Firebird V6 engine mods

[german4inline]

Guys,I´m German and last year I´ve bought an 89 Firebird for my wifes pleasure, unfortunately we rather found a car with perfect condition, but only with 3.1 L V6 engine. V8s in this condition are not available in Germany ( all converted to "KITT" apparence...)
Now my wife complains about the fuel consumption together with an overall lack of power. I do engines since decades, but I wouldn´t pull out this chunk to keep the expense manageable. The mileage is only about 30000 miles !!! So my questions are if there are ways to modify the engine with bolt ons, what would be ok is to rework the heads properly (ports , seats, valves) and to match the manifold. Would it be worth to remove the cats and replace them by metal ones with 200 cells? What CR is the engine rated? Are there any emmission control units which can be cancelled to improve power?
Would it be worth to replace the rockers by alu ones with bigger ratio to avoid to replace the camshaft?
What power can I expect when doing these mods? Could it be possible to get some more torque together with more peak power due to the lower backpressure of the cat ( maybe a bigger exhaust?) Whats about the ECU, will it rain on my parade by not accepting the mechanical mods? I didn´t deal as yet with this engine at all and would be thankful for your advices. Oh well, whats about the valve lifters, I think they are flat and and as well as on V8s prone to wear out. Can I pull them once I have removed the heads to check them?

[mag2555]

Your 89 V6 is a Buick motor in that Firebird so if you have the budget I would concider Turbo charging it like Buick did with there grand national regal models in the mid 1980s
Certainly un- corking the Exh by any means will help but I have concern that you say it gets poor mileage as that leads me to think it needs a good check out and tune up first, and if it's true that it has some Cam lobes and or lifters going south then that's the first order of things to correct before you judge performance or fuel mileage!

Also these cars are over 3600 lbs so just putting in more rear gear will wake up the acceleration a good amount!

[Carnut1]

Your 89 V6 is a Buick motor in that Firebird so if you have the budget I would concider Turbo charging it like Buick did with there grand national regal models in the mid 1980s
Certainly un- corking the Exh by any means will help but I have concern that you say it gets poor mileage as that leads me to think it needs a good check out and tune up first, and if it's true that it has some Cam lobes and or lifters going south then that's the first order of things to correct before you judge performance or fuel mileage!

Also these cars are over 3600 lbs so just putting in more rear gear will wake up the acceleration a good amount!

I am not sure of that Mag, I thought the 3.1 is a larger version of the Chevy 2.8l. I built a few 2.8' ages ago and they really took to some porting and cam changes. Not much aftermarket back then for them.

[cv67]

like the idea of some portwork, rockers and gearing. Not a whole lot you can do about mpg...has to be a cam somewhere that can pick things up a little?

[peejay]

The 3.1 is NOT, repeat NOT, a Buick engine! It is a variant of the Chevrolet 60 degree V6 aka "Metric V6".

GM has had a history of completely ignoring the lower displacement engines development-wise because if someone wants more power, they can just buy the next more expensive model, can't they? (And then they wondered why Japanese and German automakers steamrolled over them)

The 3100/3400 version of this engine was FAR better with crossbolted main caps, a much better oiling system, FAR better cylinder heads.... but it was never offered in a rear drive platform. Because if people wanted more power in a Camaro they could get a V8, and if people wanted a better truck they could buy a 1/2-ton truck instead of an S-10.

Ironically, the 3100/3400 was deliberately hamstrung by horrible exhaust manifolds so that it would not make more power than the 3800! The 3100/3400 heads in stock form will outflow the race ported 2.8l heads. The contemporary 3400 and 3800 made 170 and 200hp, with the 3800 getting nice looking tubular headers and the 3400 getting exhaust manifolds that look like 25mm logs with flanges welded to the side. A 3400 can make 250+hp with headers and other minor modifications.

The 3100/3400 top end will bolt on to the RWD block but you will need different pistons or you will have compression in the 13:1 range. Alternatively, the front drive block will go in a rear drive chassis if you use the trans from a 3800 Camaro. The bolt pattern is the same FWD/RWD but the starter is on the right for a RWD block and on the left for a FWD block. All 3800s (and 2.2l pushrod fours, too) have "FWD" blocks with the starter on the left.

...

In short, the 3.1 is a slow, inefficient pig because GM wanted to punish you for not buying a V8.

[JodyB]

Years ago we dynoed a healthy 3.1/700r4 camaro on a dynojet. 103 wheel hp. Turbocharge it, or just forget about the whole idea.

[JodyB]

https://www.theturboforums.com/threads/ ... ld.351633/

Search 1BadV6ThirdGen posts on the "theturboforums" He has some pretty neat turbo 60deg v6 info.

[roc]

'89 Firebird 3.1L V6 in Germany...

Trade it for a 911 and never look back

[BOOT]

If your in Germany I'd consider a swap with something popular to mod over there that you can get complete, rather than to mod that v6. If that's not possible then you can pick up some power here n there but like others said power adder would be the best option, still then you may have tune/fuel issues for an ancient efi, IE injectors. I really don't know jack bout that engine but I am moding a small engine that isn't well supported and have to fabricate or mod a lot of stuff myself. I know I could swap to other engines and be way ahead of my moded one but it's somewhat of a personal challenge because I already have other cars with better engines. Basically just because you can doesn't mean you should unless your know what your getting yourself into.

edit: Oh n the engine I'm doing won't be as reliable or streetable but that's what I gotta do to get a bit of power. That's why I tell a lot of peeps who want to mod an oddball engine just ls swap and you'll be a lot happier. I expect to have issues LOL

[peejay]

'89 Firebird 3.1L V6 in Germany...

Trade it for a 911 and never look back

I remember a magazine article a few years back where, because of various reasons, people in the UK and Europe were importing vintage Porsches from the US because it was cheaper to buy a clean car in SoCal and have it shipped across a continent and an ocean and inspected and duty paid and brokerage fees paid, than it was to buy one locally.

And SoCal does not have cheap Porsche prices.

Me, I am shocked that any GM product that old could pass a German vehicle inspection.

[JodyB]

The 2.8/3.1 f-bodies are complete turds. Throw every bolt on mod possible at one, and it might equal the performance of the base 305 available in it's time. Probably not. Lack of torque.

[roc]

'89 Firebird 3.1L V6 in Germany...

Trade it for a 911 and never look back

I remember a magazine article a few years back where, because of various reasons, people in the UK and Europe were importing vintage Porsches from the US because it was cheaper to buy a clean car in SoCal and have it shipped across a continent and an ocean and inspected and duty paid and brokerage fees paid, than it was to buy one locally.

And SoCal does not have cheap Porsche prices.

Me, I am shocked that any GM product that old could pass a German vehicle inspection.

Wow, I didn't anticipate that.

[F-BIRD'88]

Swap in a LS-3 motor and trans. That GM v6 is a lame duck and a waste of money to hot rod.

[Truckedup]

https://www.theturboforums.com/threads/ ... ld.351633/

Search 1BadV6ThirdGen posts on the "theturboforums" He has some pretty neat turbo 60deg v6 info.

I know everyone here only accepts 10 second street cars. ......but the guy's Camaro ran mid 13.s....A good home made effort if the money was not excessive and it doesn't blow up...

[mag2555]

Sorry, forgot the Turbo motor is vin code E!