Or roughly 137 at the crank...slightly higher than stock #s...but there are definite timing issues as well as too much fuel. Id' expect tuning/repairs to bring this up to at least 137 at the wheels, or about 165 flywheel. The tune is obviously way off. Still, this exercise has just proven what I knew all along...these motors are fine for commuting, but thats about all they're good for.

 

Unless of course you have money to add some boost.

 

Yeah, I definitely wasn't speaking 145-150 at the rear wheels. Stock I've got 140 at the fly. ***..it's sickening how much power is lost in transmitting it to the wheels. You'd think they'd have improved that by now, ya know?

Redraif, how easily did that fuel pressure regulator fit on there, and what kind of pressure are you running? I've heard that boosting fuel pressure can add easy hp big time on a V8...I'm just curious to see how your car reacted to it.

 

It installed pretty easy. Its a pain to set. And I have somehow managed to blow one up already. Well the diaphram inside leaked and it blew the nozzels off my stock injectors. So we rplaced them the the larger injectors adn got a new regulator. Right now with the bigger injectors we have not played with its setting much. Once I get the piggy back computer we can tweak it out. We tried adjusting it up at the track and my times tanked. So I think we actually may have it about right or a touch too high. The fuel pressure, I think is at 35-37. Let me check with Joe though.

I have been watching my power band more and it is different then I said before. 20 to about 40 its very strong and then dogs out. 50 it comes back till about 60 and it dogs again. 70 and above its strong. This car is so confusing. Off the line its doggy. The new cam stole too much torque. Mine was 136 at the rear. Now it has dropped. We are going to swap to 373 gears and put in a shift kit. This should help get it in its power band.

 

Since I have yet to see one succesful boosted 2.8/3.1/3.4, I'll have to disagree. For the time, money, and effort required to build a turbo setup for one of these, you could buy a used GN 3.8 turbo motor and stick that in there. They're proven, have a huge aftermarket, and are very reliable. I've had three of them. Shannon's 82 is probably going to get one, though with the 3.0 heads so she can keep the factory AC. Her 87 is going to get a little boost, but not to the factory motor. Its getting my LT1 goodies, and later on an S-trim Vortech...possibly a turbo if my 85 twin turbo project works out as well as I think it will.

 

Thats about right...but keep in mind, her car has 19lb Ford injectors in it, and they're too much for the car. I had to drop pressure to compensate somewhat, but that is only a bandaid until we get the piggyback. The injector pulse width will be turned down some, and the pressure will be set higher (prob mid 40s) to get better atomization. I think thats part of the lack of torque problem.

 

Yes LT1 guy, I know. I know it will be easier and more realistic to put a GN motor in, but I am an oddball and I like unorthadox challenges. I only suggest boosting a 2.8l because it has not been successfully, except for the one that was in the 510. The 2.8l is probably the most rejected and least loved of all Chevy V6s, which is why I like the idea.

I'm not even going to plan on boosting my 2.8l because I don't use it for speed and never will, its just for cruising comfortably on hiways and going around town.


How bout a Supra engine with a trans adapter or an M3 3.5l supercharged inline 6? Just kidding.


I just want one person to successfully boost a 2.8l thirdgen. Just one person.


If you are a millionaire or something close, you can have just about any engine you want in any car period.

 

True to that! Lol

 

I know the 510 you speak of, and emailed the builder (he sold it) to ask some specifics...hp, torque, 1/4 mile times, etc. I informed him that I'd like to build something similar for my girlfriend's car, just to be different, and he told me that it wasn't worth it. The engine never put out near the hp he had expected, and that it was way too expensive for the little gain. He recommended a V8.

Not knocking you or your choice...I can respect a desire to do something different...but IMHO anybody whos looking for over 175hp or so, or 250 with nitrous, should look to another engine. I don't object to V6s, I drive an 87 GN every day, but I know that a 2.8 just isn't going to meet my goals, no matter what I do to it.

 

Talk about a kick to the *****. But then that's a tad expected, I mean look at some of the guys on this board running 2.8's fully worked up..rebuilt with forged internals, high performance everything..running 15's? That's gotta hurt. I was going to soup my motor up..but now that I think about it, by the time February or March comes around, I'll have over $1000....I'm gonna look around for a 350 with a 700-R4.. I was thinking about going to something like a TH350 but I believe it doesn't have overdrive... I'm poor, I need to save gas! Wonder how much I could get for my 3.1 and my existing tranny. Tranny is decent..shifts kinda hard and late but hasn't missed yet. Engine's got 106,000 and it still runs beefy as hell.

 

Most don't post 1/4 mile times at all...instead you get:

it "should run" 15s

I "think" it'll run 15s

I beat my buddie's 15 second car, so I should be in the 14s

I know a guy who runs 13s, 14s, 15s

Most of them, I have to say

Not knocking V6s or those who build them...I have made great efforts on one myself...but high performance engines they aren't.

Spending boatloads of money on a 60 degree V6 is kind of like putting a dress on a pig. No matter what, its still a pig.

 

If If was shooting for performance, I would just drop in a 350 and Twin Turbo or maybe Twin Supercharge it. I just want to improve my low end acceleration speed.

 

I had a fit when we took it to the track after we put in the new cam. It was still putting out horrible times. I was livid. All that work and $ for nothing. I just wanted some respect for the engine before we yank it out.

When we dug in to the engine we found the thermostat in pieces, the lifters on the passenger side had to be pryed out cause they were sticking due to my stock cam being so worn. Just from fixing those problems, I expected so much more from the engine.

My 1/4 time: 18.9....with 14 degrees timing. So we set the timing to 16 the car ran 18.4. That was all we dared to up it there. then that thursday, we went to the dyno. We tweaked the timing more, to 20 degrees. This gave me 3-4 more Hp at the rear wheels. So it is possible that it could run 17.9 now at the track. Though stock ones supposedly run better then that, so i'm at my whits end with this motor. The piggy back computer and gears better make the difference!

 

Is there maybe something you're missing? Seems like you've done everything to that motor, but my latest time with my +200,000 mile steel-wheel'd 2.8 is a 17.1! Do you have a huge stereo in the car? Smaller (or larger) than stock tires, to throw off the effective rear gear ratio? Think any of your aerodynamic mods are affecting the car?

 

Honestly Tom I think there is a lot to be gained in tuning, and the fact that i overcammed it isn't helping either. Still though, that would only account for 20-25 hp at most, not enough to drop from high 17s down to where is should run. I suspect possibly some slippage in the trans at WOT (it was rebuilt, but who knows?), a lousy bottom end ( the dealership replaced a couple rods, no doubt throwing off the balance), and defintely timing issues. I know its not "really" at 20 degrees, running fine on 87 octane. Who knows.We still haven't replaced the balancer or checked for too much endplay in the distributor, and thats probably part of it, but still, everything we have done to it is sound.For the HP numbers it puts out, it should run at least stock times...which really makes me suspect the trans is to blame. Ive been building engines and messing with this kind of stuff for 18 years, and have never encountered a less responsive car. Something is wrong, somewhere...but if we can't find the problem soon, it'll be too late...we've got most of the parts for an LT1 swap right now.

 

Don't forget the fact that your car is a tad on the heavy side. 100lbs can make a big difference for such a small motor. That's why I don't have subs in my car. I keep a tab on each part I put in my car. I weigh the new parts I put in verses the old. I try to replace as many of the heavy weight parts with lighter versions. So far my car weighs around 3000lbs with me in the car, but that was back a year ago. I haven't gained weight, I'm still 115lbs, and I haven't added any significant parts except wheels and an accel box. My car is by no means quick, but at least I don't get passed by minivans and family cars anymore.

 

Her car really isn't as heavy as you would think...the subs don't weigh that much, nor does the sound deadening. I doubt she's added more than 200lbs, and though I don't have the exact weight in front of me it seems like it was only about 3300/w driver...heavy for a V6, but not enough to make a huge difference.

 

I don't want to sound like I am arguing with you, which by no means am not intending too, but you would be surprised at how much little parts here and there add up. For me, shaving off a 1lbs here and there is more of a pyschological thing for me. I know it won't make that much of a difference, but I would like to think that it does. I like saying that my car is slow so that if I do race someone and I get beat, I won't feel bad becuase I stated my car was slow. If by the odd chance I win, well, that's just an added bonus. Its an no win/win situation form me.

For some odd reason, people tend to be under the impression that I have a V8 and are always looking to challenge me. If I am travelling on a 2 lane and a minivan, neon, and a pickup pass say a Mustang going 10mph faster, the Mustang guy doesn't do anyting, but the minute I come within a car length to the Mustang in the other lane going maybe 1mph faster, the Mustang guy feels the need to smoke me, which he will because my car is no match.


Am I the only one this happens too? I'm not even provoking anyone - I'm just minding my own buisness. If I am first in the stop light, the car next to me always seems to have the sudden urge to get ahead of me and jump into my lane and then they slow down in front of me with no traffic, and then I pass the car because the car is going slow then all of the sudden the car speeds up and passes me.

I know that is off topic, but that kind of stuff has been bothering me for a while, but I am always too nice of a driver to not do anything about. As a matter of fact, you could cut me off and I won't so much as honk my horn, shout, or give a hand jesture. If a car needs to jump into my lane to make a turn, I will slow down so the car can make it's turn. I just don't like it when cars try to jump in the car length of space I leave in between me and the car ahead of me so that in case something happens, I will have enough room to not collide with another car.

 

Dev...it's all about looks man. These cars LOOK fast..even sitting still. Half the yahoos out there don't even know enough to know that the RS or 2.8 Multi-Port badges are a very good indication of our performance-or lack thereof! I've had plenty of people try to race me. Hell, when I was driving home after JUST having my catback and converter put on...was trailing smoke for the whole day from the protective coatings and crap burning off...some chick in a Prelude with a muffler tried to run me! About 1/2 mile from the police station! I had a...I think it was a Datsun..try to run me before when I was stock. Some guy in a big truck tried to leapfrog me on the on-ramp... People LOVE to test us.. Hell, I like to give MY car some gas when I get up next to a vette. Know why? I KNOW he'll tear me up. I don't care! I just want to see how quick a vette really is! Unfortunately, all the vettes in this city are owned by old people that drive slowly.....

 

I drive slow too. Sometimes as slow as 7 miles under the speed limit in a 20 mph zone. I don't know why I end up driving slow though. I guess my depth perception is wrong or something because I feel like I am going fast when my speedo only says 30mph.

 

the other day i was in my 86 with a 2.8 on the way to my father-in-law's I was trying to sell it to this kid that i know. he wasen't paying me so i repoed it. anyways it was stuck in first and one of my other friends was following me in a cutlass, one of those 4 door ones. well he tried to haul past me and i hit it. i felt the rear end jump up and the car felt like it twisted alittle, but it took off. man if the damn thing wasen't stuck if frist i woulden't of had him tring to rub in the fact that he took my *** to the house. also my exhaust manifolds are loose so it sounds like the damn engine is going to through a rod and i get smoked in the car.