new member, but ive been lurkin'

[SwiftDrift]

i am a new member, but i have been reading about the 3x00 engines and the 3.4 dohc, ive been poppin in here on and off for about a year. i am a major fan of these engines, and this site will give me a place to talk about my goals,hopes,and dreams. i would really like to build an 89-92 camaro rs for drifting, but whenever i talk to people about how i want it, they just tell me i needa' getta' v8. i was thinking along the lines of: 89-92 camaro rs with the 3.4 dropped in, 3x00 top swap, t-5 tranny, low geared posi(dont know the numbers), steering angle increased by cutting internal stops in the steering box, and im not quite sure about the suspension. my major concerns are: with the 3x00 engine the weight distribution will be 50/50, or even worse-lighter in the front..., and i heard the way the suspension is in the back sucks for drifting. i bet they have aftermarket suspension for autoX but what about the weight? two small turbos+intercooler? it will add weight and power, but i like N/A-plus i am not rich. i also considered the 3.4 dohc, but no one seems to support that idea.. anyway sorry for the long post, and i will appreciate any feedback, thanks~Devon

[caffeine]

new member, but ive been lurkin'

Throw some QA-1 coilovers on in the rear, crank the dampening, and it will drift no problem. Also either weld the diff or use a spool; a factory LSD will probably wear out pretty quickly if you are drifting.

My car is very stiff and will drift very easily if I want to... Or will get traction if I want to. I'm still using a factory LSD.

If you can do some welding yourself, ditch the 3.4 hybrid idea and just do a full 3400 swap with solid mounts. Cam it if you want to go N/A or use a relatively small turbo if you go boosted. I imagine a GT30ish size turbo would spool instantly but might choke up top. My Borg-Warner 84-75 makes great power but powerband doesn't really come on strong until 3000 rpm. Depending on the rear gear you use that might be fine or it might not be.

Abercrombie Motorsports has a jig for modified knuckles to increase steering angle. I believe you will also need to notch and extend the LCA to allow for extra tie rod clearance. I contacted Abercrombie a while ago about making me a set but he said it would have to cost $400 just because of the hassle of welding to the cast iron knuckles, and he said he didn't really want to charge that much because his other kits cost less. Either way you decide to go, the stock steering angle sucks pretty bad. You will also find that increasing angle will decrease the largest possible tire size. With stock angle a 275/40R17 tire will fit no problem up front.

One other thing you will absolutely need is either subframe connectors or a cage. The stock chassis gets very floppy feeling once you start stiffening up the suspension. As for other suspension goodies, probably factory WS6 sway bars, steering brace, and aftermarket rear LCAs and panhard bar are the way to go.

Oh and don't forget a seat... the factory seats are garbage when it comes time to turn a corner haha.

The 3.4DOHC has never been successfully longitudinally swapped afaik. You would probably be getting into uncharted territory if you tried that.

[SwiftDrift]

thanks for responding, and giving some helpful info. but what gearing do u got? and yeah i love the 3400 sfi, but the 3500 seems pretty mean too. and i have always thought the lq1 would be nasty in a thirdgen, wonder why no one finishes the job. another thing---should i worry about having a pivot point? a little weight in the front makes drifting seem alot better.

[caffeine]

I've driven my car with 4.11s and 3.23s. The V6 T5 does have a much shorter 1st gear than what I have though which would make a difference. The V8 T5 is geared a bit closer.

The reason I say to go full 3400 vs hybrid is because both swaps require a bunch of work and in the end they take about the same effort. However with a hybrid motor you're not getting a roller cam or some of the other advantages of the newer block.

A 3500 would be pretty similar to a 3400 with the added tasks of needing a throttle body adapter and external crank trigger. The drivers side mount will also use different holes in the block.

I don't really know why you're so concerned about front end weight. Should end up with similar distribution to a 240sx. Or you could do some weight reduction in the rear. There's a Fiberglass notchback hatch available that reduces a lot of weight and of course you can easily delete the rear seats.

And regarding a 3.4DOHC... It might be cool and all but in the end you would have an engine that makes about as much power as a 3500 but with less aftermarket options for upgrading and a bit higher maintenance. Just to give you an example a completely stock 3500 in my Fiero made 205hp to the wheels, and also made that power fairly low in the rpm range.

[SwiftDrift]

alright thanks man, i got to have the original hatch though lol, i guess the weight thing wont be a big deal maybe ill just say screw having a spare, and remove the rear seats. yeah the dohc isnt really worth it, but i just thought that it would be quite interesting.

[caffeine]

Oh almost forgot you will want the Iroc/WS6 steering box that is 2 1/4 turns lock-lock.

[caffeine]

If this is gonna be a drift car I would expect you to be bringing 2-4 sets of tires to the track... No need for a spare

[SwiftDrift]

yeah, but i did want it to be sort of a daily driver. i wouldnt drive it in the winter or on rainy days. i would drive my brothers car or something lol.

[caffeine]

Oh btw the disc brake e-brake really sucks. I'm not sure if the drum brake e-brake is much better either. 98-02 disc brakes have a much improved e-brake setup but the best thing to do is probably just install a hydro.

[SwiftDrift]

is it hard to drift without the e-brake? i was thinking i could use the clutch, but e-brake seems more common.

[caffeine]

new member, but ive been lurkin'

Ya it's pretty common. You don't NEED to use one but in certain scenarios it's the best option. For example, if you're drifting downhill, you might be going fast enough that using the clutch to slide a corner could be bad. The e-brake can be used to slow you down while still sliding the corner.

Lower powered cars will use the e-brake more for sliding to compensate for having less power. The more power you have the easier it is to slide without it.

Also if you're going to be clutch kicking a lot a 6-puck is probably the best choice of clutch to use.

[SwiftDrift]

ohhh yeah true. do you think a 91 rs 3.1 could break traction if u floored it and sidestepped the clutch??

[caffeine]

Depends what gear you're in really. My 4-cylinder Mitsubishi mighty max will break traction in 1st and 2nd when dry, up to 4th gear in the rain lol.

[SwiftDrift]

well i dont really want to drift too fast so at most, id probs go to like 3rd. the f bodys are a bit heavy, and every one says to get a v8.. my brother had an 89 rs with a tired 2.8 mpfi and it still moved ok and spun out on a patch of sand(lol), my dad always told me to build a sbc but i liked the v6s too much, even though the thirgens have a little weight to them and i was worried that everyone might be right about going v8, i realized how much clutch and a lower gear ratio can make a difference, it wouldnt feel quite like a little 2.8 anymore. where i am people talk about mustangs and trucks... >.> i think alot of the things i predict are right, but thats why im here. talk about my ideas and have people that will listen, confirm whether my ideas will work, and i can learn more. i have looked into the engines alot, but its great to have someone teach me about building the car up. < long post lol oops

thanks for the info, this community is great

[caffeine]

Well think about it there are tons of guys drifting with 4 cylinder engines. It comes down to weight and a properly setup car. IMO the suspension is probably the single most important aspect. Combine a good suspension setup with a spool or welded diff and you can drift pretty much anything.