Hey Brothers and Sisters in Fieroland, I have an 88 Fiero GT stock 3 speed auto with 118k miles that I daily drive to the bus stop with a bottom end knock. I assume I have a bearing failure and eventually she is gonna blow. I have taken good care of the car while I have had it but it was severely neglected when i bought it. She has a straight body with little to no rust. Very clean car underneath. I guess the first thing I would like to know is does anyone in Texas have a good motor they want to sell?
I know she is worthy of saving given her overall condition and I also know this is the time where a lot of folks do a swap. Thing is while I am a competent mechanic I cannot find a single source on a good swap. The documentation is fragmented and kinda old with missing pictures and links to websites for brackets and what not that do not work. Besides...the 3800 engines are all old at this point and I dunno that I see any value in pulling an old worn out engine to drop in very expensive mods to install another old worn out engine. I am very comfortable under the hood of any car but I do not do fabrication work. I cannot weld or any of the skills needed to do a newer swap. I am suprised Kswaps are not wildly popular but as much as I hate to admit it...I think the fiero community is slowly dying.
Thank you all for helping me get this rig running 4 years ago and I appreciate any suggestions you could offer. Right now with my skillset I am leaning toward just getting another fiero engine....if a good one is available.
Where do you get a rebuild kit? Can anyone recommend one that 100% has everything you need and all the parts fit...no fabricating or "making parts work" needed?
[This message has been edited by Forrest (edited 09-07-2023).]
Years ago, I started by getting the block hot tanked and then build-up. If the cylinders are 'good' then the pistons maybe reused with new rings. I didn't use a 'kit' and purchased each part separately to get the 'brand quality' I wanted. If you decide on a kit, hold back until the Bore Size, Rod Bearing Size and Main Bearing Size are known.
Edit:
Perhaps PFF Members who have rebuilt engines will 'chime in'...
I'd be inclined to check out the 3.1L, LHO at the Dallas South Central Pick and Pull yard. You could throw a rebuild kit at it using the parts from your car and come away with a nice upgrade.
From West Coast Fiero: "The 3.4 Liter 60 degree pushrod engine is one of the most logical choices for replacing the old, worn out, 2.8 Fiero engine." https://westcoastfiero.com/...gine-conversion-info
[This message has been edited by Vintage-Nut (edited 09-08-2023).]
From West Coast Fiero: "The 3.4 Liter 60 degree pushrod engine is one of the most logical choices for replacing the old, worn out, 2.8 Fiero engine." https://westcoastfiero.com/...gine-conversion-info
I would like to re-emphasize this that Vintage-Nut said as well.
A 3.4 is really the optimal solution, in my opinion. You can get a short-block for around $2,000, fully assembled, and everything just transfers from the 2.8 to the 3.4. The only modification you need to do is drill and tap a single hole in the block. And you can do this with a kit from Rodney Dickman for $89: http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=194
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I would like to re-emphasize this that Vintage-Nut said as well.
A 3.4 is really the optimal solution, in my opinion. You can get a short-block for around $2,000, fully assembled, and everything just transfers from the 2.8 to the 3.4. The only modification you need to do is drill and tap a single hole in the block. And you can do this with a kit from Rodney Dickman for $89: http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=194
Well... it's really two holes. But still not a big deal. The hardest part of it is that one of the holes (the outside) will have to be drilled into a "slanted" surface. There is also an adapter fitting that will be needed for the oil pressure tube. But, again, Rodney sells all that stuff.
The alternative to the 3.4 is rebuild your own motor into a 3.1. It will require different pistons and crank. Period. The rods, and everything else, will be the same. Or find an iron-head 3.1 minivan motor. Late 80s - Early 90s. Change the cam. (The minivan had a very mild cam.)
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: I would like to re-emphasize this that Vintage-Nut said as well.
A 3.4 is really the optimal solution, in my opinion. You can get a short-block for around $2,000, fully assembled, and everything just transfers from the 2.8 to the 3.4. The only modification you need to do is drill and tap a single hole in the block. And you can do this with a kit from Rodney Dickman for $89: http://rodneydickman.com/pr....php?products_id=194
Yeah this sounds like a good solution...little boost in power as well. I recently replaced the suspension all the way around...with a new motor it will feel like a newish car :-) Thanks for the suggestions guys! I have hope!
Like Raydar said, the 3.1 is a straight swap using the Chevy Lumina APV engine. You would want to replace the cam bearings at the same time as the crank, rods, and pistons. No starter relocation required. It uses the stock Fiero injectors so you don't have to fight injector selection as you would with the 3.4.
I have both a 3.4 and a 3.1. It took 3 sets of injectors and converting to the 7730 DIS ignition system before I got my injector issues sorted out. The 3.4 gives you about 20 extra HP in its stock form and a lot of torque. The 3.1 is the same HP as the 2.8 but you get more torque. I used a 91 Beretta flywheel on both engines.
Nope. The 60 deg V6 family of GM engines is a little confusing. The Fiero 2.8 IRON HEAD engine had a few other iron head siblings. The 3.4, 3.1 and 2.8. These are different from the aluminum head engines. The 3100 (your picture) and the 3400s are aluminum head engines. The bell housing and motor mounts are the same, but if you bolted the iron heads on an aluminum head engine, you will have compression ratio issues.
You could use a 3100 or 3400, along with the computer/wiring for that engine and it would work in the Fiero. If you were doing an automatic swap, you would also want to use the automatic from the donor car. You would have to rewire the harness to fit the Fiero.
But back to the 3.1 iron head swap that you want to do. This is the 3.1 engine you are looking for. It's a bit older than the 3100.
[This message has been edited by phonedawgz (edited 09-13-2023).]
