Real Fiero Tech

Picked this up the other day





It took all summer to find, but I finally got one at the right price(interesting story).

Those go for $150 around here. But so do the SFI 3400s. What did you pay? And how much more wouls a 3400SFI have cost you?

Should work well with your turbo don. Those are aluminum head right? Save some weight and run cooler.

$150 Atilla, what kind of mileage are you talking or is that a rebuildable? I'd like to stay in the 60* family with my 88GT and run a 7730 so I could put the original motor back in if this car ever was worth anything.

Those turn up at Pick-N-Pull, in wrecked cars, so the mileage varies. The main issue is going every week, so you can get everything. If you just show up monthly, the starter, alternator and injectors will be long gone. I really inspect each engine I consider pulling, to make sure I can drive it with no rebuilding. There's just no demand for those engines, that's why the places like LKQ aren't getting $500+ for them around here. What LKQ can't make money on, Pick-N-Pull gets. I initially considered the aluminum-head 3400SFI for this very reason. I was going to turbo it. Alot less stuff to have wrong than the TwinDualCam 3.4L.

Atilla the Fun wrote:Alot less stuff to have wrong than the TwinDualCam 3.4L.

You mean one thing, a timing belt that lasts 60,000 miles. And a few more things to go right, like more horsepower and torque.

Atilla the Fun wrote:Those go for $150 around here. But so do the SFI 3400s. What did you pay? And how much more wouls a 3400SFI have cost you?

where's "around here"? In town I can't touch anything 2000+ for under $475, and thats with higher mileage. equivalent 3400's aren't much more expensive, but I wasn't looking for one.


This one has 80k on it and I had to drive over 2 hours to find it at $200.

i'm seriously curious, why choose a 3100 over a 3400? Smaller bores = shrouded valves. Around here for me is northern Utah. But $200 isn't bad.

In VA, early 3500's with 94mm bore are as cheap as 3400's and 3100's.

VA is generally a poor place to find used parts cheap, however.

the 3100 will be good swap. Much larger powerband then the factory iron turd. There is a guy on the other board who did low 14's with a stock 3400 and 5 spd.

Atilla the Fun wrote:i'm seriously curious, why choose a 3100 over a 3400?

Shaun41178(2) wrote:the 3100 will be good swap. Much larger powerband then the factory iron turd. There is a guy on the other board who did low 14's with a stock 3400 and 5 spd.

I'm hoping it works out pretty good. I'm gonna freshen the thing up a bit and add headstuds and whatnot before it goes in. Having the cam go in the last motor put me over budget, so I might as well go a little ways more....


The cavalier guys are supposedly getting 350whp+ out of em on around 10lbs of boost. I'm planning on a few pounds more

I am curious to see how easy the swap is. I have begun looking for a 3400 to do in my 88. Telling myself when I pull the motor to do the clutch and valve covers, I'll just swap in a 3400. We'll see. Post lots of pics.

The difference between a Gen II and a Gen III isn't so much...

On a Gen II swap the biggest mechanical issue is the accessory drive and alternator position.
I started to work on a single bracket that would pick up head and block bolt holes to low mount the alternator and be the engine-side dogbone mount, but didn't get a working prototype before I had to leave to come here.

Once the alternator's low mounted you have to figure out a belt routing and idler/tensioner placement that works without the power steering pump.