New member, got a quick question

[ko0t3rskkar]

Hey everyone, I just got a quick question. Ive hear that the 60* chevy v6 engine family has great potential for lots of power. So I was wondering what kind of hp/torque could I get out of a 2.8L and stil keep it street legal? And any approximate costs for the parts to get that kind of power would be nice too. Thanks

[skeeterone2]

that my friend is the million dollar question... it depends on your budget... and if you want to spend the time with forced induction.... many people are pushing 500hp and keeping it on the street... but thats with a turbo setup... and an entire engine rebuild... you can get 250 out of a turbo and no major engine work but its not adviseable.

[SappySE107]

You dont need engine work to go 250 hp. As long as you tune it right and don't demand over 7000 RPM, stock is perfectly fine. I dont know of anyone that has tested the limits on all the parts so its a hard call to guess what they can do. We know the bottom end will hold over 300 hp, a 150 shot of nitrous doesn't kill the motor, and GM rates the rods at 7000 RPM. From there, its up to you, but your budget is what really matters. Street legal, please define If you are in california, you can't do anything...ever. If its emissions testing anywhere else, you can pass as long as your tune the computer for any major modifications. You can do some mods without worries, like larger TB, some cams, slightly higher compression, things like that. Porting may require tuning to pass emissions, and it definetly helps to tune for more power.

[873.1]

quite frankly, the easiest way to get descent power out of a 2.8 is to pull it and put in a 3.1. lol seriously

[ko0t3rskkar]

I should have added, without forced induction or nitrous. I was askin cuz ive got an '89 corsica with a 2.8 in it, I figure that if the engine ever craps out, (yeah if it ever decides to go, thing purrs like a kitten, got 122k miles on it, and I still stomp the hell outta those little rice rocket civics on saturday nights ) ill pull the engine, give it a good rebuild, cam kit, little head work, maybe even stroke it (dunno bout that one yet) just to see what kind of power I can get and be all motor. I could get a turbo setup for a 3.1 im sure, but I was just wonderng what would be possible without FI for now.

EDIT: And I live in a part of VA that doesnt require emmissions tests.

[RidgeRunner]

I figure that if the engine ever craps out, (yeah if it ever decides to go, thing purrs like a kitten, got 122k miles on it, and I still stomp the hell outta those little rice rocket civics on saturday nights ) ill pull the engine, give it a good rebuild, cam kit, little head work, maybe even stroke it (dunno bout that one yet) just to see what kind of power I can get and be all motor.

I hope you're not in a hurry for modifications then. I had the same train of thought a few years back, I'm at 207k miles and it's still purring like a pussycat. Uses near no oil, and except for a few glitches lately, fires up on the first try.

[geoffinbc]

Man the only mod worth considering in my mind is a 3400. A ton more power and potential at you disposal. You can buy one and collect parts and then set up for a swap week and have it all back on the road in no time.

[skeeterone2]

personally i would be afraid to put more than 250 on a stock motor because of relyability issues... yeah you can put more into your engine... but is just a matter of time till and embarrasing breakdown... be smart... dont question weather or not your engine will handle something... be sure.

[skeeterone2]

if your going without FI your fine dont worry about internals... upgrade your heads and maifold.

[ko0t3rskkar]

Man the only mod worth considering in my mind is a 3400. A ton more power and potential at you disposal.

Problem is the trannies for the 3x00's really arent that great. And I wanna keep the same block if possible. I heard that 3x00 heads will fit on a 2.8/3.1 block no problem, and will give a good increase in power. What other parts would be needed if I did something like that?

I hope you're not in a hurry for modifications then. I had the same train of thought a few years back, I'm at 207k miles and it's still purring like a pussycat. Uses near no oil, and except for a few glitches lately, fires up on the first try.

Hehe, yeah this is just a get me around car for now. Any major mods will be at least another year and a half or two years down the road. And I have faith it will last that long too.

[geoffinbc]

Who cares about the tranny? The block is the same and will bolt right into your car. No new tranny needed. You can even use your old ECM

[ko0t3rskkar]

Really?!... I thought the bellhousing bolts were in different locations on the 3x00 blocks than on the 2.8/3.1's?

EDIT: Ohhhhh, you mean the 3.4, not the 3400 (dohh). Wasnt that only available in RWD cars and trucks? The motor mounts were different on those and they didnt have the holes drilled for the fwd mounts.

[Chris88CL]

the 2.8/3.1/3100/3400 ALL use the same bolt pattern on the bellhousing.
You can keep your 2.8/3.1l transmission with the 3x00 engines.

[ko0t3rskkar]

Ill have to check that out sometime. I could have sworn I read somewhere they were different. Hey that means all I have to do is drop a '96 3100 in it and ill be set. Another 15 hp and 30ft lbs of torque over mine, thatll make a big difference by itself. Or could I make more power with 3100 heads on a 2.8 or 3.1 block? Werent they supposed to flow better than the 2.8/3.1 heads?

[SappySE107]

You may as well go 3400 if you are gonna swap blocks. The gen 2 has the cam advantage of aftermarket, but the gen 3 has a roller grind that pretty much takes care of it anyway. Roller cam plus those heads = more potential. The 3400 has displacement as well, and larger ports on the intakes than the 94-99 3100. If you dont wanna swap blocks, then use the gen 3 top end for more power with your current bottom end.