Well looks like I may be doing the 3.4 swap sooner than plan

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:53 am

So I am at school, and my dad gets home today from dropping me off, and goes to move my car to the garage. Lord knows it, he starts it up, and is horrified. He said it is making a loud noise, much like a really f-ed up bearing. But he said it doesn't sound quite like that, he thinks it might be the clutch, but he ran it through some gears, clutch in and out, and said it seemed fine. He said he got it in the garage, and parked it.

I forgot to ask him what the oil pressure gauge read, what it is pretty worthless anyways (bounces up and down)

I am really pissed right now. When I pulled the car into the garage and turned it off, it was running perfectly. I hadn't even been hard on it either when I was driving it around prior to leaving.

At first I got pissed at my dad, but now I realize it wasn't his fault, there was nothing he could have done to it. But now I am thinking...We left the house for 3 days, my sister home alone. The keys were just laying there. She had full access to it if for some reason she wanted it. I do not feel she'd abuse it, but she is stupid, and I can easily see her missing a shift, trying to show off, or something like that. I don't want to acuse her, but seriously, how can the car get that fucked up from sitting there, especially since I havn't even been hard on it? And even when I am hard on it, I never go above 5500 (I have once).

Car has just over 108k, just had an oil change.

So I am not pissed totally, but I was hoping to rely on the 2.8l for at least another year. Serves me right for relying on a fucking GM pushrod piece of shit. So I am putting my stereo thing on hold for now, going to make sure the 2.8l is bad. If it is, I am going to semi rush the DOHC project. I still need a few parts, but I have enough to put it in, and I'll be working soon too, so hopefully I can afford the toys I wanted on it. I wanted an electric water pump, aluminum flywheel, Spec lightened clutch, etc, but those things may have to wait. God I don't want to shortcut the DOHC project, but I need a car.

I will have an update tomorrow, probably saying either its fine, or its still f-ed and I'm still pissed. Why me, just when everything seemed to be going great, why the fuck me?

crzyone · Post by **crzyone** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:59 am

You can just swap in the 3.4dohc stock, stock flywheel, new clutch etc. Just get it in and running. You can upgrade the motor when you find the time and the funds. You don't need to get everything all at once.

Once you drop the cradle a few times it will only take you a few hours. Its nothing to change a clutch for me anymore, a day and a few beers.

I bet the stock 3.4dohc will put a smile on your face, its night and day over the 2.8

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:13 am

That is true, and I just may have to do that. I could find the problem, hopefully its in the block, and then just swap the 3.4. Leave the clutch (Unless it needs a new one), leave everything else, just get the 3.4 running on stock manfifolds. This will also let me do bolt on modding, which can be a lot easier, and easier to source out issues.

God I'm just, trying to blame someone right now, and I hate doing that. I told my good friend he could borrow the car anytime, I left the keys in my room, etc. And maybe he drove it, f-ed it up, and won't tell me. Same thing with my sister. Unfortunately I did not take down the mileage.

It could be my leaking clutch slave, if it got low, and someone like my sister was driving it, she would just try grinding those gears, and she could have messed up the tranny. But I filled it a week before I left, and it takes a lot of driving to go low, over a couple weeks for me.

Arghhh this is frustrating, I had everything planned out, now I have to change. Maybe it will be for the better...

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 11:10 am

I suspect a rod bearing.

Fresh oil change, just before. Thts what happens. With 108k on them that sounds about right.

Its most likely a rod bearing. Ask your dad if it goes up and down with rpm. Thats a good clue right there.

My 2.8 in my old 85GT went right at 100k. It had like 100,063 on it when it started knocking. I was driving down the freeway not abusing it at all. Came to a stop at the exit ramp and it just started knocking while at the stop sign. Couldn't do anything about it.

You might be able to find out over the phone if he holds it near the engine. Its a 2p8 dude. DOnt' worry about it. They are junk motors. Toss it and just put a 3.4 in it and get it running, then upgrade for more hp later.

This sounds like a good excuse to do the swap now.

p8ntman442 · Post by **p8ntman442** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:14 pm

sounds a lot like when I was getting parts for my 4spd swap. My auto shit the bed a week b4 I could get a flywheel.

The Dark Side of Will · Fri Aug 19, 2005 12:48 pm

The TDC practically screws in place of the 2.8. You'll have to do 10 minutes of grinding with the Fiero engine mount bracket, figure out how to run the dog bone, chop a little out of the right decklid hinge and get a gas strut kit. After that it's just plumbing and wiring.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 1:46 pm

Yah I'm not worried about that, it is parts that I need.

I still need to get the electric water pump, poly engine mounts (I wanted to get bushings too...), and there are so many other things. Thank God I have extra intake and exhaust manifolds, for now, that will save me a few hundred dollars and a lot of time.

I can also wait on the poly engine mounts, I'll use the stockers for now, and chane them when I get the new clutch and flywheel. At the same time I can do the headers and intake manifolds.

I'll be getting Erik's harness, so that part is taken care of.

The Dark Side of Will · Fri Aug 19, 2005 2:35 pm

2.8 clutch and flywheel will bolt to 3.4.

Replacing engine/trans mounts with 3.4 is no more difficult than it is with 2.8 (except that the 3.4 is SOOO MUUUCHH HEAVIER) :thumbleft:

crzyone · Post by **crzyone** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 3:30 pm

You can use your stock clutch, just take it very easy on it until you have a new clutch in hand to replace it. No fast shifts or you'll end up like me...

The bluing of the clutch wasn't from me, it came that way.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Fri Aug 19, 2005 4:02 pm

Sounds good. It will still be pretty fast, Kevwood proved what some tricked out heads can do (257whp), so it should run pretty good still. I will use stock cams for now as well, since the factory intakes won't quite work with my 8000rpm cams.

I am almost looking forward to this, given how highly you all speak of a stock 3.4 in a Fiero. I will certainly take it easy on the clutch as well.

Series8217 · Post by **Series8217** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 5:27 am

Would be nice to get some baseline dyno numbers too. I dont know if I've ever seen a dyno chart of a stock 3.4 DOHC in a Fiero. Would be interesting to see how much of a difference the short exhaust and better intake makes.
Do you plan on using a 284 with it later or will you stick with the 282? You definitely shouldn't invest in a new clutch if you're going with the 284 later because they use a pull-style pressure plate.

Shaun41178(2) · Post by **Shaun41178(2)** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:23 pm

I have seen one dyno of a dohc in a fiero.

It had a cai setup, and a short exh with I think just dual resonators and it also had a fresh top end put on by GM service. It did 200 at the wheels Tq was slightly above that The curve was really good too. Its uploaded but I don't remember the url to post it

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:42 pm

Well I guess I could dyno it, but remember it would be with some REALLY good heads, an electric water pump, and a few other things. But I'll be more than happy to do it other than that.

I will be sticking with the 282 unless I run into problems. I have had pretty bad experience with the 284, and it is not my favorite transaxle by far.

The Dark Side of Will · Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:52 pm

The only transmissions that would not have been hurt by what you did don't have synchros.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:15 pm

It isn't just the 284 that I blew that gave me bad experience, all 3 of the ones I've had I was unimpressed with. The biggest thing is the extremely notchy shifting, and overall roughness. Like you HAVE to go 1-2, then reverse, to line them up, when you should be able to go R any time. The 284 won't to that. They are very crude trannies IMHO, and I never enjoyed it.

But if I end up having problems with the 282, ie too much power, than I really don't have much of a choice, and don't want an auto, so I will go 284 if I have to, but I'd rather not.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 1:20 am

Update:

As a result of my CRX CAI, my car makes a really loud (And quite annoying) hissing at idle. Anyways, my dad somehow managed to compare the hissing to a spun bearing. How he did this we might never know...Anyways, my buddy went over to the house, listened to the car run, and let my dad know that the sound was normal and a result from my intake.

So yah, my Boat Anchor is fine, which relieves me. Sorry for all the fake drama, lol, but I will again postpone my DOHC swap in favor of a stereo. But now for some reason I am worried about the 2.8l. It should be fine though, 108k is nothing...

Good thing I just burned $175 on the electric water pump....

Oversteer · Post by **Oversteer** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 8:32 am

Lovely Cold Air Intakes, hardly any power gain and a whole lot of noise.

Ricer mods rock. I got the same problem with my car, soon to be fixed though.

Aaron · Post by **Aaron** » Tue Aug 23, 2005 12:39 pm

Oversteer wrote:Lovely Cold Air Intakes, hardly any power gain and a whole lot of noise.

Ricer mods rock. I got the same problem with my car, soon to be fixed though.

Yah that hissing is really annoying. I did like the sound that the CAI gave though, and it might have given me like, 45hp. But at alittude, and with drivetrain losses, it only gave me like 20hp. But I'm sure at sea level, with no drivetrain, it would have given me like 50.

Well CAI's do a lof of good on some cars, I know my Z34 LOVED it, noticable power increase and the sound was amazing. It also did not hiss, just an all out growl.