hey everyone,
i unfortunately inherited a 1989 camaro with the infamous... 2.8 liter V6.
i'm tring to restore it, because its my first car, and i'm not gonna get any better of one.

the damn thing has over 233,000 miles on it. my grandpa bought it brand new and drove it about 100 miles to his job and about 100 back 6 days a week...

the engine sucks so much *** its pathetic. it runs OK, but has very little power. i'm suprised it still runs

my other grandpa has a 305 for it, but i need a new computer if i put that in there. and i dont know if i would need a new tranny... (Would I?)

i kind of want to have a v6 instead of a v8 for my first car. but what would be cheaper? buying the computer for the 305 or having the one i got now rebuilt? i have no idea what either of these would cost, so could someone please tell me?

Thanks

 

Sounds like you aren't going to be racing it, so why not keep the v6 a while. Much cheaper in the short term.
Do you know for sure that it needs a rebuild? While that is high mileage, these engines seem to last, especially if that is highway miles. Run some checks to see how it looks. Do a good tune up, then stop by a mechanic you trust for a compression check (or rent the tool & do it yourself). If it doesn't look bad, throw a $5 can of Restore at it and call it good. If it is bad, it may be time for a rebuild.

 

^^good advice there....i would like to add that a v8 swap is more invovled then just dropping in the motor and computer. To do it right it costs alot of money...to do a full correct v8 swap it will cost you just as much as it would to just get a lil more pep out of the v6 and call it a day...as for racing if you ever want to do that dont expect the six to be crazy fast; dont get me wrong the 60* v6 motor have been proven to make some really great hp and tq numbers but this usually invovles intensive porting, top end swaps, spray, or boost. As it seems like you wont be racing it for a while if ever i wouldnt worry about that now. Personally i would keep the v6 and do what was stated above and go from there. If you decide you want to get more out of it just ask or do a search and we will help you get more out of it. Just my .02 cents

 

My 90 Firebird had 248,000 miles when I pulled the engine and sold it to a guy with an 80's S10 and a blown up 2.8. It was still driving last time I saw it.

That being said, when you are over 200k it is time to start thinking engine. You are young and on a budget. You also are not full of years of knowledge about these cars. You need to build that knowledge. Here are some suggestions.

First, as stated above, look at everything. Go and buy yourself a Haynes or Chilton's manual for the car. You will need that regardless. You do need to verify that everything is good. You should BUY a compression tester since they are cheap. 20 bucks at the auto parts store. Tools are going to be an investment from now until you die if you plan on working on your own stuff.

Next, for your first engine job, don't make it overly complicated. Go to the wrecking yard. Find yourself a 2.8 from 87-89, a 3.1 from 90-92, or a 3.4 from 93-95, from a Camaro, Firebird, or S-series truck. It doesn't matter if it was TBI in the truck or MPFI in the cars, so long as it was 87 and up and fuel injected. They all have the same heads and cam, so you are good.

Now, you get an engine stand and tear that engine apart according to your book. You fix that engine, and then you swap that one into your car. That keeps your car on the road longer and helps you throught the rebuild process.

Good luck.

 

Looks like from where yor standing the V8 swap is unreachable. Swapping involves A LOT of time and money in addition to the knowlwge you must have to do it.

Definitley do a major tune up on it (search for Toms major tune up thread), and have it checked out by a mechanich. If your interested in making your car faster there are a few things you can do: headers, cat delete, UDP, port heads, 1.6 rockers, change gearing, better air intake, etc.

 

Use the car as a learning experience. I've never worked on a v8..but just looking under the hood of a camaro with a 350 engine it's obvious that the v6 is a bit easier to work on. Even if it's simply the fact that you've got more room to work with.

Give it a chance..those engines can take alot of abuse and even put out alot of power if built/maintained correctly.

And please, don't come into the v6 boards bashing the v6.

Enjoy it...learn to appreciate it for what it is.

P.s. I recommend using the search feature for these forums. You'll find posts dating back YEARS that are still helpful today.

 

ive got the 2.8L with only 113,xxx miles on it luckly. Im just gona get mine rebuilt with the most performance parts as i can and then im probably gona throw a super charger or twin turbo on it. I raced my friends 03 subaru legacy yesterday, not the fastest car but i still was neck and neck after a delayed start on my part. if u spend the money on the computer then ur gona be paying alot to feed that v8 gas, wich is why i think itd be cheaper to just keep your v6

 

i used to hate my firebird so bad i was actually trying to sell it 2 weeks after i bought it and found out the v6 needed mods to get going faster. but over time you do some little mods and u grow a conection with it.. now its 4 months later and theres no way i could part with it