Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

ok so i have a 1987 Sport Coupe 2.8L with ac ect ect, yea its a serp belt thankfully, i grabbed a 3.1 from a 1991 RS now if im not mistaken all i need to do to get it to run right is just us the upper intake and injectors from the 2.8 on the 3.1 right?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

You could get away with that on the short run, but you'll have trouble starting the engine when it's cold outside.

Since you already have the 3.1:
1. Buy a FULL gasket kit and replace ALL of the gaskets. Not kidding here. You won't want to put the engine into the car and then find out the oil pan gasket leaks or you have a leaking rear main seal.
2. Replace the water pump. You don't know how long the bearings and seals inside have sat dry.
3. Since you should be doing #1, take everything above the cylinder heads off of the 2.8 and put it on the 3.1 as it is. The injectors don't matter as some 2.8s also used 3.1 injectors. BUT DO NOT MIX THEM as there is almost a full pound/hr difference in flow rate (2.8s actually had bigger injectors).

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

ok so simply water pump and gasket set and lower+upper intakes from teh 2.8 complete with all sensors and injectors and it will run fine? even with the 2.8 ecm?

only reason im a lil confused is because im also doing a 305 tpi to 350 tpi swap at the same time and with that swap i have to swap the ESC and ECM with the 350 ones


if i can get away with just swaping complete intake set on the 2.8 to the 3.1 without probs that would be great



anyone have a quick step by step on pulling a 2.8? iv done motor pulls b4 but not ina camaro, i have tools jack stands a few jacks and an engine crane

im im right its just trans mount bell housing bolts wire harness and motor mounts and its out right?

do i need to pull the rad too?

fasteddi

iTrader: (2)

Ive taken out a 3.1L before, its pretty straight forward. I took the trans out before the engine. But it may be just as easy to take the whole trans and engine out. I could only lift the car so high on jack stands so I didnt attempt it.

Just unwire everything, taking off some accesories will make it easier, all the bolts and such(engine mounts) and let the cherry picker do the work. Oh ya dont forget about the ground wires on the back of the heads.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

yea i wasnt planning on pulling the trans completly, at most just leave it under the car on the trans jack

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

If it's an auto, you will want to pull the engine and trans as one piece. If manual, drop the trans out first. Otherwise, getting to the top bellhousing bolts is a real PITA.

Remove the A/C compressor, power steering pump, and the radiator (you don't want to drive the crank pulley into it while removing the engine). Leave the compressor and power steering on their brackets in the engine compartment.

You will also need to pick up a flywheel or flexplate for the 3.1 unless it already has the matching wheel for your transmission. Pre-88 2.8s are externally balanced, while any 60* built later is internally balanced, and not following this can result in expensive machine work and lots of vibrations.

I ran my 3.1 on a 2.8 ECM for 7 years and plan on using the same system (with an aftermarket ECM) when everything goes back together. You don't need to worry about ESC and all of that crap as the 2.8 doesn't have it.

fasteddi

iTrader: (2)

In the case that you have to remove the trans, use one or two 3ft extention to get those back top trans bolts off. Lower the trans down carfully with a jack untill you can see the top bolts then take them out. Its not hard at all if you have a log A$$ exstention and a wobbler on the end.(tape the wobbler so its stiff) I can get my trans out in about 1 1/2 hrs but I also have dont it now twice and get faster each time. The first time it took me a good 3hrs to get the trans out.

Also just in case you do take it out, Take the torq bar off, the tail off, Take dust cover off, take the 3 bolts from the felxplate-tq contert off, undo the wires for the TCC lock up, undue the vss wires, the 2 trans fluid lines, Take the T/V cable(from the throttle body off), and when you let the trans down to unbolt the belt housing top bolts, leave the x-member on as its easier.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

ok well the 3.1 i have is 100% complete including fly wheel (flex plate)

now heres my issue, the milage on the engine is un know, iv turned it over it turns over nicely i can feel every compression stroke and they are pretty tight, only noise i hear si when i move the crank pulley back and forth quickly i hear what i believe is a little timing chain play,

the oil looks really good, it looks lik its past due for an oil chainge but nothing abnormal, not really any gas smell, no discoloration, inside of valve covers look really clean no sludge at all

but i have a few more questions, that being said what kind of condition you think the motor is in or milage gues? even the cylinder walls still have the crosshatched hone pattern.

oh and also the 3.1s oil pan is dented from when it was removed, will the 2.1 one work on it and the distributor from the 2.8?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

I currently have a pan that I believe is from an S10 on mine... Those were all 2.8's until the early 90s (93, IIRC, provided they were V6). It should swap, but pull both and make sure they look the same first as the front lips changed over the years with the timing cover...

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

yea iv heard about the front lips changing but from wat iv read i should have the same one because my year was the first of the serp belt, which my 3.1 has the exact same setup, ill know more when i pull it this weekened

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Might replace the timing set (chain and gears) when you do the timing cover gaskets as well for extra insurance. It's only another $35 (IIRC) and insurance for later, as you've said you can feel slip in the crank/cam/dizzy.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

ok well, since its a 3.1, and im using 2.8l intakes, how would i order my gaskets? would i just buy a complete 3.1 gasket set?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

It's the same gasket set, the FelPro MS93020. Also get the GP Sorenson 800-9220 o-ring kit for the fuel injectors as you're NOT going to get o-rings in the intake gasket set and you WILL tear them up removing the rails. The 93020 covers EVERY 60* V6 between 85 and 94 (except the 3100 and 3.4 DOHC).

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Forgot to mention one thing... In the 93020 gasket kit, the intake manifold gaskets are blue and gray (the long ones that have metal layers in the middle), and have 3 sections at the top labeled DO NOT CUT. Disregard this and cut them (ONE cut, DON'T cut the whole thing out!), unless you like adjusting valves, as you need to slip these parts of the gaskets behind the pushrods. Don't worry about the gaskets' sealing, as the same bolts still go into the same holes whether you cut the gaskets or not. Make sure, when you do this, that you cut all 3 on the gasket in the same spot (front or rear). Don't mix them, say front on 2 and rear on the other, as you'll only give yourself a headache.

And the biggest pain of the whole deal is scraping the gaskets off of the valve covers . I suppose you could try a wire wheel, but I normally just scrape them off. Or I used to, before I got 3100 parts . And I don't know if you have a preference, but when you get the oily crud that I know is on the valve covers off, you'll find that the 2.8 covers are gray/silver and the 3.1's are black. Wished I had kept the 2.8's covers...

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

will this work
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...208036_0_11804


and i thought the gasket set for a 3.1 and 2.8 are diff bc ik the tb gaskets are diff arent they?

and yea im using the valve covers and intakes and oil pan of the 2.8, i plan on painting the motor top to botom tho, block heads and pan with high heat red paint, valve covers black, intakes and exhuast with "aluminum" color flame proof by duplicolor

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

btw i have a project thread for all this and for my iroc,

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/memb...read-85-a.html

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

anyone have a link to a gasket set i can use? its a 3.1 but im using 2.8 intakes and tb

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Already said it... The FelPro MS93020 is universal for ALL 2.8 and 3.1 cars to 94...

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

well im a mechanic for pepboys, if o got into the store will they be able to get me the kit using that part number? or should i order it online, and i thought the 2.8s gaskets wer different then a 3.1 as far as the intakes and tb go

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

unless i mean lik that kit has multiples of gaskets for each motor in one kit

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

also, while its out should i replace any sensors?

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

It's a UNIVERSAL intake gasket set for fuel injected, carbureted, FWD, and RWD engines (except for the lower intake manifold gaskets that don't mount to an FWD engine except in the TBI FWD Lumina APV, Olds Silhouette, and the Pontiac Trans Sport with the 3.1). Trust me, Pep Boys carries it. They may need to order it, but they carry it, if they carry ANY other FelPro products (and I don't see why they wouldn't). Only place I can think of that probably wouldn't have it is NAPA. And you will also need injector o-rings because the 93020 doesn't have them.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

alrite, do u remember about how much it is? ill go order it tomorrow since im off work tomorrow and Tuesday

and sorry for all the questions im not to knowledgeable about the rwd 60* v6s, but hey pistons go up and down and cranks go round and round, its all the same, just confused with parts and interchangeability, if it was a SBC id hav noo probs

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

now that kit is just for the top end right? what about oil pan and timing cover ect, what else will i need? just oil pan and timing cover, water pump, rear main seal gaskets? anything im missing

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Figure on spending about $40 between the intake gaskets and the o-rings, with tax. Last time I bought the 93020 is was about $25 and the o-rings were about $10.

Also, don't disconnect the fuel lines from the fuel rail... The rubber hoses flex and the rail can be turned around to sit over the battery/charcoal canister. You need to pull the 10mm screw holding the fuel line bracket to the lifting eye on the front of the engine to get it loose. If you do disconnect the fuel lines, the o-rings for those are a couple extra bux in the Help section (if you can find them in the store and they don't need to order them).

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

yea orings arent really an issues, just making sure i have all the right gaskets ill need, i wana tear this motor down as far as possible without pulling the heads, i wana mak sure it doesnt leak ANYWHERE and is all clean and freshly painted before it goes in

also any tips on cleaing the ngine bay to mak it look good while the motors out is greatly apreciated,

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Trust me, you're going to need the fuel injector o-rings. They WILL tear coming out, or they'll be hard and won't seal right.

Clean the engine bay with a healthy amount of something like Simple Green and a pressure washer, if you can. Just make sure you don't hit any holes that will let the water under the dash and carpet. Clean up and paint any rust spots as well, before they become holes if they haven't already.

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

i honestly dont see any rust at all accept light surface rust by the rear wheels



quick question off topic, i got a z28 bumper last night, its in way better shape then whats on my iroc so today i wana put it on the iroc and the irocs orig bumper on the sport coupe, do i need to pull the fenders to get the bumpers off???

project89

iTrader: (1)

no u dont, there are bolts that go from the front bumper cover to the fenders , u just need to unbolt them iirc its 3-4 bolts on each side. btw they are a pain the butt to get to

Blue1990camaro

iTrader: (1)

yea thanks alot they wer a pain but i got it all done, i posted pics of it in my project thread along with the cowl hood, there will b alot of pics of the 3.1 swap also in it