LH0 top speed in Cutlass

[TeeJay3800]

This is kind of a dumb question and I thought about putting this in the racing section, but I decided not to since I don't have a racing story to tell. I am wondering what the top speeds of W-body's with the 3.1 LH0 is. I've never tried in my car, the only high speeds I've run was an easy cruise at 100 mph in 4th gear. I wasn't pushing it hardly at all. It'd be interesting to know what these cars will do floored and in what gear top speed is reached (3rd or 4th). Anybody have any magazine test reports or done any top speeds test themselves

[KBworldHQ]

The speed limiter will cut you off around 109, unless you have a chip that eliminates it alltogether. I doubt a stock 3.1 will push it much past 125 without the limiter, though. I remember reading an article about a 95 Lumina 9C3 cop car with the 3100 (no limiter,) and they said the drag from the light bar kept it below 120, but they didn't think it would go much faster without it...

[robby1870]

Ive hit 115 in mine, stock chip.........

[TeeJay3800]

I have no idea if I have the limiter or not. 115 sounds about right. 115-120 was what I was expecting.

[SappySE107]

115 is the stock limiter. Given that the 3.1 has no real power after 4500, you won't have much after 115 anyway. This is stock of course.

[robby1870]

115 is the stock limiter. Given that the 3.1 has no real power after 4500, you won't have much after 115 anyway. This is stock of course.

Yeah. After 90, I sweat it took a mile to get to 115

[KBworldHQ]

115, huh? I've never had a GM that let me get past 109. Maybe it could be due to the stock tire's speed rating. Now that I think of it, most of my cars have had "S" rated tires stock...

[SappySE107]

Depends on year, but most 3.1 W bodies are limited at 115 and the DOHC is 120. I haven't seen 109 in any chip so far, nor the other speeds people say in these type threads. I have mine set for 255 now I never go over 80 though, and really around here I dont get over 65.

[KBworldHQ]

Now that I think of it, the 109 was only in my 94 Grand Am and 96 Lumina, both with the 3100 (never got up that far with my older 4 cyl GA's, Cavaliers, etc.) Maybe 109 is what they put in the newer 3100's w/o the removable PROM...

[SappySE107]

That could be, I have heard much lower limiter numbers for the OBD2 cars as well.

[Anonymous]

My 2.8 got up to 177km/h (whatever that is in miles). I don't remember if I had it in drive or overdrive but it took a hell of a long time to get going that speed and once i got there it was red-lining.

[geoffinbc]

My truck burries the needle at 140Km/h so I dont know. When I get the Tech1 again I will do a top sped test and see. But I have gotten the engine rpm's over 3500RPM in 5th and at 100Km/h in 5th I am at 2000RPM anyone know the math? I have never hit the governor. But I dont know if there is one on TBI engines.

[Anonymous]

My truck burries the needle at 140Km/h so I dont know. When I get the Tech1 again I will do a top sped test and see. But I have gotten the engine rpm's over 3500RPM in 5th and at 100Km/h in 5th I am at 2000RPM anyone know the math? I have never hit the governor. But I dont know if there is one on TBI engines.

I'm getting 109mph from those numbers. (or, 175km/h)

[TeeJay3800]

115 is the stock limiter. Given that the 3.1 has no real power after 4500, you won't have much after 115 anyway. This is stock of course.

I have no idea why every keeps saying the 3.1 has no balls above 4500 rpm. Shit, that where it is making its most HP (4800 to be exact). So, going by the spec sheet I would have to disagree. However, the few times I revved mine that high it didn't seem very strong above 4800, so I'm inclined to agree based on personal enperience. It makes sense since very few pushrod/2 valve engines to their best work at high rpms; they're known for low-end torque.

Regarding top speed, I have a program called CarTest that calculates all kinds of performance factors, one of them being absolute top speed. It uses parameters such as engine size, engine power, gearing, weight distribution, vehicle weight, and drag coefficient to give a pretty good estimate of top speed. It gave me 117 mph for my car, which I'd say is pretty darn accurate.

[geoffinbc]

My truck burries the needle at 140Km/h so I dont know. When I get the Tech1 again I will do a top sped test and see. But I have gotten the engine rpm's over 3500RPM in 5th and at 100Km/h in 5th I am at 2000RPM anyone know the math? I have never hit the governor. But I dont know if there is one on TBI engines.

I'm getting 109mph from those numbers. (or, 175km/h)

Hmm One day I will have to keep my foot to the floor for longer and see what she will get up to. 109mph aint bad considering my truck has the areodynamics of a piece of plywood.