i want to replace my 2.8 with a 3.4, does it matter that the 3.4 is front wheel or rear wheel drive? i can find alot of front wheel drives but no rear wheel drives. thanks everyone.

 

3.4 FWD vs RWD... Will physically bolt to your transmission, however, on the FWD:

Starter is on the wrong side, exhaust manifolds from stock engine won't bolt up, throttle body is over the rear of the engine instead of the front, would need to swap over accessories that potentially won't bolt to the new brackets, would need to fabricate engine mounts because they are originally on the cylinder heads instead of the block, no provision for the distributor and no room for it, so you would have to rewire a LOT of things to swap to coil packs...

I'm sure there's more, but that should give you a good idea why a complete FWD is a BAD idea.

 

It's not a bad idea, it just takes a little more work. a 3400 V6 makes quite a bit more power than a RWD 3.4.


you'll need a tubular crossmember to clear the FWD oil pan, RWD Fbody headers will bolt up if you oval the holes vertically a little.


The starter is an issue, but if you have a 5 speed there is a dual pocket bellhousing that'll work for the T5. If you have an auto you could just make the needed clearance on the bellhousing of the trans and make a sheet metal cover for it.

You'll have to take the lower and upper intakes off and flip them 180 degrees, then re-drill and possibly beef up the accessory brackets from the old engine. Swap over the lower pulley, timing cover and balancer. Motor mounts shouldn't be hard, make a plate that bolts to the bosses on the 3400 block and go off those.

I'd use a '7730 ecm and harness from a V6 Cavalier or Beretta to run the engine, a tuned chip is avaliable from wot-tech for a 3400 swap that should work.

I'll be starting a similar swap very soon and plan on doing a full write-up and possibly some videos on it. I just need the snow to melt..

 

why not just swap to a V8?

 

V6's can be fun too.

 

if you are going to swap in a V6, do a 3800. rated best engine in america many times over

 

Sorry, I should have said it was a bad idea for someone looking to get power cheaply...

As for the 3800, well, he might as well drop in a V8. Better yet, he might as well buy a 95-02 F-body for all the time and money it would take to swap. New transmission, new front springs, new engine mounts, exhaust parts, rewiring half the car, tuning to get it somewhere near running condition... And that doesn't count if anything breaks.

 

By the few people who didn't have them catch fire.


GM stopped making them because the 60v6 was a better platform and had more potential. All the new V6's from GM are 60 degree.

 

Yep, gotta love those cheapo valve cover gaskets letting oil drip on the exhaust manifolds.

Let's not forget that the 3800 suffers from the same intake manifold gasket problems that the 3100 does as well.

 

sure it is.

if you like the sound of a wet fart stuck in a gravel mixer...

 

ok, well apparently everything ive heard about the 3800 was completely wrong.
oops

 

oh god, that made my day.