Hi, i was wondering what mods can be done to the 2.8 v6 to improve performance?
Hopefully from the less expensive end of the market and up through to dearer options.
Obviously an eight is easier, but i live in the uk and theyre not that common over here and besides which i love my Car!
Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Im fairly competent as a spanner weilding loony, even ported my own heads in the past so im fairly confident.

Cheers

 

spanner weilding loony? wtf? crazy brit.

cold air intake, catback, headers, roller rockers, cam, intake, 3.4 swap. search for that stuff here on the v6 board and you'll find a ton of stuff.

 

"spanner weilding loony? wtf? crazy brit."
lol, were not all tea and cucumber sandwiches you know!

Thanks for that, is there a way of removing the cat and fitting something like a closed loop to fool the ecu?

Ill search the forums.

 

but whats a spanner?


ecu doesnt know if you have a cat or not.

 

Just take the cat off and fit a straight pipe. ECU has no way of knowing if the cat is there or not.

What year & model is your car?

 

Yep, only OBD-II, EEC-V, and equivalent systems have downstream O2's to know if the cat is working or not.

Do the basics. Comprehensive tuneup first, you'd be amazed what you'll gain back. Advance the timing 2 degrees unless you have poor quality fuel to where it wants to ping... Make or buy a cold air intake or the like.... Install a high-flow cat or test pipe...don't gut the cat, it creates turbulence.... Buy a catback, Dynomax makes a very good, cheap stainless mandrel bent one. Possibly get some roller rockers with a higher ratio.. Little stuff like plugwires or an upgraded coil if you want...but those are the major points. Start going beyond that and your price starts increasing exponentially

 

if i am coorect a spanner refers specifically to an open end wrench. if not then it reffers to wrenches in genneral.

 

ahh thanks, that makes sense.

 

Sorry the spanner bit made me laugh, yep a spanner is ( well to us brits ) a wrench, not necessarily open ended though.
I forget that we have certain terms that others call by different names, ie a "bonnet" to us is a "hood" to you. Im sorry if this appears to be rude, its really not meant to be, i know when i was in Arkansas some people had trouble with some of my termonology.

As for the car its an 1988 2.8, i want to dump the cat. As for mods i appreciate what people have written and will start to look at what can be done.
Many thanks to all! The loony....

 

"spanner"?,hmm,

Here, the snap pliers is called "cayman"

 

So...if a spanner is a wrench...what the hell is a spanner wrench? Heard it before, never seen one.....

Or is a 'spanner', just a shortened form of 'spanner wrench', in which case a 'spanner wrench' is just a normal 'wrench' over here? Damn translation is confusing...

 

Oh oh this is getting crazy!

Im gonna try and upload a pic of what we "Brits" would call a spanner. Here goes........

 

And this is what we class as a "Wrench".............

 

So your 'wrench' is our 'adjustable wrench'....and your 'spanner' is our 'wrench'... So I wonder what the hell a spanner wrench is?

 

Cant you Brits just speak correct english!! oh wait...

 

I must admit the "Wrench" wed probably call an "Adjustable" but it was the best pic of a "Wrench" i could find.
Yeah what is a "spanner wrench?".
Google didnt know either!
To make matters worse "our" Spanners also have different names such as "Comination" but theyre still Spanners.
So do you guys work in "mm", milimetres or "in" inches, so if you wanted some one to pass you a spanner it would be.........
........."can you pass me that 13mil".

Im gonna quit while im ahead!

 

A spanner wrench looks kindave like a question mark with the half-circle end being used to adjust the spacer thingeys on coil springs. If you didnt know, not sure who's being sarcastic, and who's not

 

Thank you! I was wondering about what one of those suckers looks like, cause when Im cruising tool company websites, etc. looking for new things I could use, Ive never heard mention of a spanner wrench even though they make damn near everything else 'closed end, open end, ratcheting, adjustable, flare nut, crowfoot...etc...

 

"not sure who's being sarcastic, and who's not"

No im not being sarcastic at all, i started with a genuine inquiry its because i said "Im fairly competent as a spanner weilding loony", thats what started the spanner talk.

I understand what you mean about the spanner wrench, theyre used to wind the adjustment up and down on adjustable height coil springs.

 

Haha, I work in both SAE and Metric, depending.....usually they cross....like a 19mm will work for a 3/4" and vice versa....but the metric wrenches are usually just a HAIR looser, and can strip standard bolts easier. And conversely, using a standard wrench on a metric bolt, they sometimes get stuck together, or dont fit at all.

But yeah, if I want a 13mm "spanner", I'd say "Can you pass me that 13mill"

 

A spanner wrench (adjustable even):

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item....re&dir=catalog

 

I noticed if you type in "spanner" in the snap on catologue it doesnt bring them up, i wonder if it works the same on the "British" version..................

 

Nope didnt recognise "spanner" in the uk version either......oh dear.

 

Hmmm...that's how I found the photo I posted...



Just to confuse things more...

http://www.skgrimes.com/span/index.htm

 

Then... There are 2 english languages?..

MMmmmm too confuse...

 

Yes, basically. The language is the same, but there's different slang terminology, etc. It's sort of like, comparing a person from Georgia, to a person from California. They will understand eachother 99% of the time, but every now and then a word will come up that is particular to that area and the other won't know its meaning

 

search tomp tuneup

 

JUst to add on to the " spanner " talk theres a saying over here that goes "He/She has just thrown a " spanner " in the works!" which basically means that theyve "cocked things up" ( or messed it up, if you prefer ), i dont know where it came fron but its an old saying.

Nixon 1 i think " you hit the nail on the head "!

 

British... "spanner wielding loony"
US English... "Capible Grease monkey"

Literally it means he can handle his tools with good faith, and purpose.

In England, "Spanner" is a loose generic term for "tool"

I used to work for a brit when I was younger rebuilding 60's Jags, MGB, Fiats, Spitfires and Alfa's. Talk about simplicity under the hood...

 

then W.T.f is a cresent wrench??????

 

Ahh, I understand.

Me too. For example, my spanish is very different to the "mexican style" (When we speak, we don't sing the phrases) and the "spanish style" (in Spain they speak with too many sssss and zzzzzzzz).

In Spain "pico" (peak) is the mountain's top. In Chile "pico" is...... (yes, it is)

Denis V.

 

Cresent wrench???????

Well according to Google it looks like this..........
.....but to me thats an "adjustable"!

Hey lets just call them tools and hope that we never have to share toolboxes!!!!! LOL.

Anyone fancy a busmans holiday/ exchange rebuilding cars!

 

Yeah a crescent wrench is the same thing as an adjustable....

It gets to be a pain in the *** asking someone for tools sometimes, with as many different names as there are for them! Sometimes you just have to break it down in laymen's terms... "I want the metal thing with the teardrop head, with the little switch and button on the end..."

 

"Now where did you get coconuts in the middle of Europe?"

 

wtf? lol

Coconuts?

Am i missing something here?

 

It's from Monty Pyhon's - Holy Grail ...sort of

 

a swallow

 

spanner wrench used to tight or lossen large keeper rings like on large bearins with like 2" shafts used one a couple times

 

no shrubberies!

 

The Larch...

 

are you suggesting that coconuts migrate?

 

They obviously are "slipping through the net at Customs"!

Theyre either being smuggled in as Ten pin bowling ***** or............................................

 

......... or even smuggled like this!

 

Haha, I vote for that!

Wow I was reading this thread and thought it would turn into a fight ... I'm so glad that everyone was joking around with each other and not arguing!!

If you're up for a tuneup, here's my famous "Major tuneup" message:

<hr>
Tom P's Major Tuneup Info: 3rd gen (82-92) F-body series

Here's the Major Tuneup stuff- this covers alot more than a garage would do for you, and it'll wind up to be cheaper (or at least the same price)! First, buy a Haynes 82-92 Firebird (or 82-92 Camaro) manual.. they're about $15 from any auto parts store. I like them alot better than the Chilton's manuals (which aren't what they used to be 25 years ago). And of course, the ultimate manual is the GM Service Manual, available from http://www.helminc.com - I paid about $60 for mine back in 1994.

Replace: Distributor cap/rotor, spark plug wires (use aftermarket), spark plugs, air filter (use K&N replacements), PCV valve, fuel filter, engine oil/filter, auto trans fluid/filter (or manual trans gear lube), and rear axle gear lube (use limited slip additive if required). Check and reset the timing to stock specs (in Haynes manual). Check and reset the TV cable if you have an automagic (in Haynes manual). Do a lube job and get an alignment done- the car will go faster "easier" if the front wheels are straight. Buy a can of "Intake and Throttle Body Cleaner for Fuel Injected Engines" by Gumout (yellow or gray can, with a red cap), and follow the can's instructions to clean out your intake. DO NOT USE CARB/CHOKE CLEANER- this removes the protective coating fuel injected engines have. Put a bottle of injector cleaner or my "red magic" (STP Gas Treatment) into a full tank of good gas.

It's also a good idea to replace your coolant, check your brake fluid level and p/s fluid level, check the belts, and check your brakes while you're at it.

Call Summit Racing at 800-230-3030 for a free catalog, then you can pick and choose a spark plug wire set and get your K&N air filter(s). (You can also find this stuff through their website, at http://www.summitracing.com , but it's not as thorough as the catalog.) When you leaf thru the catalog, you WON'T SEE any parts listed for a 2.8l v6 - you need to call them and ask them for part #'s/availablility. (Same goes with exhaust, etc.) If you're like me, and can't want to wait for the catalog in the mail, call them and order one anyway! Then, go to their website, at http://www.summitracing.com , look up their ignition wires, decide on a brand, and give them a call for a part # and price.

But definately do a tuneup first... you'll see the best improvment from the "fun" parts when your car is in good running condition.

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l)

 

I thankyou for that, although the wife probably wont as it means i wont be spending it on her.
But if she wont let me have a "flesh" mistress then a "mechanical" one will have to do.

Yeah its turning into a great thread, im not taking it too seriously and i suggest no one else does!

i wont attatch any more pics as they'll probably get censored anyway! lol
go brits! lol

 

my favorite brit story is that of my neighbors he was talking to another neighbor a woman and they where going to get coffee the next morning and Barry said he would come over in the morning and knock her up . which in brit terms meant that he would knock on the door and not on her.

And another: I was putting a deck in for them and when placing one of the boards which was off and custom fit .Barry says that grew there......which to me means it didn't quite fit and needs to be done again .......and to them means it was a good fit