That's right boys and girls..i'm finally doing it. My baby is an '86 GT 2.8L auto. The engine is out and getting a racing rebuild with 220 hp (naturally aspirated). I haven't been told yet what stall to get for my new t.c. (around 2800-3000). Polyeurathane all around. Everything that i can think of i'm going to do... hell you only get to do this once, so i better do it right!!!
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10:27 PM
PFF
System Bot
mrgone Member
Posts: 598 From: Barrie Ontario, Canada / Bridgewater Nova Scotia, Canada Registered: Mar 2001
Some of the Duke mods are: Fiero Coversions sells a turbo for the duke, IRM sells a dual exhuast, Fiero store sells the Holley big bore T-body, MSD sells a box and dist., several companies sell headers, GM sells the alum Super Duty head, Comp. cams sells a good cam, etc.
------------------ Dave Gunsul N.I.F.E. member 86 GT modified 85 SE daily driver
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05:26 PM
stimpy Member
Posts: 8197 From: Salinas, CA Registered: Jan 2000
What exactly do you have planned to wring out 80 more hp? I definately don't want to naysay, but if a shop is claiming those kind of numbers for a 2.8 rebuild, I'd suggest they might be leading you on. That seems like an awful lot of hp to expect out of a 2.8 buildup. Out of a 3.4, no problem. I would be very interested in reading about your progress and what parts you use. Please keep us all posted.
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08:28 PM
88formula Member
Posts: 2361 From: Worcester, MA Registered: Oct 1999
220 horsepower is a really optimistic number for the 2.8-liter fiero engine especially with the stock port fuel injection and fiero heads. Getting that kind of power from a 3.4-liter Camaro engine is difficult. I only know of about two people here that say that they even have over 200 horsepower from their 3.4-liter engine. Most people here are making around 160-180 horsepower with their 3.4-liter engines. One guy claims he spent about $10,000 on his 3.4-liter engine.
I'm not saying that 220 horsepower from your 2.8-liter engine is not possible because it definitely is. I'm saying you better do your homework on this guy because it would take a lot of modification, money, and high rpm's to ring 220 horsepower from your 2.8-liter engine. When I was younger and less experienced I got burnt by such a guy that claimed he built racing engines. He made himself out to be this professional racing engine builder but he was really a hack who charged me allot of money and he F__ked up my engine big time because I didn’t spend the time to check his credentials. I lost allot of money and learned a hard lesson. You get what you pay for and allot of people in this business are better actors than they are professional engine builders. They will tell you anything to get your money. I would find out some more information about this person and if he is one of those people who builds engines out of his garage than run as far away from this guy as you can. Ask him to show you real dynamometer results that show you that he can make 220 horsepower from a 2.8-liter fiero engine. Find out what parts are going into the engine and what kind of machine work he will perform on the heads and engine. Ask people who have experience with the guy if they were happy with his work. Contact the better business bureau to see if there are any complaints against him. Word of mouth is going to be your best bet. Don’t give him any money until he performs the work first. Get detailed itemized receipts and have him document everything.
It would probably be cheaper for you to purchase the design one turbo charger kit to get the same or more power. With a turbocharger you could have 225 horsepower and a lot more toque than a naturally aspired motor would make.
There are fiero owners here that have the Design One turbo charger or Miller Woods turbo charger kit that are running in the mid thirteen second quarter mile ranges on mostly stock motors. There is also a supercharger available for the fiero and of course there is also the option of nitrous, which is the best bang for the buck.
Could you list a detailed list of the modifications and parts that are going into this engine? I could do a dyno with Dyno2000 for you if I have enough information and then load that information into Drapstrip2000 to give you an approximate expected performance figure for you car, which is usually very close to real dyno and drag results.
I hate to see you get burnt by some a$$hole like I did and lose allot of money and time.
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09:07 PM
Apr 16th, 2001
WKDFIRO Member
Posts: 1637 From: Cerritos, California, USA Registered: Nov 1999
As I have said in other threads, I just don't see 220hp out of a normal breathing 2.8. If you are going to race the FIRST place to go is to the 3.4 if you are going to AutoX than you want to have torque on your side and the 3.4 has a bunch of it. Not to infer unethical practices, but if you don't tell anyone its a 3.4 NO ONE WILL KNOW.
220hp ain't gonna happen unless you spend a ton of money. 160hp if you get the rebuild kit from PISA, possibly 190hp if you do minor portand polishing and roller rockers with the PISA kit. For serious HP go to GM Guide to Performance Engine Building and for 10,000$ you can get 270hp (not street legal of course). I did it. Have a 490Holley double pumper feeding thru an Offenhauser intake manifold. Heads are stock with Titanium Valves, ported and polished, careful as there is not much material that can be taken out of the passages before you cut into the coolant passages (that happened to me on my first set of heads). Using valve springs from SBC, Crane narrow roller rockers, chromemoly pushrods, with highlift duration crower mechanical cam. Did recommended improvements to oiling system as described by GM to include 90psi oil pump. Weiseco forged 11:1 compression pistons, and a knife-edged machined balance and polished 3.1 crank. Engine cradle is solid mounted to chassis and poly bushings on suspension with lowering kit. Car is wicked, predictable and should I say fast. BTW using equal length headers to keep it breathing, engine turns to 8000rpm and pulls strongly from 1000rpm without stumble. If your in the area, email me and I'll give ya a ride!
Well i don't have to worry about who he is, cause he's my wife's cousin's husband. He is also a professional drag car racer here in edmonton. I've seen his credentials when i went to help him out racing one day. About a dozen other cars have his engines in their cars. He also told me that he just rebuilt his son's 2.8 S-10 with 200+hp. Theses guys know what they are doing if anyone is in the edmonton area look up BEL engines in the phone book. He races a '95 firebird (carbon fibre) w/ 400 cu.in bored to 700 no nos naturally aspirated and he does 7.62@183 and he was just doing experimenting runs. Like i said these guys are serious about their work!! I'm going to be posting pics as soon as i get them done. Thanx guys
Before anyone jumps down my throut. That's a 454 not a 400. And if anyone wants the address/phone # of their shop i can send it to you.
I don't want to start a "pissing contest" here because building engines is not my specialty, fixing F-18's is. And if he says he can get 240hp from a mpfi 2.8L and 270 from a carb'd 2.8L then i believe him.
