seriously im having issues with my swap and i cant find any kind of information to troubleshoot off of

quote Originally posted by Fadingaway: seriously im having issues with my swap and i cant find any kind of information to troubleshoot off of

What are some of the issues you're having? I assume this is from a FWD vehicle and not a Camaro / Firebird engine?

Well, if you provide a bit more info, some of us may be able to help.

If you're using an iron headed 3.1, there shouldn't be any issue. The blocks are identical, the heads are, too. If you're using an aluminum headed gen 2, or a roller cam gen 3 there will be a number of issues, but nothing that can't be overcome.

i Purchased a 3.1 short block (aluminum head engine) and put all of my top end parts from my 2.8 that i Grenaded and put a rod through the block. This said motor is in my car but i made one mistake, i am still using the 3.1 timing chain cover and i cannot figure out for the life of me how to route a belt on this frankenstine/witchcraft of a engine.

The Alternator does not line up with the harmonic balancer, and the water pump is reverse rotation. i was hoping somebody had done this swap so i could get some input

puzzles i have solved: Coolant line to the water pump was too short, coolant sensor in the lower intake manifold wouldnt clear the timing chain cover plugged and relocated the hole and relocated the sensor, and the alternator bracket wouldnt exactly "bolt up" so i "trimmed a little off the top".

[This message has been edited by Fadingaway (edited 03-31-2013).]

I swapped in a 94 aluminum head 3.1 block (only) in place of my 2.8 block with no issues as far as bolt holes or anything lining up, other than needing to drill the flange for the 2.8 starter. You have to use the 2.8 oil pan, timing cover and all the 2.8 accessories for it to work. I only used the block as it was supposed to have better oil passages in it.

However, I did not think you could just bolt the 2.8 heads onto a 3.1 (edit--aluminum head) block with the 3.1 internals. I am curious if that would actually work because IIRC I calculated the compression ratio at around 7 to 1. That low of a compression ratio might not even run and if it did, certainly would be pretty anemic. Different years may have different compression ratios. The 94 I used had deep dishes in the pistons that would eliminate all the benefits of larger displacement since the compression would be so low.

Better to find out now, than later.

[This message has been edited by SCCAFiero (edited 03-31-2013).]

Fiero timing cover and water pumps must be used because of the described offset and reverse rotation of the other engines. Many on this forum have said that the internals of the aluminum head engines must be scrapped and replaced with iron head parts when installing into a Fiero.

quote Originally posted by Fadingaway: i Purchased a 3.1 short block (aluminum head engine) and put all of my top end parts from my 2.8 that i Grenaded and put a rod through the block. This said motor is in my car but i made one mistake, i am still using the 3.1 timing chain cover and i cannot figure out for the life of me how to route a belt on this frankenstine/witchcraft of a engine.

Well, that's going to be a problem in a couple ways, as have already been mentioned. Using the Fiero timing cover would be the easy way to go, but alternately you could fab new accessory brackets to get the proper pully alignment.

As far as compression goes, I don't have the figures in front of me, but the aluminum heads have a much smaller combustion chamber, so they use much bigger dishes in the pistons. 7-ish:1 compression is close to what you'll have with that combo. I hate to say it, but you've got to pull that engine back apart and fix it. If it eeven starts it'll run like crap, no power and very bad fuel economy.

i'm not worried about the compression 'im going to drive it like it is with it low and boost it once i come up with the funds to do so. i have come up with an Idea to add another pulley to the 3.1 balancer so it will line up with the alternator then use a idler pulley to get the reverse rotation belt spin on the water pump since the alternate is the "tension-er" and i have the 3.1 tension-er this should be possible i suppose. Back on the subject of compression i've read it would be anywhere from 7.2-1 to 7.8-1 so it looks like i'm going to be a guinea pig on this controversial subject much like the 2.8 turbo kit. now i realize even after i turbo this car it is a lot of work done for very little power result, at least that's whats expected but i'm hoping the parts i have on my iron heads will make up for the loss of compression (1.6 rockers and headers) and that the turbo along with these parts and some timing adjustment will make for a bit of "sleeper" concept about the car, people see a 2.8 with a turbo when its actually much more than that. I am going to update my little "build thread" now https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/091208.html

you might be able to just do these mods:

http://www.realfierotech.co...f=3&t=16616&start=20