hey guys I'm new to the forum. My mom gave me here 88' firebird 2.8L V6 bandit edition firebird. The only main problem know of is she recently slung a rod through the oil pan. As soon as I getta block, I'll starting taking her apart. I was wondering since I'm gonna have the engine out if there's some good upgrades to give the engine a lil more "humph". I'm mainly gonna use the car asa run-around street car. What do you think?

 

Welcome to the board.
Free cars rock. Wish I could get one that way.

As far as the block there are lots of mods that you could do. But since you are throwing in a new block I would recommend reading this tech article about the 3.4 swap.
https://www.thirdgen.org/newdesign/t...apboogie.shtml


This will give you a better plateform to build on right away, and modifications to the 3.4 Plateform will add HP Quicker. As well you will still have the great Fuel economy of a daily driver.

Ked will probably be in soon to tell you more.
TomP and Ked85 are the Guys you want to talk too.
They know there stuff. Trust me.

 

I should mention it has a mulit-port fuel injection.

 

Welcome to the board! Sounds like you got a hell of a deal! I agree with Joe, the 3.4 swap would be your most cost-effective way to get that car running again, with more power than a stock 2.8 could give. If you go through that article, you'll notice that you will bolt EVERYTHING from your 2.8 onto the 3.4- including the fuel injection. Every f-body 2.8 from '85-up has MPFI.

What's the "bandit edition"? Did it get a special paint job or interior or something? Sounds cool!

 

I think there was a 91 bandit edition, i believe it had a shaker hood similar to a second generation. Pics, we demand pics

 

congrats on the free car dude, wish you the best of luck with it. Like everyone else has basically said, the 3.4L would be your best setup for this car since it'll bolt in just like it was another 2.8L v6. I'm wnodering about that bandit edition too, there's a cherry mint bandit T/a here in my town (town of the college) and it's dark green, then when i was back at home in st.louis i saw another green one, but ti was wrecked worse than anyman would be willing to repair. The shakers i believe are not functional, don't konw if they came with sixes though, thougth they were all 1992 or 91 ' transam's but i'm probably wrong on that .

 

Pics coming ina day or two, it's parked in my friends "growed-up" yard. Basically all I really notice different about than other models are the aerodynamic fins around the front wheels and t-tops. I'll post pics on my homepage and let you decide. I'll reply back and let you know when I get the pics up and give you the link.

 

So could you do the 3.4 swap just as easily with parts from the 3.1 LHO? Im gonna drop in a 5.7 liter, but i f i can do the 3.4 for alot cheaper with money left for some good mods.... you guys put a bee in my bonnet (get it out its angry!)

 

alright to expain the swaps a little bit better. a 3.4L is the largest 60 degree v6 that's on the market by GM at the present. The engine itself has already had most any performance piece already added to it well prior to being developed, so it'll be an almost "as is motor" not needing any more modficiation to increase power, if anything , i'd say feed it better with a better induction system, better exaust, and larger fuel injectors, but none of that is actually needed. The idea is that you'll save money swaping in a 3.4L instead of a 5.7L v8 or any other v8 or 90 degree engien for that matter v6 or v8. The reason is when switching to a 3.4L you will only require a new motor, that's all, you're wiring harness will remain the same, computer will not need to be changed, ignition can stay the same, tranny, radiator, rear, fuel injection, etc. Everything ontop of your 2.8/3.1 Litre engine will be used ontop of the new 3.4L engine, giving you a running engine with more horsepower than the engine previously in your bay without costing you nearly as much as it would to do a v8 swap. hope that helps.

 

What should I pay for a 3.4L?

 

it'll just depend on where u find it at, from a bone yard with not to many miles on it id' say you'd expect about 500 dolalrs ,, maybe in upwards of say 800 but nothing more . The biggest thing that you'll be finding is the miles, found a LT1 from an impala around my parts for 500 dollars, unfortuatnely no computer, wiring harnesses, or sensors. but for your sake, you won't need any of those with an 3.4L v6.

 

What do the 3.4L V6's come out of?

 

the one you'll be lookingfor will be from a 93-95 f-body. The switched the 3.8L in mid 1995, but that motor requires as much being changed as does a 350 swap etc. There are 3.4Ls in a ton of other GM cars, but those'll be front wheel drive models, simplist way for you to do this, is to find one of those 93-95 camaro/firebirds and pull that one.