Has anyone ever put a turbo on a 3.1 or 2.8? What ever happened to Turbo Dave? I want to put a turbo on my 3.1 or swap it out to a 3.8, which one should I do, and where can I find a 3.8 engine?

 

Id go with the 3.8 (in fact I did), Its far easier to swap in than it would be to try to turbo the 3.1. Besides the 3.1 and the 2.8 have terrible intakes that are just not suited for turboing. You can find used 3.8 on the internet.. check out turbobuick.com in the items for sale section. I've even found a few turbo 3.8 in the junk yard... if you look hard enough. Or you could get a non turbo 3.8 BOP engine and buy all the stuff thats different (intake manifold, exhaust, turbo throttlebody etc) Thats the way I went... it takes longer and is probably more expensive, but its easier to get started on the swap. The only difference in the block from turbo to non is the turbo block has a 0.5 inch (pipe thread) hole drilled in the front..the non turbo block has the boss for the hole, it just has to be drilled and tapped.

Anyway, I'd go with the 3.8.. but thats my opion. I know other people on the site has turbo'd their 2.8 and 3.1 with luck so suit your self.

Good luck

 

problem is your car is a 1992 so you have to use a donor engine from a 1992 or newer or will run into a smog issue.

 

face it the 2.8L/3.1L intake and heads are junk. dave got a good idea for a cheap turbo. didn't make much power.
1991-1992 Fbody V6 are the same. 1990 im think similar probably the same engine. a 3.4L turbo would be easyest to start just my

 

Out there in **** CA, you have a few options...

The easiest is the 3.4 shortblock swap. You can get by with "don't ask - don't tell" on that engine.

If you really want a 3.8, your only CA option is the 3800 from a 4th gen car. By law, you can swap that engine/trans/rear gear into your car with the factory PCM and emission controls for the 4th gen hooked up. After you pass your referee inspection then you can get an aftermarket power adder - if it's 50 state legal with an E.O.

It's your car and your money....

 

OR use a newer 3x00 "engine" in it. You will definately pass smog so long as the equipment is in place. You can upgrade a Cali car to a newer engine, but it has to pass the smog regulations for the year in which the engine is from, correct?

 

Yeah it's a big pain in the a$$. Involves MUCH more than just swapping the engine and keeping emissions controls. PCM, fuel tank, along with many other parts need to be swapped over.

 

Oh, California!

 

What about running one of those 3.8 series2 supercharged buick's in your car? If you have all the host smog equipment it should be a smog legal swap and a really cool swap at that. I would think with a motor like that you could give any TPI 305 a good hard run maybe even beat it LOL ..... Downside is I think they were all front wheel drive engines but could you take the internals and swap them into a 4th gen f-body block? Or will this front wheel drive 3.8 bolt to a 4L60e and accept rear drive engine mounts.

 

I have a 3800 series 2 SC. The problem is the throttle body sticks into where the firewall is. Or if it doesnt go into it, it is very close that you will choke it because of the intake routing room.


However, I have seen pics of a S2/SC in a 55 chevy.

 

The stock 3.1/2.8 induction is crap, but the stock cam and low c/r are well suited for mild turbocharging. A 3x00 top end and turbocharging is a great way to go, but sevral people have boosted the stock induction with decent results. Cheapest route would be switching the exhaust manifolds and fabbing up a front-mounted turbo setup like what has been done before. Larger injectors, an ecm swap and you'd have the beginnings of a good setup going. And the series II 3800 is out, the tb would be in the firewall. I was considering it myself a while ago.

 

The RWD Eaton in an fbody L67 has been done and is fairly cheap with access to equipment


Biggest holdback would be that it takes as much work, and/or money, to swap a 3800 in as it is to do a v8 swap (if not harder).


Here's pics of the L67 S/C in a RWD...



Boost your iron head engine, you will be surprised. Then you swap heads and really have something going.

 

So they did similar to what the mustangs do for hood clearance?

 

I wouldn't think that a hold back would be a similar budget to a V8... after all, you'll have a much better setup than a V8!! heheheh

When I lived in CA, you couldn't swap just ANY engine into just ANY car; you had to swap an engine from the same year or newer IN YOUR SERIES. That meant, no FWD engines in RWD cars, or vice versa. The smog ***** are stupid, though, so you might get away with it. They would allow small block S10 swaps because they were both trucks! Anyway, you're limited because the death of the 4th gen means the death of motor swap development for the camaro, from a legal standpoint...

 

someone needs to stick an Eaton M90 on a 3.1L v6 anyone want to donate a free M90 to me.

 

Ok so whats better for the buck....?.... Turbo 3.1 or 3.8 engine swap.


So a simple questions for a simple answer all you have to do is reply with imputting this

3.1 Turbo

or

3.8 Swap


So again just but 3.1 Turbo or 3.8 Swap.....And yes I know that money this and money that...again just reply with those two options.
Thank you all!!!

 

^ Well, ask yourself this, what's better for the buck; a 305 or 350? Same difference here.

... you can always turbo the 3.8 down the line, so go with displacement!