Not trying to start a mini revolt but I have access to two cradle setups that need rebuilding. One is a SBC 350 paired to a getrag 4 speed manual with a centerforce clutch and flywheel that is smoking from the valve covers(not the pcv valve, needs rings). The other setup is a 3800sc mated to a 5 speed getrag, new clutch also. This one has no oil pressure and metal shavings in the pan... If you had a choice, which one would you rebuild and run as a daily? (Im most familiar with the 350 setup as I built it myself but Im not opposed to digging into the V6 either) Not really looking for tech info, just a general consensus, that's why its posted here
There are a LOT of strong opinions on this debate. I prefer the sound of a V8, if for no other reason. Also, I was not aware there was a 4 speed Getrag....
3800sc is a great engine, but you can't beat a V8, and 350's have a huge aftermarket....can pretty well do anything with them. I'd take the 350 and do a full teardown/rebuild of it. That way you start with a fresh engine and endless possibilities.
that's what im leaning towards. Rebuilding the 350 and throwing some patriot heads on it with a decent street cam should yield me upwards 350 hps...maybe even a nitrous plate on top of that. But tearing down the 3800 which already has aluminum heads and the super charger could be a fun learning experience.
If that 350 is paired to the 4 speed from an 84 I hope that the guts have been transferred into a stronger case? The 84 Muncie can't hold up to the torque from a 350. It can barely handle the 4 cylinder.
350 SB or the 3800SC is purely a matter of taste. I personally don't like the design of the 3800 (the 90 degree V8 with 2 cylinders missing) and despise the sound of the 3800 and the SC whine only makes it worse in my opinion. I would much rather hear the rumble of a V8. But that's just my personal opinion.
Ive had the 350 paired to the original 84 4-speed for 14 years with no problems other than 1st gear is practically useless for daily use lol At one point I was dragging it with a 150 NOS shot and no issues. If you ask me I think its pretty reliable but I would swap over to the 5 speed for touring purposes.
Welcome to the forum! I currently have both so I guess my opinion is not biased. For driving daily I would go for the 3800SC all day. It is a sweet setup for the Fiero, very reliable and enough power to keep the new Camrys/Civics at bay. For awesome torque and to draw crowds at shows then go for the 350. The low end torque requires everything to be stronger with a good tranny and clutch. Otherwise you will be lowering that cradle very often. Good luck.
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Red: TPI V8 + 6-Speed White: 3800SC auto 304rwHP/366rwTQ
I would be tempted to build both but my 84 is a michigan car and it needs framework done...hence why Im looking at another fiero with the busted 3800SC from Florida. No rust in that one so I thought of swapping the engine setups including gas pump and radiator. Additionally the Fl car had its evap and AC removed so I will have to sort that out too so I have work either way I go but I think the FL car will be less work than my current one. Which leads me to the next question...Can I swap the 85 GT nose and decklid for the 84 SE nose and deck lid? I prefer the SE look than the GT
I would be tempted to build both but my 84 is a michigan car and it needs framework done...hence why Im looking at another fiero with the busted 3800SC from Florida. No rust in that one so I thought of swapping the engine setups including gas pump and radiator. Additionally the Fl car had its evap and AC removed so I will have to sort that out too so I have work either way I go but I think the FL car will be less work than my current one. Which leads me to the next question...Can I swap the 85 GT nose and decklid for the 84 SE nose and deck lid? I prefer the SE look than the GT
WOW!! we are on the same page, totally. I got a 87 Mera (from FL!) that the 2.8 went south and had bought another 87 with a 3800 SC swap done with new suspention, sweet wheels, new seat covers then when time came to fix the Mera, the replacement eng/trans $ gets to $3-4,000 so I think and do swap the 2 '87's and with that savings buy a V8 w/2500 miles......AND I live in Michigan so I know your sarrows. the black old 3800 87 had rust issues that helped make the decision as well as an accident with a fire hydrant which was esti. at $1000 in repairs also
but then today I blew a rad hose on the V8 and hope to heck I did not warp anything how about a little side by side maybe this will help [img]
[This message has been edited by batousai666 (edited 05-25-2014).]
never had any cooling issues with the V8 with the inverted pump/pulley system and the 4 row radiator. I just bought the battery box and an Optima Redtop but Im not sure in which vehicle Im installing it yet
Ive had the 350 paired to the original 84 4-speed for 14 years with no problems other than 1st gear is practically useless for daily use lol At one point I was dragging it with a 150 NOS shot and no issues. If you ask me I think its pretty reliable but I would swap over to the 5 speed for touring purposes.
This is absolutely incredible. Pontiac discovered early on that the 84 case was weak. As John Callies was building the pace car he split the transmission in half. You either got an unusually strong one, you baby it or you are just incredibly lucky.
Ive had the 350 paired to the original 84 4-speed for 14 years with no problems other than 1st gear is practically useless for daily use lol At one point I was dragging it with a 150 NOS shot and no issues. If you ask me I think its pretty reliable but I would swap over to the 5 speed for touring purposes.
What did this beast run in the drags? Like to see some video and here more about it.
I own a 86 GT with a 5.7L V8 attached to a 4 speed .... while crusing on the freeway the RPMs are pretty high 3.5k and I find myself lookin for that elusive 5th gear I had many chances to swap over to a 5 speed Getrag due to the fact I bought many 87 GTs parts cars with 5 speeds.....I got a chance to buy a brand new F40 6 speed tranny and now I'm nearing the parts gathering to install it ..... remember gas prices will go up so V8 or 3800 ??? that will be your choice BOTH have alot of fun in them !!!! ME I'm too stuck on that V8 rumble wouldn't switch over to a six ... regards Danyel
Mitch, I am flying up ot Coeur d"Alene to pick up my '88 GT/LS4 tomorrow morning! Listen for my rumble and I will listen for your blower whine! Nice vid
Dr. W.
------------------ Is your Fastback GT's trunk seal shot? My Gen IV replacement GT trunk seals with miter double bonded corners are now in production. $95 shipped to the US (contact me for international shipping rates) More info can be found here GT Trunk Seal Project
I like both of them for different reasons. Here are two of my 88s so that you see that a clean installation can be made for each engine even in an 88. BTW, the 383 is fuel injected also.
Nelson
[This message has been edited by hnthomps (edited 05-26-2014).]
Just for comparison here's some V8 rumble on an easy drive. Not pushing it real hard as you hear early signs of death rattle in the transmission on the decel:
Best way to decide is to make a chart with two columns and measure one engine against the other. Decide what is most important in your swap Criteria: Ease of Swap Cost of all swap parts and the engine Gas mileage, Horsepower/torque Powertrain Weight Handling Reliability Exhaust Sound Appearance Street legality Intended Use
That should lead you in the right direction.
------------------ " THE BLACK PARALYZER" -87GT 3800SC Series III engine, custom ZZP /Frozen Boost Intercooler setup, 3.4" Pulley, Powerlog manifold, Northstar TB, LS1 MAF, 3" Flotech Afterburner Exhaust, Autolite 104's, MSD wires, Custom CAI, 4T65eHD w. custom axles, HP Tuners VCM Suite. "THE COLUSSUS" 87GT - ALL OUT 3.4L Turbocharged engine, Garrett Hybrid Turbo, MSD ign., modified TH125H " ON THE LOOSE WITHOUT THE JUICE "
Dennis, all the swap work has been previously done. Both setups are currently in each respective car, parts and all. I did not do the 3800sc so Im not familiar with the swap steps but I could figure it out during the teardown. The 350, on the other hand, was done by me so Im very familiar with everything related to it. My internal debate is whether to rebuild the 3800 and reinstall it back into the rust free car it came out of or, remove the 350 swap from my rusting bucket of an 84 and install that instead in the 3800 car. Obviously, Im a little more biased towards the V8 since its what Im familiar with but, being away from these forums for a while I wanted to survey the general thought on whether there were any large advantages to sticking with the 3800 instead of keeping the V8. I may just rebuild one now and the other later to keep as a spare or for the track if I can make swapping from one to the other a day's work (since I already have the 3800 wiring harness, fuel pump, etc...)
Not really looking for tech info, just a general consensus, that's why its posted here
I'm with Alex, for a daily driver I'd go with the 3800SC. Plenty of power, reliable and good gas mileage. From what I've read, they can be pretty tricky to rebuild though, especially if the machine shop isn't used to dealing with tight tolerances.
But if you're used to driving a v8, the 3800SC isn't gonna have the low end torque you're used to and you might be using the gas pedal more.
[This message has been edited by PaulJK (edited 05-28-2014).]
if Im not mistaken I was getting around 20 mpg with careful driving on the 350(no street racing). Since its been stopped so many years I cant guarantee that's what it was but that's what I seem to remember.
On my sbc swap I used a 4t60-e with the 3.33 gears and a 2095 stall. I used a victor intake to kill some of the bottom end power. All of this was to help the trans last longer and to help it hook up.
as I get older I would really appreciate an auto tranny but Im scared of breaking it. Never had a problem with the 4 speed manual even with nitro and now im gaining a 5 speed getrag so auto is not in the cards for me yet unless I can source a good option.
out of curiosity, has anyone tried to convert from a 3800 to a 350 before? Anything I should be aware of electrically since Im not sure what modifications need to be made for the 3800 swap? Obviously I know I'll have to swap out the fuel pump, are there any other changes that need to be made? The SBC swap doesnt change much aside from deleting a bunch of sensor wiring that doesnt get used...
out of curiosity, has anyone tried to convert from a 3800 to a 350 before? Anything I should be aware of electrically since Im not sure what modifications need to be made for the 3800 swap? Obviously I know I'll have to swap out the fuel pump, are there any other changes that need to be made? The SBC swap doesnt change much aside from deleting a bunch of sensor wiring that doesnt get used...
Depending on the SBC if its naturally aspirated or EFI. I put in a fuel pressure regulator, mine is carbed..... 3800 you will need to get a harness made depending the options
I will be transplanting the fuel pump and regulator along with the 350 on my 84SE to the 85 with the 3800sc currently in it. The 350 has a carb. So in essence I am removing the 3800 cradle out of the 85 and putting the 350 cradle from the 84 into the 85. Hope that makes more sense lol
Mitch, I am flying up ot Coeur d"Alene to pick up my '88 GT/LS4 tomorrow morning! Listen for my rumble and I will listen for your blower whine! Nice vid
Dr. W.
I just checked back.... NICE! Must be Joe Sokol? He does some amazing stuff!
Ive had the 350 paired to the original 84 4-speed for 14 years with no problems other than 1st gear is practically useless for daily use lol At one point I was dragging it with a 150 NOS shot and no issues. If you ask me I think its pretty reliable but I would swap over to the 5 speed for touring purposes.
Best way to decide is to make a chart with two columns and measure one engine against the other. Decide what is most important in your swap Criteria: Ease of Swap Cost of all swap parts and the engine Gas mileage, Horsepower/torque Powertrain Weight Handling Reliability Exhaust Sound Appearance Street legality Intended Use
That should lead you in the right direction.
Choosing an engine swap this way is pointless. At the end of the day it's an emotional decision. Like picking a wife. You could go through all the positives and minuses but at the end of the day you pick the one with the biggest @%$^
Trial fitting the Kindle Fire. Its a bit tall but I think I can modify the bottom of the HVAC console to bring it down enough. Next I will be rooting it and getting the necessary parts to make everything work. Everything in the car is in exceptional shape considering its age. The car only has 60k miles so I lucked out on someone else's misfortune. In the coming weeks Im pulling the engine and going through it. There's a possibility that the shaft that drives the oil pump is stripped and caused the lack of oil pressure. If that's the case then I may be able to get away with cam and main bearings if the crank isnt too beat up. If not then I'll have to do the whole thing. The previous owner just put a Spec 3 clutch and didnt get to break it in so if it looks good its one less thing for me to buy.