hey i am modding my v6 and was wondering what you guys think about this:
flow master muffler
dyno max cats
crane cams powermax camshaft for 1000-4000 rpm
new timing chain
some after market ignition including wires not sure any suggestions,looking at msd

now i was thinking a
remanufactured jegs 500cfm or would it be better for rebuild kit don't want to spend over 200 on carb
eldenbrock performer manifold
and i have a set of 3.4 heads which i heard are better. can i use 2.8 parts in them if i put them on the engine or is what i heard a lie. if i use the 3.4 what valves and valve springs should i use and where to get them?
are these going to work together and can you guys think of anything else to get. i can't get headers so that is out. should i get rid of anything here because it won't really help. i will also take a shot at porting the intake if you guys think it would be better then spending money. one last thing does anyone know where i can get templates or instrutions for porting exhaust and intake mainifold or heads. and i can't get a v8 either so that is out. thanks alot Eric

 

The carbed 2.8 is pretty underpowered. Edelcrotch makes a "power" package for the carbed 2.8 that shows pretty decent gains on their dyno tests. I think it includes a cam, liftrs, rocker arms and an intake manifold. Or you could just put a blower on it. A company makes them for the carbed 2.8's. Enjoy the modding, thats what thirdgens are all about.

 

Id drive it till it dies with Very little money spent on mods. The 2.8 mods are not worth the money for the little power they add.I once looked up some stuff for a guy i know, he has a carbed 2.8. Between the manifold, cam,carb it was cheaper for him to buy a 3.4 from a wrecked car.
About the only mod i have seen on here thats worth the price is doward and tech smurfs turbo mods, im not sure on Dowards price list but i think techs tottal is like $100.

 

I grew up In Scotch Plains & Westfield.
Here's what ya do.
does teh cra run?
Hop up exhaust right now.
Keep running car, rebuild carb, add a spacer under the carb to raise it on the factory manifold. 1/2" or more is about right, not one inch, tho. HOOD CLEARENCE ISSUE!
Rebuild distributor.
Fabricate the best outside cold fresh air setup you find/create (it's fun & easy!).
Hop up ignition.
Then stuff under that upgraded package, a used & running 3.4 long block.
Here 3.4 in a carb set up of my 1985 Blazer, almost identical to your 1983 set up. Yes the Firebird also is 3.4 powered.
Don't dispare.
Save the time to find a 3.4 & upgrade all ya now got. Keep car running.
Find someone to make you a better flowing 2 1/2" "Y" pipe to the 2 12" CC to 2 1/2" exhaust set up.
NO headers for your car, legally. Sorry.
Headers will be availble tho for the 1985 to 1992 60* mills, tho.
PaceSetter will be making street legal headers & full on exhaust set up. Contact them for some suggestions.
Say hi to
Mr. Fred Gerle at
PaceSetter Exhaust
fgerle@pacesetterexhaust.com
This is the guy who is helping us get the street legal headers for the 60* V6. Super great gent! He can definetly assist ya in your exhaust set up.

PS Don't plan on winning every race but you'll have more fun trying!
Buy your 3.4 engine complete save time & Money

 

I got curious today and bored so i looked up all the performance stuff edelbrock has for the 2.8. I had forgotten the prices of the stuff
all prices from jegs
the holley carb#0-8007k 390 cfm=$300
cam and lifters(i forgot the pt nm)=$130
manifold base and top(#3785and3789)$240
plus they (edelbrock)said you'll need a trans cable #25515598
I dont know the price for that part
So $670 for all this that (according to edelbrock) will make 160 hp on a 2.8?
For that much im sure a 3.4 is a better option!

 

Try www.car-part.com for a used, TESTED good 3.4. You will start around 160 HP, I believe. It is not really worth it to throw hundreds into performance parts for the 2.8. I believe it to be meant as a daily driver engine, as there are plenty of V8's to build power with in this country. I am looking at a used 3.4 for $350-400.

KED, when is who going to be going to Pacesetter? We have not had an update for a while now! I think some of us are getting impatient...

 

there are headers avilable for your car from pf&e. they are not emisson legal but neither is modifing your y pipe as ked85 has suggested. they will they pass emissions if your car is in a good state of tune. the 3.4 engine swap as commonly done here, porting heads, and custom turbos are all illegal. most of this stuff will probably pass emissions but is technically illegal. so if you don't have to have carb E.O. numbers don't worry about being completely legal.

 

Now how in the heck are the darn smog police going to know if you ported your heads? They would take all day if they had to remove each and every intake assembly there was on each vehicle to find out! I can see how they find a turbo... those are really hard to miss!

 

they most likely won't know although i have seen small cameras used for looking at the inside of intakes and back of intake valves for carbon buildup. so if they wanted to they could.

 

That is really stupid. Any engine can have a dirty intake and run clean as heck due to the EGR stuff. But CA is CA I guess.

 

gee maybe i should have said excessive carbon build up. a lot of early high mileage 60 degrees have a problem with heavy build up on the back of the intake valves.

 

Like I said, EGR. The valve brings the exhaust gases back into the intake, where they slowly create a buildup of carbon. It actually helps everything in the combustion process by smoothing out air flow so less HC is produced due to bad mixing of the fuel/air charge.

 

don't forget the crap on top of the pistons....hell my 2.8 had a 1/4 inch of crap on it. swappin thatbaby out for a 350. gonna get a mild cam.....only part left to get. so I'll have a cam intake, carb and headers to start. how much horse ya think I'll have? lol.

 

ok that is wrong. the reason for EGR is to to get rid of NOx emissions not HC. the EGR valve allows exhaust gas to enter the combustion chamber displacing some oxygen. when this happens the flame temperature which ranges up to 4000 deg F is brought down several hundred degrees toward 2300 deg F. this keeps the burning nitrogen in the cylinder to a minimum. when the nitrogen burns it creates a very ugly chemical compound called NOx.

it also reduces spark knock.

 

The volunteer is me.
I'm spending my own dime to run to Phoenix for all of us.
I am actually creating a home security set up (I am leaving my Wife & 3 year old) & then need secure a body panel on my ride, rent a car for Wife to drive around while I'm gone (Firebird is our daily driver) then I can split for the required 3 days of "exhausting" engineering needed for PaceSetter on my ride.
Not much!
Believe me I can't wait to do this!
Don't give up!
I believe so much in this opportunity I'm footing the volunteering bill for all of us & everyone gets something in return!
I do hope to be leaving very soon.