is it possible to get 200 hp from the 3.4? if so what mods will it take?

 

yes. boost or a big cam and a well built engine.

 

what about small mods like exhaust and better intake etc?

 

you gotta do all that you can do there too.

 

Small mods = Small horsepower... 200+ horsepower is going to require some work, no matter how you look at it.. that's well into whatever modification path you choose (NA/Boost). NA will require at least a hot cam and some porting to go that far, Boost will require the boost generating device be in place... and external air intake/exhaust are going to be requirements on top of that.

 

A cam would be the best place to start. Boost tends to be expensive unless you know what you're doing. As for bolt-ons, you may get 180ish hp. The cam is what will really help these motors. I imagine some 1.6 rockers could help a bit too (jury is still out, anyone?). I've read that opening up the intake can do wonders as well. I would imagine we wouldn't even have to touch the bottom end to get that kind of "power". Hedders and a nice freeflowing exhaust would help too (I've also heard of people picking up 10hp with a cut-out). underdrive pullies will help a tiny bit (maybe 2 hp?). fuel enrichment helped mine noticably (AFPR). I'm planning on some dyno testing to prove gains on every mod I can find to do (be working with a New member on this). If I can get to 200 with bolt-ons AM91 owes me a beer, lol. Considering that you start with 160 horses with a 3.4, you really don't have that far to go to get to 200.

 

how fast would you be running assumeing u were gettin 200 horsepower at the wheels? like high 14's?

 

LOW 15s, maybe high 14s. if it was making 200 at the WHEELS on the other hand, yeah, 14s.

 

im sitting around 180ish with mine right now. AFPR is probably next in line. but other than headers, the next steps are gonna have to be heads and intake porting and a cam to really get anymore gains out of it. and after that, SPOOL!!!!! im boostin her this winter, once i have my own garage to tie up, lol.

ive got 1.52 roller rockers, dynomax catback, high flow cat, smog delete, asp underdrive pulley, 8mm wires, msd coil, 180 t-stat, open air boxes and a few other things i cant think of right now. tomorrow night i get to see what she runs too!! should beat my old 18.1 w/ my tired 2.8, lol.

 

I'm at..
3.4 block
3 angle valve heads
polished, not ported heads
polished intake, not ported
crank/alt pully
removed smog
cat-back
no cat
8mm wires
LB8 intake, modified
accell coil
new distrib.
Jet-Chip Stage 2
180 t-stat
ALL NEW ENGINE SENSORS

I can tell you, I'm not close to 200 ponies, I'm GUESSING 170-175'ish.

Too get 200, your going to need a nice cam, rockers, better head job, larger TB, more fuel, custom chip. Then your going to need a LSD to put it all to the ground.

 

NO MATTER "WHAT YA ADD" short of a straight out power adder, one would have to bore & stroke this current size to get the 200HP.
I point out as comparison the new World Class 3.5 going in the 2005 CTS Caddy's as my "yard stick". I am anxious to "see what GM does" to get to that power level. I know not the 2005 3.5 HP rating, yet bet it's to the 200 mark.
AND also think the 3800 V6.
That size starts at 200 HP.
Another comparison is my old L48 350 1974 Corvette.
Stock back then it was at 195 HP NET HP.
The MPFI system has "limits" but not in the HP factor, just top end charging down drag strip power. Real limiting factor is the "T" pipe on the passenger side engine bay (open hood, look down exhaust to see wasted HP!)!
I think most we can "get" is close to a good 180-185 HP with the "stock" 3.4.
YET the 3.4 does offer great torque at 200 Foot Pounds!
I do not know the "bore size of a 3.4" yet the "magic" HP numbers always "seem" to be with a bore of 4.00+ inches. Think 302, 327, 350, "383". Big Blocks of 396 and larger started at 4.00 inches, also.
I'd be very pleased to hear of a solid for real world 14 sec ET with a 60* mill in our 3rd Gen, but generaly 16 to longer seem to be the norm.
DON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. Back in the 70's smog days 17 secs was considered respectible!

 

Ked, all ya had to do was ask me the bore size

2.8= 3.50 bore x 3.00 stroke 125-135hp (depends on application)
3.1= 3.50 bore x 3.31 stroke 140hp 160tq
3.4= 3.62 bore x 3.31 stroke 160hp 200tq

 

Boring/stroking is overkill if you don't increase compression to compensate. The torque over horsepower curve can be amanipulated faily easily (gain horsepower, loose torque) and vice versa. I'll figure out a recipe and let you folks know (a little playing around with the desktop dyno... I'll aim it for 300hp, just incase...

 

The 3.4 compression is 9.5.
The 2.8/3.1 run with 8.5.
The pistons & bore & stroke of 3.4, compbined with the "leave chamber size of 60* head alone" accounts for the compression increase.
Seeing the bore size, tells me that the 3.4 block won't make over 200 HP easy.
Think Chevy
265 block, 1955-56
283 block, 1957-67
267 block of the 80's
305 block of the 70's & 80's
307 block of 1968 to 1972.
All dog engines, due to poor bore & stroke and always tossed for the better blocks that start as sized 4.00" inched bore.
There IS a reason why the 3.4 is bow discontinued from production, even in crate engines.
The 3.5 & 3.6 engine block that took over that 2.8/3.1/3.4 production run, must be of larger bore size.
One "can" build a 200 HP 3.4
GM DID it back in 1990 Chevy Beretta convertible that served as Indy Pace Car that year.
BUT the 3.4 mill had the FWD heads & a better intake SYSTEM, NOT found on production models. The engine also had headers, too.
Our real world goal is making this 60* engine, increase torque in the usable RPM range. HP goal is "NOT unrealistic", but 200 HP attainable with this current "stuff"?
Not likely.
Someone actually prove me wrong, not with an engine simulator. A CHALLENGE NOT AN INSULT!
Who here has a Zero mile 3.4 block for which to use as guinea pig?
Yes, seasoned blocks can be better, so I do volunteer my 3.4!
Who now wants to give me the parts (there is a dyno within stones throw of my home) and a stronger tranny!

 

Guys, you could prolly get 300 NA hp or more out of a 3.4 *easily* if you know what you're doing.. comfortable for street use? now that's questionable. but do-able. a cam with 10 degrees more duration vs. the stock 3.4 cam, head/intake porting, reduction in intake runner length, headers, and free flowing intake/exhaust will yield 200+ NA without much fanfare. But as Karl has said.. noone's actually done it, or if someone has they've never proven it...

 

are you saying 180ish at the crank or wheels? possibly at the crank.

as most of you know...i have a big cam,.... according to my 1/4 mile e.t.'s, which i think should be quicker still, i should be making right about 185 at the rear wheels. this translates to a little over 200 ponies at the crank. if you can make 200 at the rear wheels, you will definately see high 14s, atleast. i'm knocking on 14s right now. a little chip tuning, and maybe a thing or two more on the car and i'm expecting to see 14.9x. i really feel that i have the intake and/or computer fighting against me though. something really is not liking my cam and all.

PS this is all N/A...no NOS or boost.

 

I've seen cams for the 3.4 motor with a 8.5k red line! The motor starts out at what? 160? i'm sure you could make another 40 without a turbo etc.

 

If am91 can make additional 40hp on a 3.1, it should be doable on a 3.4.

Its that its not cheap or easy. Takes alot of planning, prepping, time, good parts, etc. Its not something you can buy a few OTC parts, slap on and be done. If it was that simple, everyone would do it

 

Yeah then our 2.8's wouldnt suck so bad
03065 COMPU-PRO / PERFORMANCE LEVEL 3 - Extended rpm range with
emphasis on upper bottom to top end power, strong mid-range.
RPM Power Range: 2200 to 6000 / Redline: 7000 plus.

03066 COMPU-PRO / PERFORMANCE LEVEL 4 - Hot street/strip profile.
Strong mid to top end torque and horsepower.
RPM Power Range: 2500 to 6500 / Redline: 7500 plus.

03067 COMPU-PRO / PERFORMANCE LEVEL 5 - Fantastic top end profile
with plenty of horsepower.
RPM Power Range: 3000 to 7000 / Redline: 8000 plus.
It would be nice to see how these cams changed any 60*.

 

It has been done to a 2.8! Doesn't anyone remmber the post not too long ago about GM taking a FWD cavalier and fitting it also with a RWD fiero setup?-Dual motors GM in that article said they punch up both motors to put out 200hp each. A 60*v6 is caplble of 1.5hp per cubic inch with proper head work- power comes from headflow. The only restricting factor on a 3rdgen 60*v6 motor is the intake port on the head- its a poor design and a limiting factor, too sharp of a bend for greater flow #'s.

Again, GM has successfully created MORE than 1.5hp per CI on factory race motors utlilizing our same iron heads, "and naturally asperated"! That calculates out to:

2.8l = 173CI x 1.5hp= 259.5hp

3.4l= 207CIx 1.5hp= 310HP capable!!!!! It has been proven, just read GM's power manual for the RWD 60*V6 cast iron motors.

 

when i said 180ish, i meant at the flywheel. i would love to see 180 at the wheels with the mods i have done, lol.

 

Can you post the lift/duration info for those cams?? I'd like to plug the numbers into the Desktop dyno (to see how they manipulate a simulated engine )

 

I wish i had them, i got the part numbers from this site http://www.60degreev6.com/index.php?p=pages&pid=20

 

needed a place to put this link...I'm sure oilpan plans on hitting 200 http://www.cardomain.com/id/oil_pan_4

 

no no no to the drag pipes

 

, I heard my 3.4 run without manifolds, it sounded like something sent up from hel to seek revenge. I'm gonna run my 3.4 open hedders for a day or two once they get to me.

 

lol. i used to have a 98 mustang gt with headders and pipe all the way back. Got very tired of it very fast!


I cant wait till i swap my motor

 

I PROMISE you'll be happy with it. It is a much better platform to build off of (unless you have some bank). The swap alone will knock about a second off of your 0-60 times (maybe 2...). If you have a % spd, you'll REALLY love it.

 

i've run mine with open headers at the track a few times, i love it! its very loud but sounds really nice idling....should have videos posted soon...

 

have you hit the 14 mark yet AM91 ??? when you hit the mark, I'm gonna celebrate for you .

 

This place kinda near me has 3.4's in stock everyday of the week. They have one now with 33k on it for $600. Some others for 300-450. now i just need summer to get here.

BTW the open exhaust thing? The only real problem i had was cops. It sucked having to shift into n and coast past them all the time

 

no, no 14s yet....best i've gotten is a 15.13 a couple of weeks ago. i want 14s sooo bad. i've got a couple more things i'm gonna try to get 14s. do you people consider ram air forced induction or should i try for 14s without it to be, without a doubt, N/A?

yea, cops probably don't like open exhaust too much, i've never done it on the street.

 

Now that GM no longer produces the 3.4 crate, this place will be come very popular, that yard in New Jersey.
My 3.4 in the Blazer is almost complete, ready for smog check. Got it sounding very crisp, even with my miles of smog hoses.
I wonder if the weight of my Blazer is less than the Firebird? I have no bumper support behind the front bumper which removes about good 50 - 100 pounds up there.
Now that's got me thinking.......
I wonder who could drive my other car at a dragstrip? I could/WOULD!!!! race my 3.4 (CA smog tested) powered rides to see which is faster, 1985 Blazer or the 1985 Firebird!

 

I think the bird would win due to uni-body, and aerodynamics.

AM91, disputable if "ram air" really works. Board member did some calulations, and in his eyes, no scoop big enough on a car to make it work as people think it does.

In my book, "ram air" is still n/a

 

I think the bird would win due to uni-body, and aerodynamics.

I think the Firebird would win due to the superior induction system of MPFI over the 2ESE carb set up.

Though the Blazer carb (throttle base bushing added) and distributor (tweeked the weights & springs) have been rebuilt from scratch. Blazer does benefit of a better flowing stock exhaust manifold to HiFlo 2 1/2" CC & 2 Chamber Flowmaster 2 1/2" in to a twin 2" out exhaust system.
Blazer "Y" pipe is SUPERIOR in flow to that "T" pipe of the F Body. Blazer does have ram air air cleaner setup, too!
These details could even up the drag race situation abit!