85 camaro v6?

[1984rampage]

Anyone have any info on the 2.8L camaros? Me and my friend recently acwuired one for free and were gonna drift in it but we need power. Its totally gutted. Can these be turboed for like 5 psi?

[black86glhs]

This is all speculation. I feel is should handle 5 psi no problem. If it is a 2.8 MPI, find the injectors for the 3.1 mpi cars and swap em. The 3.1's will flow a little more, just to make sure it doesn't go lean. I always wanted to do this to a 3.1 car myself.....sounds like fun.

[turbovanman²]

The 85 is a carb and ICK, shiat setup. You need to either run fuel injection, install a real carb by custom making a spacer/adapter or drop in a carb V8 and turbo that. The V6 isn't very strong so I doubt it will take 5 psi, plus the cast iron heads are awful and the list goes on.

[1984rampage]

No, its fuel injected, but I cant find ANY info about the engines compression, etc. This is a total junkyard build so were not tryin to break any records. besides corkey bell's maximum boost what are some other good books?

[1984rampage]

I found the specs and for a drift car they aint good, so we need some serious upgrades.

Coupe Berlinetta Firebird
Engine: LB8 V6
C/R: 8.9:1
Displacement: 2.8L (173)
HP: 135@5100
TQ: 165@3900
Fuel: MFI

The compression ratio looks good enough for boost but I just wonder what it could take?

[88_pacifica]

Personally, if you are hell-bent on making a turboe'd V6 carbed setup, I would get a 3.8 Hot-air setup off of a late 70's/early 80's turbo regal. monte, etc. The guys on the Buick boards basically junk those setups and you could get them for a song if I had to guess because they are SO anemic. However, be warned you will NOT fare well with even an N/A omni because of the lack of torque that particular car desperately needs...

[bradp]

85's are definately fuel injecteced. (Zin) on here has messed around with turboing a 60' chevy V6.

[Dodge Aries K]

2.8 DOS PUNTO OCHO is a terrible failure prone engine that will not withstand any sort of abuse in the Camaro or Firebird and will probably start or already does have a rod knock<- And that's coming from a buddy of mine who liked RWD GM product.

[slasky]

2.8 DOS PUNTO OCHO is a terrible failure prone engine that will not withstand any sort of abuse in the Camaro or Firebird and will probably start or already does have a rod knock<- And that's coming from a buddy of mine who liked RWD GM product.

I was just about to say the same thing. 2.8s are know for spinning rod bearings.

[88_pacifica]

I was just about to say the same thing. 2.8s are know for spinning rod bearings.

among other things... they suck the big, hairy....

[1984rampage]

Well, thanks for the advice. Anyone have any ideas on getting more torque from this POS?

[skitzo_inc]

I had a 83Z28 with the L69 motor...get one of those? Those have crazy torque...as far as V6 goes, I've never owned one, 4 cylinders or eight...

[88_pacifica]

rebuild it for starters. You HAVE to go through it with better parts and I would balance the motor, BUT if you're going to all that trouble, you already know....

[1984rampage]

I was reading one of the forums about the 2.8L and they say the engine can take as much as 10 psi stock. If we do this there will be a large intercooler and alky/water injection to supress detonation.

[jamesmonty]

You would be better off time and $$$ to drop a v8 in that car. Pick up a 305 or 350 with a auto tranny for $100 (or less) and drop it in. Find some used headers and piece a used NOS kit together for fun. Car is not worth the trouble to turbo. If your hell bent on turbo, turbo the v8 with one of those $400 e-bay turbo kits. I have always been told a GM v-6 will cost as much as a V-8 to re-build so why not go v8?

[turbovanman²]

No, its fuel injected, but I cant find ANY info about the engines compression, etc. This is a total junkyard build so were not tryin to break any records. besides corkey bell's maximum boost what are some other good books?

Interesting, maybe its a US thing. I worked at the dealer and 85's were carb'ed with a few models having a first year PFI system, the Pontiac Goole was one of them,

Personally, if you are hell-bent on making a turboe'd V6 carbed setup, I would get a 3.8 Hot-air setup off of a late 70's/early 80's turbo regal. monte, etc. The guys on the Buick boards basically junk those setups and you could get them for a song if I had to guess because they are SO anemic. However, be warned you will NOT fare well with even an N/A omni because of the lack of torque that particular car desperately needs...

That would be fun, the 3.8 should drop right in and you must get the matching trans, as the bellhousings are different. The newer cars got a 3.8 powertrain and the 20th Anniversary got a turbo'd 3.8, ala the GN.

Well, thanks for the advice. Anyone have any ideas on getting more torque from this POS

Yep, rip it out and drop another engine in. I had a local guy try to turbo a 3.1 but it cost him a shiatload of money as the rods, cranks are very weak. He built the engine that got tired of it and sold the car without every putting the turbo kit on. If you can jury rig up the turbo system, why not try it, you've got nothing to lose but time and a bit of money, just make a belly pan for it,

[TurboSedan]

i turbocharged a FWD LH0 3.1L 60* Chevy V6 that was in my '91 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. i turbocharged it when the engine had 227,xxx miles and it had never ever been rebuilt. when i turbocharged it i installed a new Melling HV oil pump and a new timing chain, that was it. it took 12-14psi boost no problem and i made 230whp/337wtq on the dyno with it. the dyno chart looked alot like a 2.5L turbo. i turbocharged it with '89-'90 ASC/McLaren Turbo Grand Prix parts (yes i know that's not possible on RWD). it was alot of fun, could roast the tires nailing the gas in 2nd gear with the Getrag 5-speed. i sold the car last fall when it had 255,xxx miles. the new owner is still driving it around (and beats the hell out of it ) that damn thing just won't die. fwiw, that engine had 8.8:1 CR.

a 2.8L should be stronger than a 3.1L since it's really the same engine but less stroke. at least i would think it would be but i could be wrong. not sure about your '85 engine, but mine had factory forged rods and a cast crank. not many people who turbocharged 60* V6 engines have problems with the crank or bearings. the weak link is the cast pistons.

anyway, if it were my car i would drop in an L98 TPI 350 and turbocharge that

-------------------------------
Joshua Mitchell
'91 Dodge SPiRiT R/T
'87 Shelby CSX #667
'98 Buick Regal GS

[Turbodave]

I drove a freinds 86 Firebird with a 305 4bbl setup and it was a real challenge to get that turd to spin the tires going around a corner. I can't imagine drifitng with a 305 car let alone a V6 car, maybe buy two space saver spares for the back of it and then water down the track?

[turbovanman²]

i turbocharged a FWD LH0 3.1L 60* Chevy V6 that was in my '91 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. i turbocharged it when the engine had 227,xxx miles and it had never ever been rebuilt. when i turbocharged it i installed a new Melling HV oil pump and a new timing chain, that was it. it took 12-14psi boost no problem and i made 230whp/337wtq on the dyno with it. the dyno chart looked alot like a 2.5L turbo. i turbocharged it with '89-'90 ASC/McLaren Turbo Grand Prix parts (yes i know that's not possible on RWD). it was alot of fun, could roast the tires nailing the gas in 2nd gear with the Getrag 5-speed. i sold the car last fall when it had 255,xxx miles. the new owner is still driving it around (and beats the hell out of it ) that damn thing just won't die. fwiw, that engine had 8.8:1 CR.

a 2.8L should be stronger than a 3.1L since it's really the same engine but less stroke. at least i would think it would be but i could be wrong. not sure about your '85 engine, but mine had factory forged rods and a cast crank. not many people who turbocharged 60* V6 engines have problems with the crank or bearings. the weak link is the cast pistons.

anyway, if it were my car i would drop in an L98 TPI 350 and turbocharge that

-------------------------------
Joshua Mitchell
'91 Dodge SPiRiT R/T
'87 Shelby CSX #667
'98 Buick Regal GS

The FWD and RWD drive engines are different-heads, intakes and depending on the year, they changed the cranks too.

[TurboSedan]

ah i don't know anything about the older stuff, just assumed it was the same for the most part.

regardless i would ditch the V6 idea altogether and go SBC.

---------------------
Joshua Mitchell
'91 Dodge SPiRiT R/T
'87 Shelby CSX #667
'98 Buick Regal GS