Well I have a 2.8L V6 and need some advice. Whenever my engine goes (which will be a long time at the rate it is running; and hope it stays like that) I want to rebuild it now. This is what I was thinking and does it sound good and about how much do you think that I would be looking at price wise (keep in mind that the pulling and placing the engine will be done myself)? Here it goes: balanced, blueprinted, ported, polished crank, O-ringed heads, ForgedTrue custom forged pistons with full floating pins, factory high-output cam, valves, Crane aluminum roller rockers, chrome-moly pushrods. Sound good to you guys? About how much gain would I notice w/ all this stuff done? Thanx

- Mike Harvey -

 

Wow, that's alot of cash, isn't it? Sounds good tho! What do you mean by factory performance cam? I didn't know there was such an animal... I thought there were only the CompCams units available.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Well Tom it is not really a high output cam it is that Wolverine cam. I know that you have heard of it. IT's actually not that expensive from JC Whitney. I know that the rebuild and install would be cheaper than this damn massive *** system that is going to be done by tomorrow. I know that I can escape out of this rebuild under $1100 b/c at the car lot that I work at, the parts store that we get all our parts from wants $1200 for the crate engine which is a rebuild and it is not even a performance engine, it's just REBUILT. This engine that I would rebuild would be tricked out. Since I work at the lot there is no labor charge for anything that we buy. I would schecule my vacation around this rebuild so that I could help my mechanic. What do you think that this engine would push on engine alone and w/ all that crap on it like a chip, headers, intake, and Flowmasters.

- Mike Harvey -

 

Oh, okay, I thought you meant that GM had a cam out. You're right, I have heard of the Wolverine cam before. It's computer-compatible?

You might not see so much power increase from your added features, like the blueprinting, balancing, polishing, o-ringed-heads, and forged pistons, etc. But it'd sure make for one hell of a bulletproof (and nitrous-proof/boost-proof) bottom end!

Would you be shaving the heads/intake at all to increase the compression ratio? I wonder how that would affect emissions output?


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
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I wouldn't shave the intake but I would shave the heads a little but I don't won't to get too crazy w/ it. I think that this engine would be smoother than hell and be just strong as hell. Watcha think? I was also contemplating the idea of a Crane Compu Cam too, I like that idea better. I was talking to my mechanic and he was estimating about $1100 for the complete rebuild and installing the engine back again. That doesn't include the new torque converter that I want to put in there. Sound good?

- Mike Harvey -

 

Crane and yes GM makes a cam for our cars... Ask the dealer, actually they have a package for our engines, but avoid and yes avoid the wolverine cam.. I have heard horror stories about it with the computer...

I would bet from all I heard you add the wolverine cam to a computer controlled 2.8 you would have probs...

 

FOged pistons and lots of nitrous I would say a solid rebuild 30 over, forged rods and pistons and you can dump 125HP of nos in it all day long..

 

I would stick to the Crane cam. I met a guy at another GM dealer who has an '87 'Bird with the Crane, and he loves it. He said the power was better and it still idled good. He claims he saw little to no difference in his MPG, but for some reason I doubt that...

Whenever mine goes (which appears to be a LONG time from now, judging from the high mi cars on this board), here's my rebuild:

Same 2.8, balanced and blueprinted, ported and polished stock heads and intake, forged pistons (where can I find them??), Crane 2030 cam, Crane valve springs (maybe RRs too), ADS injectors, and a Fastchip PROM.

To this I would add a 2.5 inch, custom bent stainless exhaust with a Borla muffler, Catco cat, Ram Air intake (that'll be done by Spring), as well as a full Accel 300+ ignition.

And the biggest thing I need to do before all this is find a shop willing to do a quality rebuild with what I want, and install. I can't pull off a motor swap myself....I don't think.

Although working for a new car dealer is VERY tempting...I drove an '01 black Grand Am GT 2 door last weekend with the Ram Air 3.4...I want it

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Jason E
'89 Camaro RS 2.8
Hypertech chip/K&N filters/Accel 8.8 wires/RapidFires
Eclipse CD and 100x4 amp/Boston plates and 6x9s
Alpine Alarm w/ Keyless entry
IROC tailights/tinted windows

 

Mike, I'm not sure how far you can go, but when you shave the heads, you might need the intake shaved. Reason is you're reducing the top of the "V" of the engine, and the manifold won't fit. But if you're just doing a tiny amount, you probably wouldn't need to.

J, you can get forged pistons from PAW, Performance Auto Warehouse. They have an ad in every hot rod magazine. I ordered their catalog a few weeks ago...

I was looking at forged pistons for my rebuild, but I don't think I'll bother- they're too expensive. A set of cast pistons (no rings/bearings/etc) is only $130, a forged set is over $300.

Besides, the cast pistons have lasted pretty damn long for me! NOS designed their nitrous kits to work with the stock engine's cast pistons. I see no reason for me to use forged, since when I do introduce nitrous, I'll be going with a nice safe 50 or 90 HP shot.


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
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[This message has been edited by TomP (edited November 09, 2000).]