Hi all! So I am currently brainstorming ideas for swapping out my 2.8L. I've seen threads about upgrading it. If I wanted to upgrade it, what can I do there?

 

If you don't car about hp, and your engine is at the end of its life, I would just either pull the engine and rebuild it, or if you do a swap toss in a 3.4l just because. It all depends know your budget and what you can do, your skill level.

what's wrong with your engine for you to want to swap it? Just because it's old dosent mean it needs replaced.

 

Honestly if you are going to pull the motor, do the 3.4 swap. It would be more than enough for just a cruiser

 

I am not going to swap it just yet. I am currently at 181,100 original miles and she runs strong. Just brainstorming, ya know? My ultimate plan is to put in an upgraded 2.8L (there's a really awesome thread floating around here somewhere) but I'm still just brainstorming at this point.

 

I've been tossing that idea around, to be honest. My ultimate plan is to put in an upgraded 2.8L (there's a really awesome thread floating around here somewhere) but I'm still just brainstorming at this point.

 

Well the hp per dollar between the two engines are virtually the same. Just the 3.4 swap alone is an extra 30hp/40tq. To me it just makes sense.

 

You've got a very good point... It's looking like an appealing option.

 

If you are just looking for some extra pep do the 3.4 swap, have the stock heads pocket ported and port matched ( yes it's common knowledge that a hybrid swap is better) slap some 1.6 rockers a full header back exhaust and get a tune from one of the main V6 guys here. Easy money

 

That's exactly why I want to keep my 2.8 and upgrade it with 3.1 parts... when done to spec with the thread I was going through, produces as much HP as a 3.4L.

Thread in question:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/v6/2...-4l-crank.html

Website link:
http://www.engine-parts.com/GMV6/gm2834stkr.html

Further support of my love for the 2.8:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tech...-reliable.html

 

Well the 3.4 is nothing but a bored and stoked 2.8 essentially. So why not just go bigger with a DIRECT swap using the upgraded parts you were going to put on the 2.8?

 

To be totally honest, my biggest thing is restoring the vehicle. My car is numbers matching as is, and upgrading the 2.8 is my way of keeping it numbers matching and still upgrading the engine, haha.

 

upgraded 2.8? I didn't catch it but what year is your car engine? Is it the early 80s?

if you toss on 3.1l parts and it's a late 80s 2.8 there isn't much different. The hp difference between say a 1987 and a 1992 v6 2.8 vs 3.1 is only about 5 hp.

I have to say if you were taking the engine out though, may as well toss in a 3.4l block and gain some cubes and add a few hp. You could even retain your 2.8 or 3.1 intakes and such so you don't have to change much although if you do that you would have to tune it. Are you interested in tuning the ecm?

 

Life is too short to be worried about numbers matching. If I were you and wanted to maintain the stock stuff, I would pull the engine and transmission and put it in storage, then go with any engine combination you want to. I'm basing this on your thread title of swap suggestions with the post I quoted of keeping it numbers matching, because the two kind of cancel each other out. If I were you I would source a 3.8 w/tranny out of a 4th gen, then look into a replacement ECM to control it. Then swicth back to the 2.8 whenever you want to...

 

Other than the 3.8 part, I agree.