82-T/A [Work]

Hey guys,

I just noticed a lot of people on here are novice, and looking
for ways to inexpensively upgrade the performance of their cars.
Since I've been there myself, and I've been on here a while,
I figured I would make a quick list of ways that you can
inexpensively upgrade the performance of your V6/60 while learning
at the same time. These changes go for both the 2.8 and the 3.1.
Anything that i've explained here, I've actually done myself too.
I'll take each item seperately.

1) Exhaust - The first recommendation that I have is to replace
the factory catalytic converters. I very much recommend AGAINST
"gutting" the cat. What this does is create a very open chamber
where the exhaust gasses are disturbed and flow is altered.
With the cat elements in place, the flow is still straight and
true. My suggestion is to replace the catalytic converters with
aftermarket high performance cats. They are VERY cheap. Depending
on how many you have (probably 1), they run about $50 dollars
each. I would guarantee to you (my next paycheck) that you will
gain an improvement of 5 horsepower over the factory catalytic
converters. The next item in the exhaust is to replace the
muffler. I will leave that to the other people on this list. The
majority of my V6/60 experience has to do with Fieros, so I
really don't know what muffler is the best. I can tell you though
if you can afford it, what you want is mandrel bent tubing. Also,
last thing with exhaust. Check your exhaust manifolds. It's a
good idea to inspect the insides for any restrictions you might
find in the exhaust manifold. Any restrictions you do so, you
should remove with a grinder. Also check for any exhaust leaks
at the exhaust manifold, this can reduce the engine's power.
Often times, GM doesn't include exhaust manifold gaskets when they
assemble their motors (they normaly don't need them). I
suggest that you get a set. A set of exhaust manifold gaskets
are only like $12 dollars and can definitely bring back
a little bit of lost power you may have experienced with engine
wear.


2) Fuel Delivery - The STOCK 2.8 motor found in the f-body uses
what are called "pintle" style fuel injectors. These injectors
are rated at 13lbs / hr of fuel. The 3.1 f-body motors came with
15lb / hr fuel injectors. On a COMPLETELY stock 2.8 motor, the
13lb fuel injectors are fine. However, even a change in the
exhaust system, or a complete port and polish job would
warrant the use of 15 pound fuel injectors in the 2.8.
You have quite a few options. The 15lb fuel injectors from the
3.1 motor WILL work. However, they are the "disc" style fuel
injectors which were designed more or less for efficiency /
reliability reaons rather than performance. Nearly every aftermarket
performance fuel injector you find will be the "pintle style" fuel
injectors like found in the 2.8 motor. Another option for 15lb
fuel injectors is from the 2.8 V6 Fiero. GM figured that since
the Fiero 2.8 put out a little bit more hp, they would include
15 pound injectors rather than the standard 13lb injectors. The
15lb injectors found in the Fiero ARE the pintle style, and
would even be a performance upgrade for an otherwise completely
stock 3.1 V6/60 in the f-body. A good upgrade for the 3.1 with
a decent amount of modifications (including a camshaft)
you can get Accell #17 injectors from Summit Racing for $173.69
for a set of 6. P/N ACC-150617. These are also the pintle style.
For the 2.8, if you end up replacing the camshaft in your motor
it's pretty much a requirement to upgrade to 15lb injectors.
Find a set of 15lb Fiero injectors and have them professionally
cleaned.

The next item in fuel delivery is the fuel filter. Make sure that
this is always clean. With over 40k miles an a filter, it can
significantly reduce the fuel pressure at the injectors meaning
less fuel, and less power.

The next item is the fuel pump, and
the pick-up sock. As a fuel pump begins to wear out, it looses
it's ability to withstand a maximum amount of pressure. The
regular fuel pressure for our motors should be around 42PSI. If
you are not getting at least 40psi, your fuel pump is failing
and should be replaced soon. When doing this, also replace the
pick-up sock. This will undoubtedly get clogged over the years.


3) Tires, traction, and gear ratios - Generally, the V6s
usually come with the better gear ratios to make up for the
less horsepower than the V8 motors. However, if you have
your RPO sticker (or build sheet) handy, you can determine
what your rear-end gear ratio is. An optimal rear-end ratio
for the V6 would be 3.23:1 or 3.73:1 depending on your car usage.
For lots of highway driving, you'll want 3.23:1 over the 3.73:1
final drive.

The next thing to consider are your tires, and wheel sizes.
Generally speaking, the V6 f-bodies usually got the smaller
wheels. Upgrading to a lower profile / wider tire will both
improve handling, but also increase the gearing for your car..
the smaller the wheel, the quicker the acceleratin (the lower
the top speed). The larger the diameter of the tire, the slower
the acceleration, but the higher the top speed. A good upgrade
would be from say, a set of 195/70/14s to a set of 205/60/14s.
Likewise, if you want to upgrade to larger 15" wheels, you can
do so, but also consider the changes to the speedometer that
these wheel / tire changes will make. GM sells replacement cogs
for the VSS in the transmission that will allow you to more
properly match your tire / wheel combination with your
speedometer.


4) Valve Trane - There are numerous upgrades that you can do
to the upper end of your V6. It all depends how much you want
to spend, and how much work you want to perform. One of the more
simple upgrades that requires no other work is to upgrade to
roller tipped rocker arms. Comp Cams sells a set of 1.52:1 roller
rockers for around $120 dollars. These are an excellent upgrade
for an otherwise stock motor. Other places sell 1.6:1 rocker arms,
but in my opinion, they are often too high of a ratio for a stock
upper end. In addition, should you upgrade to a higher output
cam-shaft, you may need to replace them because your lift will
be too high. 1.52:1 roller rockers can be used with a factory
cam, or an upgraded camshaft. A good replacement camshaft for
our motors is the Crane Cams 2030, or 2020 camshaft. It depends
on the performance aspect that you want. Some increase
the power from low to mid rpms, while others increase power from
mid to high rpms. It really depends on your preference. The
V6/60 truely is a MID rpm POWER machine. So either cam is more or
less a matter of preference or utility. For slightly more
agressive cams, you can get camshafts from ARI Racing at
www.engine-parts.com. This information goes for both the 2.8 and
3.1 V6/60s.


5) Air intake - truthfully, the air intake on the V6 f-body is
NOT bad at all. It's not worth bypassing the air cleaners either.
K&N sells replacement filters for the intake system of the f-body
and that'll help you get all the air you could possibly need or
want for the V6. It gets it's air directly from the front of
the car.. where it's cool. What more could you ask for?


6) Port, Polish and PORT-MATCHING - This is my favorite part. The
V6/60 engine lacks heavily in this area. The motor WAS very well
designed, but from a perfect prototype to production, the
quality of the fit and finish leaves much to be desired.
The most significant flow-loss and disruption is between the
intake manifold and the intake runners. Where these two pieces
meet, there can be anywhere from 2/8 to 3/8ths total restriction
in EACH PORT!! The plenum to runners were actually done QUITE well.
Likewise, the intake to cyl heads are not that bad either.
I'll start from the very beginning. The throttle body can be bored
to a larger diameter. Matched with the bored plenum, this can
increase the performance of the motor when used with other upgrades
such as higher output camshafts, etc. There are places that can
provide this service including Darrell Morse MORSE86@aol.com.
I believe he charges $150 dollars to have the throttle body bored
out by 5mm (2.5/8ths of an inch). Now, the plenum to runners
requires little to no porting. It might be helpful to just
double check. Now, the worst part, the runners to intake manifold.
Most of the grinding should be done on the underside of the runners
where they meet the intake manifold. All of our cars come equiped
with the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system (EGR). The soot from this
system is the perfect way to determine the restriction on the
intake pieces. Basically, when you dissasemble the intake, look
at the discolorations on the metal. Where the metal is shiney,
that's where the gasket meets the part. Where the metal is dark
and discolored, that's where the metal is protruding out into
the flow. THIS is where it needs to be ground down. You will need
to grind down anywhere in the ports where you see the discolored
metal on the edges. Do not extend past the discolored areas.
Do this to both the runners and intake manifold.

The same goes for the cyl head and underside of the intake
manifold. To properly port-match these pieces, you will want
to grind down the discolored areas.
TWO things NOT to grind down in the cyl head. A) The vein where
the two halves of the cyl head were melded together. DO NOT
grind here. And B) the hump. This hump is used to help atomize
the fuel and air, removing this can affect the flow properties
of the motor.

Treat the exhaust manifold to exhaust ports the same. Do not
grind at the vein. Also, you will NOT improve performance by
grinding the FLOOR of the exhaust port. You can port-match the
exhaust port to the cyl head, but by grinding the exhaust floor
you may even lose horsepower (or at the very least, not gain
as much).


7) Miscellaneous - There isn't much else you can do to the motor
that won't cost an arm and a leg. You have to consider the cost
of the part you want to buy, by the amount of horsepower you gain.
A camshaft, at ~$125 is a much better deal than say a
"Tornado Air" system that costs you $70 dollars... which by the
way, does absolutely nothing. Do not be fooled by gimmicks..
such as the Tornado air, aftermarket computer chips, or
replacement sensors. There are some aftermarket items that you can
buy.. I couldn't think of anywhere else to put them, so I decided
to put them here..

Cooling - A GOOD 180 degree thermostat is the best way to go. It's
15 degrees cooler than the standard 195 and is more than you'll
ever need. Do not go with a 160, it's a waste of money, and you
run the risk of premature engine wear.. your motor will take
forever to reach full operating temperature. Another good item
that I do recommend is the Hypertech Low-Temperature Fan-Switch.
It's expensive, but it does keep your fan running 80% of the
time. A cheap alternative would be to wire a switch in the
cabin to ground the fan, which would allow you to turn it on at
your discretion.

Underdrive Pulleys - These are fairly cheap, and improve the look
of the engine bay. You can expect a couple of horsepower increase
with these. The differences are, 1) your alternator will not charge
as easily, and 2) your A/C won't cool as well.

Torque converter - If you have an automatic, you can go with
a higher stall torque converter. This does NOT affect your top
speed, but it does affect the "expected" power tap while
cornering...



That's about all I have, and I just spilled a huge mug of coffee
on my keyboard when I should be working anyway.

TomP

Thanks for the writeup!

Doward

Nice work!

Y2KFirehawk

That is VERY informative!! Thanks!!

unvc92camarors

great info!