IROC-ZTWENTYGR8

like pinging, something that always breaks on them and stuff????????????????????

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Looking for:

87 IROC-Z L98
84 TRANS AM H.O.

87LT

Well, from what I was told by the machinist that did the milling on my block.. these motors are pretty good on the bottom end (despite what /many/ others say). He said the problem comes in where coolant will seep around the front of the intake and get into the oil.. not enough to see (AKA: turn the oil milky) but enough to eat away at the bearings.. after time, clearnces grow and problems suface, spun bearings ect. I also hear once hear on this sit that the rod bolts might be prone to stretching under high RPM's . I can't prove either of these.. its just what I've heard.

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"It should be REAL sleepy"

CC_HotRod

I had over 100,000 on my 2.8 before it gave me any major problems. It spun a bearing on the crank.

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"In Racing You Have A SPLIT SECOND To Do It And Six Days To Talk About It!"

http://home.earthlink.net/~singleton052095

RenoLB8

Going slow?

-Reno

TomP

I've also heard from a few mechanics that the engine hates to "sit"... the seals dry up and start leaking like crazy. However this could be the case for any motor... the mechanics (two different ones) were specifically pointing to 2.8 fbody's.

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

812MANY

Being BULLETPROOF!

I got my '88 2.8 in November '96 with 126,000 miles on it, I drove with NO OIL PRESSURE at the guage and a leaky radiator until 157,000 miles.

One time I overheated it so bad that it pinged at idle, had NO power, and I could hear the rods CREAKING! (I had the radio CRANKED on the highway)

I let it cool off, filled it back up and kept on driving!! (that was around 135K)

I drove it from 135,250 to 137,000 with only 1st and 2nd gear (the tranny blew up), I used to get on the highway and run it up to 80-85 in 2nd GEAR! Crusing!

After the tranny finally blew up I went another 20K and I FINALLY spun a rod bearing!

I was WOT on an exit ramp and I popped it into neutral to coast down and it revved up at about 1,500RPM (like I blipped the throttle) just a few hundred RPM and then it stalled. Whne I finally got it started again it had a faint knock (sounded like a dry lifter).

By the time I got home (12 miles) the whole car was shakinfg and it sounded like someone was hitting the block with an aluminum baseball bat!

I pulled the pan after I swapped motors and I could move the #3 rod back and forth about 1/4"!

I had a "built" 3.1 (basically a stroked 2.8) sitting in my garage, so I threw it in. It only lasted 5,000 miles (and I was driving like a grandma)...

So, from the factory I'd say they are unbeatable, if it's a rebuild I'd be weary.

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'88 Camaro- Originally a 2.8, 7/98-3.1, 11/99- L-69, 8/00- Twee-Fidy!

"If it don't make it faster, it ain't got it!"
(no PS,PW,A/C)

Brian K

Lasting over 200,000 miles

SillyWabbit

So is it a complete myth that the 2.8 pistons can't handle NOS stock?? Everybody I've heard from says that the pistons are too weak, you'll blow them off.

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ICQ #: 77308896
AIM: Ezekiel2sc
2.8L MPFI w/ K&N filters & homemade ram air
5 speed manual
3.42 rear axle
180W Clarion CD Deck
Pioneer 4*6 in front
Polk 3 way 6*9 in back

Brian K

You can handle 50-90 HP... 75 is recommended by NOS...

Jason E

I haven't seen a tougher GM motor yet. I've met a lotta guys online here and other places, and I know about 6 guys with over 200k miles on the original drivetrain. Everytime I see a high-mileage 3rd gen for sale, its a 2.8 too. Could be because the 6's get less-hammering owners than the 8's, but they are still 1 tough motor.

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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS 2.8
Medium Grey Metallic/AT, T-tops, all power
Hypertech chip, 2 K&N filters/Modded air box
Eclipse CD, Eclipse 100x4 amp, Boston plate 4x6, Boston RX 6x9
Alpine Alarm w/ Keyless entry
IROC tailights/t-windows

Dan84SC

They're tough engines, and don't get as much respect as they should.

The 2.8L I have in my '84 Camaro is starting to develop some ticking sounds after 147,000 hard miles. I'm the second owner, and I can say it wasn't taken care of for the first 97,000 miles of its life!

As long as you don't warp anything on these engines, they'll last forever.

scoob8000

i think their great motors if you keep the maintence up on them.. i currently have 145 on my 87, and i drive pretty hard.. shes currently sitting awaiting its second tranny swap.. as far as theese motors go, their great, but their matching 700r4 trannys are total junk... this most recent one wasnt even in that long, it had 88k on it from the boneyard, a few weeks ago my alternator goes out in the middle of the night, so i have her towed home, i drop in a new alternator just to find the tow killed the tranny.. burnt up my main clutch packs, i only have reverse and 1st gear...

Dan84SC

Oh, geez... That sucks!

The 700R4 I have in mine is original, w/147,000 miles on it. Regular fluid/filter changes is all it's had done to it. It's starting to leak now, but still shifts like a *****...

I'm going to go to a T5 next summer.

Vortex_89rs

177k miles on both tranny and engine. Engine itself has never had a problem. It's all the damn sensors and crap that keep messing up, and a buttload of wires getting frayed and messing the sensors up too! Oh well. I drive it hard and she always responds. I have never had a better car (hint: this is my first car HAHAHA!).
Vman

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1989 Camaro RS
2.8 V6
K&N's
700R4 tranny
Cragar Street Pro rims (old Series 30)
Pioneer DEH-P3000

TomP

The 700r4 isn't a junk trans at all. It's gotten much better from it's beginning years of 82-84. Problem is, they require regular maintaince, including fluid/filter changes and TV cable adjustments. The trans runs hotter than any other GM unit, which wears the fluid down fast. The TV cable controls fluid pressure, and when it's been out of adjustment for years, that means the trans has been running with incorrect (usually low) fluid pressure for however many miles.

-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards