Ok...I have a little over $1000. I've heard a lot about the 3.4 swap. My 3.1 liter has 101,000 on it but it still runs HARD AS HELL...it beat a 65 Mustang with a 289 4bbl this morning by a few inches. [Granted, he peeled out at launch a second or two longer than I did] How's that for 100,000+ huh? How cost effective would putting a 3.4 in be? How much more power can be milked from it? First off, what are the gains over a 3.1 with a 3.4, stock? And can any additional items be used on a 3.4? Such as, are headers sold? Turbo kits? Do they take well to NOS? I want to know if using up about all of my $1000 for only a slightly bigger engine would really be worth it for me. Thanks guys.

 

Ya I'm quite interested in this subject tooo...

 

purchased my car for $500, the 3.4 for $500 (it also came with two transmissions), $250ish in misc parts (rounding up)
started a long time ago, still doesnt work right

you be the judge

 

if your 3.1 is running strong, hold off untill it dies. Then do the swap on a good conscience. My bird never ran when I got it, but it would crank. I guess I'll just figure out the tranny shifting by feel.

 

Some guy that did a poor swap installation paid $500 for his 40K motor
I paid $800 or a 44K motor
Other have paid same or?
Here's comparison on prices.
NEW GM CRATE ENGINES
2.8=$1676
3.1=$1808
3.4=$1751
800-824-6116
Concord CA you pay shipping!
I'm getting another 3.4 for $600 this time to swap into my 1985 S-10 Blazer.
Power additives?
Look
BE REAL
YOU CANNOT "BEAT" A V-8 CAR WITH THIS PUNY V-6.
You can't CONSISTANTLY!
Everyone should get lucky ONCE and score with a Cheerleader or Ex-Cheerleader, too
YET, you do this swap right and it'll pull like a freigh train
It's just unbelieveable how much torque (200!) this 3.4 has!
You make the call.
It's a labor intensive swap.
YET if your current mill is good, this is BETTER (truly is!) AND YOU CAN MAKE BACK LOTS OF MONEY SELLING YOUR GOOD RUNNING 3.1 TO SOMEONE THAT DOESN'T KNOW BETTER! (like to sell your 3.1 for the price of the 3.4? You could and "only pay for gaskets & effort!").
Your call.

 

I think I'd hold off on the 3.4. I mean, yeah you said it's got good torque..200 ft lbs. But my 3.1 has 185 ft lbs! Only 15 more. And that torque and horsepower doesn't seem to be helping me a whole lot, considering I lost a drag to a SATURN. Yes, a twin cam f*^&#cking Saturn. Lol. And the guy is my friend..his car is 100% stock, with 120 horsepower he said. Mine is all stock too, except what I did with the filter. I pull a little harder in the low end, but when he gets in the high end, he pulls real far. Low end, I gain a foot. High end, HE gains 4 feet. Argh...now I have to live with this fact for the rest of my life..that my Camaro lost to a Saturn. I think I'll just mod my 3.1 up..it still runs very hot. What stock automatic 3.1 with minor tranny issues and added weight from louvers, can pull a low 10 on a 0-60? I havent heard of many... I think I'll do the Dynomax catback first..I mean..$140?! For a whole Catback?!!! That's..pocket change! Ridiculously cheap. I'm gonna love hearing it from in the cabin.... Hehe... Here's another question for you... Would my 3.1 be able to handle NOS? It's a 91..I don't know if that's an aluminum block or not..all I know is it has 5 more ft lbs than the other 3.1's...dunno why...

 

LOL. Those twin cams are a fast car for a little car. Keep that in mind. A friend had one and tortured it. He woud drive it at 180km/h places it was hilarious unsafe but crazy to go that fast in one.

Think about it 2500lb car 120hp.
3300lb car 140hp.
Hmmm....800 lb advantage for him, 20 horses for you. Its simple math; weight is just as effectvie as HP

NOS. I thought as of 1990 GM started to put forged Pistons in their motors. I am not positive on this. So check first. But if so your car can handle nos.

 

Those Saturns are light as hell. The car is made out of plastic.

 

Yeah..I know that one cause he always bangs his door. It was dented once..he hit it and popped the dent out. His doors are plastic..his roof is plastic..his fenders are plastic.... Sheesh. Imagine what a wreck with a Saturn would look like.. "Well..there's an engine..and a driveshaft and transmission..that's about it..and these little plastic shards everywhere. Hmm..must've been a Saturn. Or a Honda."

 

Even the new 4th gen Camaros are plastic. My girl was sideswiped (guy changed lanes right into her, she was right next to him!), and the jerk's car cracked her door at the bottom. The insurance wouldn't pay for a whole new door, and the shop (we know 'em) was able to fix the door, but it's still a bit hard to close.

 

yeah you really have to look around before you pick a new engine. I nearly laughed when I saw a crate 350 in the back of Super Chevy claiming 205 HP! And for $1400 too! i think i'll stick with my puny 2.8 because I don't have the $$$

 

Hehe, my Grand Am has a 2.4 twin cam rated at 150 hp. I've never run it at the track, but I've heard high 15's/low 16's are not impossible bone stock. Where as 3.1's run high 16's/low 17's bone stock.

 

Sounds about right, Crazy Firebird. Sucks, doesn't it? Ohh, just so you guys know.. My car ran better this afternoon. That Twin Cam Saturn that smoked me....well, I dragged him again this afternoon. This time, launching from an RPM that doesn't squeal my tires. (Since my tach is broken, I took my best guess) I beat his ***. Half a car length, approx. It wasn't a very long drag at all, he was inching on me, but still, I'd be ahead of him for a long time. Can I get a victory cheer??!

 

NO.... hahah just kidding. i agree i am sick of loosing races... just the other day some old guy pulled up next to me in some beat up chevy... dont konw waht it was.. just yer basic car and just barly beat me... people see our cars and expect them to fly, then are all dissapointed when they race us. maby its cause i had 3 people including me in my car and my subs in the back but still it just makes me want to ditch my car and go for a 4th gen even with all the work and $$ i have put into my car. i am planning to swap to a 3.4 With air conditioning!!! i have no a/c and then i am planning to put a supercharger in it. Im hoping that i will be able to beat yer basic stock 8cyl thirdgens.. though i really dont konw how much HP i will have if i do that... stock 8 cyl 3rdgen birds got 175 HP right?

 

Yeah..I'm definitely sick of being beat. I'm ready to whoop some ***. But hey, I think with the intake and exhaust work..I might just be able to humiliate my friend and his 65 Mustang. Assuming he doesn't do anything else to it by the time I get my work done. He's already got a small 4bbl carb and the manifold for it. Ohh hey, here's a tip, TFM. I was thinking about it. If you're going into a race you know you're going to lose, but it's too late to back down...don't suffer the humiliation of getting a great launch and getting spanked. Put it in 1st, bring the RPMs as high as you can get them with your foot on the break, without rolling forward or breaking traction. Wait until the signal, and slam the gas. So while he's shooting off, you're peeling out. And what do the bystanders hear? YOU. Peeling out. And then when they talk about you losing, you can say "Yeah..I messed the launch up. Just couldn't get traction..too much torque for this road." And they'll remember you for that. Peeling out is very impressive...and half the people out there don't realize how easy it is to do. Remember these words...they might save you some day.

 

lol, good idea but what about the people behind the car that can see the break lights

 

Just tell them you were trying to do it from the proper launch RPMs but the road was too slick and you broke traction launching from..hmm..what's a nice number...2000. I did that with the Saturn on the first race, which accounted for me losing so badly. But we both did the launch like that..but I revved mine up to max, he just picked a number. He went "Chiiirp", and I went "SQUEEEEEAAAAALLLLLLLLL!!!!". Tt made for good video. Yes, I have that on tape. Along with me racing my buddy's 4 banger Pinto, and my other friend's 65 Mustang (the one I mentioned in the previous message). I won all of those races except the Saturn. Who says stock Camaros don't kick ***? The Mustang guy did something wrong..heh..he peeled out too much at launch, and before that point, his carburetor bogged down. Sucks to be him. I beat him by a car length. He felt pretty stupid. He can powerbreak like a MOTHER though..maaann.. His tires have funny rubber. It liquifies VERY easily and smokes up rapidly. He powerbraked for not more than 2-3 seconds, and then let off the brake and he left a single tread mark..***, must've been a good 15 feet.

 

u must have an automatic car... i got a stick, so putting on the break 4 me would make it obvious, unless i pretned its auto muhahahhaahah. dag nabbit, im sick of pretending, i just wanna beat someone for real! oh well ill just have to win the lottery or get a good job when i get older

 

Yeah..I have an auto. It's irritating as hell. I'm going to have it rebuilt and have a TransGo shift kit put in when it's done. It shifts too hard with too much noise, kicks at about 40 mph...jumps between 3rd and 4th very readily.. (I think it's third and fourth).. But anyways, yeaaahhh... Lol. I wanna win for real too. You'd be surprised around here..I haven't gotten my *** beat THAT badly!