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Ok I kind of like doing things a little different. Not for the sake of being different but for the sake of not being the same. What ever that means. Anyway I have been weighing my engine choices and yes a truck engine 2000+ with low miles is the cheapest way to go. Actually like 40% the cost of the V6 but that is before dealing with conversion issues like swapping the transmission, etc. So my question is after all of the talk about the old push rod V6 engines has anyone with a 2.8 actually upgraded to the 3.4 or 3.1 for reference? I ask because that is where I am kind of landing. I want to get your take on the engine in our body style. Anyone know anything about the swap period?
I'd be willing to bet, , , that this here sticky thread (at the top of the V6 page), , , will answer just about every question you haven't even thought of yet........
Honestly its not an OMG so much power gain... in fact I was like "is there a difference??" lol There is a difference... not much though...
but it refreshes the motor, and you can clean / paint things / change old things / sensors a bit... I noticed more power on certain inclines and what not... but if power is your goal, a 3.4 is really not going to impress you... but the ease of the swap is enticing because for the most part you are putting a bigger engine with no "swap" issues... you're just putting all the 2.8 stuff onto the 3.4... basically you aqre getting the MOST out of the V6 thats a direct swap...
I guess you could do the hybrid / turbo stuff to get more power, but by then you probably would want to put the money into an LS or something...but a LS is beyond my personal budget / fabrication means etc.....o a 3.4 is the most i can do and it works fine. the advantage though is weight distribution since the 60 motors are lighter and farther back in the engine bay.
Thanks guys. You said it all I was thinking the 3.4 is the same price as the 2.8 and I would avoid the swap issues. I don't have a good mechanic anymore, since 2020, so I guess that is what's causing some of my nerves with going V8. For now I guess I will keep working on the body and other upgrades until I can settle on a solution.
I have done it recently with a cam and headers. I can’t compare it to the 2.8 cause it had a spun rod when I bought the car. I will tell you it’s pretty peppy until about 4000 rpm then it runs out of breath and my understanding is due to the restrictive intake and heads. But I’m happy with it and can even hear the cam at idle. I only have a little over 500 miles since the car has been done and just last week a friend of mine gave me a 5.3 and just last night I tore it down. I plan on the LS swap now not because I’m not happy but because the engine was free and when I did the 3.4 swap I thought about the LS but didn’t want to fork over the money for just the engine. The 3.4 will easily burn the tires off but I’m sure that’s because of the 3.42 gears the v6 cars get. If you decide to do the swap and have questions I’m here to help. Oh and I will be selling the 3.4 coming up 😁
2.8 to 3.4 is the same as putting a 2.8 back into your car. I ran a 3.4 with a cam for a little bit, it's still very slow just like the 2.8. What you need to ask yourself is what do I want from the car? If you just want to cruise and enjoy driving it, put a 3.4 or another 6-cylinder back in. If you want performance you'd want to invest in an LS swap.
Just my 2 cents from having a 2.8 to a 3.4 to a 327 SBC to an LSX.
