AND YES I HAVE USED THE SEARCH BUTTON !!!!!!!!

well i have a 91 firebird w/ a 3.1l

so i've been told that my water pump is starting to die.

so i'll be going back into the shop in a few weeks when i get some free time when i won' need that car i figured i'd just go for broke...........

plans so far include

water pump
headers (CHC in the mail)
ws6 sway bars (TDS in m mail)
ignition
new cam


ok now my quesions are

i've called sumitt and they have given me several part numbers
of pumps, cams, & ingitions set up's................but what would be my best move what would you use????

what will i need to have the set of headers installed?


MY guy will do all this work for next to nothing but (there is always a but) i just need to have ALL the parts together.......
the sec. he has to send out for parts is when he starts to really charge the going rate for everything


THANKS

 

Go get the GM Performance Parts book and work from that.
Waterpumps are everywhere.
Seek those GM specs phone around for competitors parts with like specs.
Price out.
They only make kinda one level of performance parts, the stuff found in a 3.4 long block.
There are "other parts" sure, but at what availability and what price.....
Get the GM Perf Book ($6! any GM Dealer) and see what I mean.
Ignition is simple.
You seek highest output for the street in terms of spark and duration.
That also means rebuilding your original distributor for Free or next to no cost!
Upgrade wires to 8mm
Plugs you like for price
Caps Accel or Borg Warner copper tipped products
Coil is your call, I like Accel.
Rest of your list, better include NEW lifters & new timing chain kit!
See if finding a 3.4 long block is available in your area.
SOME HAVE SCORED THEM FOR AS LITTLE AS $200! COMPLETE!
Stick your "street battle plan" on that bigger engine!

 

thanks for the input
as for a 3.4 trade up........
i'm real happy with my 3.1 if she ever
does start to give me problems i think at
that point i'll just toss in an 8
but that day is far far away

 

Do seek out the GM Perf. Parts Book
It's great knowledge.
The upgrade cam/spring package/head upgrade is designed by Crane (it's the one used on 3.4 mill).
That can be used on the 3.1 with no problems.
Should be able to pick up those heads easy these days....
Ask at any engine rebuilder

 

Glad you did a search! Plus that means we can just talk about parts for your car instead of giving background information about stuff.

As to headers, might want to check with CHC, but otherwise, you'd need headers-to-head gaskets to connect the headers to the motor. You can get them at any parts store, preferably a "real" parts store, not a Pep Boys or a Strauss. (You know the one, where the mechanics go, unpainted floors, no air freshners for sale, just greasy counters and old yellowed parts books.) Ask for a set (of two) of exhaust manifold gaskets for your year/engine/car. Don't mention they're for headers or you might confuse them! (Seriously tho!) The guy's going to have to weld you up a y-pipe for the headers. Normally you'd bolt a y-pipe up, and use a between the header output flange and the y-pipe inlet flange. The guy should do this; it allows you to unbolt/remove the y-pipe for service. But he might choose to weld the y-pipe directly to the headers. That's a better route as far as header gaskets leaking, but worse if you have to, say, change the oil pan gasket and can't un-bolt a welded-on y-pipe.

Water pump, there's no performance ones available for our motor, but, spend an extra $10 to buy a lifetime warranty unit. When changing a pump, they replace a gasket between the water pump and timing chain cover... should be included with the water pump. But- if you're doing the cam also, the timing chain cover gets pulled off to get at the timing chain and cam. You should also replace the timing chain since he'll be in there!!! If you can't afford the $90 Cloyes one, a new stock one will be better than nothing. Make Sure To Get New Gears If You Buy A Stock One!! The Cloyes set comes with the chain and both gears. When you ask for a chain at pep boys, they just give you a chain- gears cost extra.

Now since the timing chain cover is coming off, he'll use a timing chain cover gasket set for your motor. This gasket set includes a new water pump gasket, along with the gaskets for the chain cover (upper cover gasket, front cover seal, and a stupid piece of cork for the front of the oil pan-- blue RTV should be used in this area instead). When you're in that "real parts store", ask for the FelPro gasket kit for the timing chain cover for your year/model/engine. I think I paid $20 for mine.

The radiator has to be drained of coolant for the water pump change, so I suggest that if you haven't replaced that lower hose yet, buy one, and have him put it on. He'll have to disconnect the lower hose from the timing chain cover anyway- if you took it to a shop you didn't know about, and they tried to charge you labor for replacing the lower hose, this is where you'd yell "BS!!" Why get charged labor if the radiator's dry, the lower hose is already unbolted at the timing chain cover, and all they do is remove the clamp at the radiator?

Make sure your cam comes with lifters; you can't reuse old lifters with a new cam. He's going to have to pull the intake manifold off, which means pulling the top of the engine off, which also means pulling the fuel injectors. You shouldn't re-use the original o-rings of the fuel injectors, they tear when you pull the injectors out. They can also develop cracks (causing a vacuum leak) because of age. So pick up a fuel injector o-ring kit. I believe the part # of the kit I bought, made by Standard, was SK-9. Check that # at the parts store, or thru carparts.com or partsamerica.com or expressautoparts.com. If the pintle caps crack, no big deal, you can run without 'em. But... if you want Rich J (from http://www.cruzinperformance.com ) to clean you a set of injectors, now would be an easy time for your guy to swap them in. Rich pre-installs new o-rings and pintle caps, and even pre-lubes the fuel-rail-side of the o-rings. (You need to put a few drops of motor oil on the intake-manifold-side o-rings, so the o-rings don't tear when you push the injectors/fuel rail combination into the intake manifold).

WS6 sway bars, well, you can do those yourself... you're having him do them? Same thing with an Ignition setup. I went with MSD over other brands because they're usually preferred by the real racers, and they've been around pretty damn long. Plus their customer service is GREAT! I have the 6AL box and a Blaster SS coil. But I barely noticed an improvement with the MSD setup as opposed to my old Accel Supercoil. So I'd say if $$'s tight, just buy an aftermarket high-voltage coil. [edit:] Oh yeah and as for MSD 6 versus MSD 6AL... I'd say 6AL. Yeah it's $50 more but you get free anti-vibration mounts ($20 purchased separately) AND a rev-limiter with the 6AL.