I have a 87 Monte Carlo with a 2.8 V6. I know...it's not a camaro...but i figured you guys can help me with this. I would like to give the motor a little more Umph...what can I do to it to do that? I do NOT want to drop another motor into it...I just want to modify/upgrade what is already there. Thanks.

 

Open up the exhaust, get some headers, 1.6 roller rockers, but before any of that -

TomP's Major TuneUP!

 

i second that one!!!!

 

your actually worse off than the rest of us cause your car is much heavier.
I know you said you ddid not want to do an engine swap, but that really is your only option. for what you "Could" gain in modest mods, would only yeild 10-15 Hp which in your true pig would do no good.

 

No offense, but are you <i>sure</i>?? There wasn't any 2.8 for the Monte Carlo's, only a 4.3 liter V6. Monte's got the 200-4R transmission too, which won't bolt up to a 2.8.

Either you're mistaken, or somebody seriously downgraded that car!

I would say to check out http://www.g-body.org ... but I could've SWORN that website looked much different (and had much more information on it) a few years ago. So instead I'll say to check out http://www.darklair.com/monte/ ...

 

The monte carlos option was either 3.8 gm (229c.i.) 3.8 buick (231 c.i.) 5.0 gm, or the 5.0 HO (in the SS). It might have been a 350 in the SS that year, I'll check it out, but I'm As positive as Tom, there was NO 2.8 option on the montecarlo....EVER. Check your VIN code and post it, if it's a V6 car, its either 3.8GM or 3.8Buick. (and for the transmission, I know for a fact that they got Turbo 350's until 85,....not sure after that though...)

 

Me thinks that new people should be notified of the search button in their notice that their account is active.

 

Fbodtrek, if he's got an '87, shouldn't it be the 4.3 instead of the 3.8? I knew a kid with an '86 Monte LS, and did research on it a while ago (when I still talked with him); I think that was the start of the 4.3 instead of the 3.8.

Not that it matters anyway... unless it really IS a 2.8 under there! Did you find out yet, MurCurY?

 

Pops old 87 SS had a 305HO, and some pos tranny that blew a few times. I'm sure I didnt help it a bit either

I never knew they had a 3.8. I thought they had a 4.3

 

Heck Tom, these days I have a hard time distinguishing 5.0's from 350's! LOL. The difference in the 3.8 vs 4.3 is the same difference in the 305vs350. 4.3 is a 350 minus two cylinders, a 3.8 is a 305 minus two cylinders. I'm burnt out man.....

 

Umm, no the 3.8 in the G-body is a Buick engine, not a Chevy engine.
Funny thing with the distributer at the front of the engine.

 

nope

chevy had a 3.8 also

like was stated above, its part of the 4.3 family

 

Yep, I've got a few friends with the 4.3.

But I still don't think there was a 3.8 in the 85-up monte's- I originally thought 86-up, but that's contrary to the information found here: http://dustins76montecarlo.8m.net/photo6.html

 

A 4.3 is a chevy 350 missing two cylinders.

A 3.8 is a buick 350 missing two clyinders.

Only reason I know that is they often swap parts , like timing chaine cover around on the buick 3.8 / 350 for some reason.

GM does funny things.

4.3 is cool but it doesn't hold the glory that a 3.8 does on the street.

Could be its roots. Buick

 

it is a 4.3....i was misinformed. so...what can be done if anything?

 

4.3 can have alot of potentail.

However, it is a totally different character then our 2.8-3.4's.

I suggest finding a monte site, or go to s-series.org, and hit up the 4.3 department.

 

how do you figure a 3.8 is a buick missing two cylinders? i have not done any research on this but the math isn't there unless i missed something. three quarters of 350 is 262.5. 262.5 / 61 (CI per liter) is right at 4.3...not 3.8. did buick use another number of CI per liter on there stuff?

 

"The Buick 350 is a factory stroker with a 3.85" stroke...that's more than most other small blocks will ever see.

The BORE of the Buick 350" is the one thing that could be larger. Of course, if you look at what the GN/TR guys are able to accomplish with that same 3.80" bore in the V6 - all hope isn't lost!!! "


Course they did do a few things different. Some guys run the 3.8 timing cover for its oil drive. Same way with the 4.3 its basically a chevy 350 some parts will swap.


I wonder who did it first though. Seams as GM does do allot of copy cat stuff but who said let just remove cylinders from the V8's?

Which was easier then designing new motors and you are starting with a power plant that works.

"2004 race season will be shaken up when the Buick 350 finally gets an aluminum intake and heads. Go TA Performance."