

 

Have you tried your local public library?

 

I have a book at home that is a very detailed description of how to rebuild the 2.8 engine. it's fantastic. it's out of print and hard to find.. let me see if there are any copies on ebay at the moment

 

holy cow! these things are gold right now... look at the prices

http://catalog.ebay.com/Rebuild-Your...=p3286.c0.m505


let me think if I want to sell mine. I might be willing to part with it.

 

Ahh...no i sure havnt tried that, Ill definitely give that a shot thanks

 

hey man, thats cool, unfortunately theres now way id be able to give ya what its worth, your best bet would be to sell it on ebay and make ya some cash lol. But thanks for the input do appreciate it

 

That is shocking!!!!!!! I can't believe there are more than 2 or 3 people on earth who NEED this book, what with the popularity of swapping to a SBC or some other better engine.
cchuckk, no disrespect intended, I know how it is to need to get a not-fun car running.
But 2.8s do suck, and aren't fun. But if you have to get it running, well, you have to get it running.
58Mark, they obviously aren't worth $95, or there wouldn't be that many copies readily available. If the price came down enough, there wouldn't be any copies readily available. Books like this normally go for under $25.

 

oh none taken man, honestly, it is a money situation and its what i have lol, i am not big on speed or power, i just love the look of the camaro, and financially standing, it was really my only option to buy the new parts for it that i did, and put it back together. So as long as i get it running, and baby it the way i know i will..it should be a pretty decent engine. Hopefully anyway :P

 

go to youtube and search for engine assembly... if you need more than that, aside from torque specs, then you might want to get a buddy that has done this before, just to be on the safe side... considering you're on a limited budget...

 

Don't let Atilla mess with your head.I'm in the same boat.First ya gota get them running down the road.We all have to start somewhere.I am looking into buying another 2.8 or might be able to go to a junk yard and pic up a 3.4 out of a 93-95 f-body.thats just a thought.still got to use your 2.8 intake and fuel rails

 

don't let the haters get you down. I have a 2.8 I'm very happy with (see my siggy) and I wish the people who do nothing but bad mouth them would shut the hell up

here's the facts. the 2.8 is a good platform for somebody who likes the way a camaro looks, but has more important things to worry about than racing around the city like his pants are on fire.

it's a cruser, not a race car.

 

well i searched google far and wide and couldnt find an image..but i havnt tried youtube yet...hopefully ill have luck there...thanks for the advice...and nah..not into the whole torque thing... just trying to get it running like the others said

 

awesome, ill keep that in mind if end up having to go that route

 

you hit it right on the head bud. I am not about beef or speed by any means..i just love the look of the third gen camaro...beautiful car. I remember the 90 cavalier i had had a 2.8 in it, and i was very happy so i kind of know what to expect out of this engine im sure ill be happy withGotta get it back together first tho lol. Thanks for your advice

 

hmmm... the torque, I meant was the torque specs of tightening your bolts on your engine... such as the main caps, the heads, there are specs you should follow, just to be on the safe side...

 

Just because I hate the 2.8 doesn't mean I'm against helping anyone get one running. In fact, I made a helpful suggestion.

 

your first post was indeed helpful, then you decided to bash the 2.8, which was uncalled for

 

ok guys, well, this is where it stands. I just got the engine home today...well anyway the hundred pieces of it...(exxageration.....maybe...) Anyhow, I have no luck with the library...go figure..i looked on youtube for assembly, no luck there...i did find a video that shows some good pics of it tore down, but nothing step by step. So can anyone have any luck finding a blown up diagram of the 2.8 on the net thats pretty detailed? I sure havnt been able to find any. Any help appreciated thx

 

the basic long-block assembly really isn't that different from assembling a SBC. Start by getting everything clean and organized, then do bearings, then the crank, et cetera.
I'll try to find you a set of torque specs.
Get your plastigage and your assembly lube, your big trash bag, and so on.
You're looking for bearing clearances of 0.0020"-0.0030", and NO less than 0.0015". If any don't fall in that range, you have serious problems.

 

dude.. just watch the 8 series video of an engine build and then when it comes down to it, do whatever is done 1 less time... ...

 

Hey man thanks for your help...but after doing some hardcore considering...Dont worry about looking for the torque specs.

I am scratching the whole 2.8 idea. I have a 305 engine and transmission for it that is already together, and im just gonna drop that in it. So basically what kind of adjustments am I gonna have to make to make the 305 fit which was originally intended for the 2.8? I know I will have to move the motor mounts forward, but other than that Im not exactly sure. I had a friend say I would have to probably do something about the cross members? So if anyone has had experience with this please lemme know. Since this is a different topic, im gonna post a new thread but ill keep checkin this one here if you wanna answer here thanks Again thank you all with your helpful information