Need help with an engine for my fiero.

I am about to purchase an 88 fiero and I want to know what would be the best engine to swap into this car? I hear a v8 but I need fuel economy with gas costing $50/gal. and I hear the 3800 supercharged but that seems like extra maintanance. I was looking into a corvette engine like the 96-98 models.

Is 300 hp/300 tq still streetable?

I am about to purchase an 88 fiero and I want to know what would be the best engine to swap into this car? I hear a v8 but I need fuel economy with gas costing $50/gal. and I hear the 3800 supercharged but that seems like extra maintanance. I was looking into a corvette engine like the 96-98 models.

Is 300 hp/300 tq still streetable?

I also have a Corvette with over 350 horses and a lot more weight and it really moves. G forces and smoking tires sometimes scarey.

A 3800 will give you from 170hp to 205 hp depending on model year. The supercharged version from 205 to 250.

A North Star around 300hp. good choice

A Corvette with the mid 90s engines are also around 300 + hp but the North Star is more popular with the Fieros.

Think about the trans compatability also.
EdR

one thing about putting a v-8 in a fiero is keeping it cool back there...becasue you sure dont want to overheat all the time... me personally would go with the 3800 supercharged...that is plenty of horses and torque... a small black 350 is not bad either for a v-8

If you want the easy route (and fuel economical) find a 3.1L turbo v6. It will bolt right in to an originally 2.8L equiped Fiero, not require any suspension mods like the heavy v8 would, stay much much cooler, and *just might* plug right into the stock harness. You need to swap the prom chip from the donor car for it to run right though - if a 2.8L non turbo prom sees pressure at the map sensor instead of vacuum it'll freak out and get confused and the engine may not run at all.

I just met a guy who put a 3800SC in a Fiero, he said if he had the chance to do it again he'd pass, said getting the wiring right was a month in hell.

My car is getting a 3.1L bored over .020 - I've dumped the EFI and decided to replace it with a edelbrock intake, holley 390 4 barrel and mallory duel point distributor. No complicated ecm wiring to worry about. Then again, I'll have over $3000 into the motor by the time I'm done.. eek!

I was thinking about just rebuilding the bottom end with a performance rebuild kit from thefierostore.com. Then run some NOS until I can afford a supercharger. With that rebuild kit and other small upgrades I could run a 250 shot but I won't, I just want atleast 250/250+. This is my daily driver/dragster/autoXer and I am trying to get the most bang for my buck. I am trying to do like anybody else be fast, reliable and fairly cheap. I mean I can have a fast ass fiero for 3k or a fast honda for 10k, so when I say cheap that's what I mean, not APC cheap.

Don't get too carried away with the bottom end, GM 2.8L stock rods are rumored to handle 7000rpm without skipping a beat. The weak point is really the top end, but GM performance parts makes roller lifters and rockers along with a special cam to match. Thease parts are also found in late nineties to present 60 degree v 6 engines (think Impala and Malibu) and do not wear much at all, so you could probably pick up a crash job and steal parts for a few hundered. There are stroker kits for that block too, but they seem a wee bit overpriced.

yeah roller rockers and lifters are a must!! matching sets of rockers, lifters and cams are the best way to go but cost more usually. you can also opt for high lift rockers or a performance cam but dont get both. bad stuff will happen

Okay.....

I don't have alot of money to spend so I would like to make the most of what I got. I would like to have a very quick, daily driven, dragster/autoXer.

I am not to familiar with the 60 and 90 degree engine family.

Do all the 60 degree engine parts interchange? What about the 90 degree engines?

What would be my easiest/cheapest way to get 300hp/300tq at the crank?

how much money do you want to spend on the engine

See that's the tricky part.....

I want like 300hp/300tq crankwise, but as cheap as possible and as reliable as possible. I know you can't mix cheap and reliable but a 50/50 of both is practical. I would spend like 3-4k.

i think you will be able to get close to that hp out of a super duty 4 maybe even more for 4k

I am about to purchase an 88 fiero and I want to know what would be the best engine to swap into this car? I hear a v8 but I need fuel economy with gas costing $50/gal. and I hear the 3800 supercharged but that seems like extra maintanance. I was looking into a corvette engine like the 96-98 models.

Is 300 hp/300 tq still streetable?

If you want FUEL ECONOMY, why are you considering a Corvette engine. Wherever gas cost is $50/gallon.

A 3.4 V6 from the 90s Camaro or Firebird is a direct bolt on with moving the starter. The Fiero ECM would be compatable.

A 3800/3800 SC is a fairly "easy" swap, but you'd need the donor cars ECM and transmission. If you don't beat the car, you can expect decent gas milage approaching 30 mpg and lots of driving power.

300hp/torque is streetable if you know how to drive it.

You can actually get 30mpg with the 3800 s/c?
I can't seem to find any sites that are selling the L67, would you be able to help me there? Is the 3800 a direct bolt in?
The 90's camaro/firebird engine sounds like a damn good idea. I know I should be able to find one for cheap, but I would rather have the 3800 s/c. Why would I need the 3800 tranny, the getrag won't bolt up? I know if it bolts up it can handle the 3800.
Someone also told me to get the 3.4 dohc, do you know what that is in and if it is worth it? Anything would help.

You can actually get 30mpg with the 3800 s/c?
I can't seem to find any sites that are selling the L67, would you be able to help me there? Is the 3800 a direct bolt in?
The 90's camaro/firebird engine sounds like a damn good idea. I know I should be able to find one for cheap, but I would rather have the 3800 s/c. Why would I need the 3800 tranny, the getrag won't bolt up? I know if it bolts up it can handle the 3800.
Someone also told me to get the 3.4 dohc, do you know what that is in and if it is worth it? Anything would help.


I'm getting 28 mpg with my 3800sc in a 99 Buick Regal which weighs 1000 pounds more than a Fiero. The 3800 is not quite a direct bolt on. The getrag can bolt to the 3800, but in today's engine, the ECM (computer) that runs the car is expecting an automatic transmission. Since most all 3800 sc engines come from cars with automatics. If you want a getrag 5 speed transmission, you'll need to reprogram the ECM. Also the wiring harness to mate a 3800 to a Fiero needs to be created or purchased. Cost to purchase varies from $800-1500 for the wiring harness.

A 3.4 DOHC is a screaming engine that also requires some work to install. There are reliability issues with those engines and many "junkyard" 3.4 DOHC engine have high milage or were beat, so a rebuild may be needed to get reliability.

There are many more pushrod 3.4 engines around to choose from. The basic 3.4 has about 40 more HP than the stock 2.8 and if it needs some refreshing performance internal components can be added.

My 88 had a 3.4 crate engine installed plus a 440T four speed auto transmission and it gets about 29 mpg over the road, driving sanely.

You can look up JEGS for engine replacements, but most of those are pricey new or remanufactured engines.

I was thinking the other day what about just building up the 2.8 and s/c it and/or juice it. Probably nitrous first b/c it is the cheapest. Plus when not using it I get stock fuel economy.

I also heard that the 2.8 and the 3.1 are identical except the crank. I was told if I replace the 2.8 crank and cam with a 3.1 crank and cam I will have a 3.1?

I've also been looking at this shit.....what do you think yay or nay?

V6 PERFORMANCE REBUILD ENGINE KITS
http://www.secureleadercom.com/fsstore/default.asp?bodystyle=1&topdeptnumber=350&searchBit=3&dept=352&page=3

V6 PERFORMANCE CYLINDER HEAD SET
http://www.secureleadercom.com/fsstore/default.asp?bodystyle=1&topdeptnumber=350&searchBit=3&dept=352&page=1


I figure with those 2 and a 260 or 272 cam and some ignition and fuel upgrades I should be in the 200whp range then I can run a ZEX or NX kit and be content til I get the money for a S/C. OH yeah and a way better intake manifold from somewhere.

Is it hard to go from a 2 bolt main to a 4 or 6 bolt main?

What do you think?

The 3.1 from the Lumina/Transports are fairly identical to the 2.8. The 3.4 from the Camaro/Firebirds are internally balanced, but the Fiero intake and valve covers bolt right on. I'd work with the 3.4 for you have more displacement to start with and more HP from the start. The 3.4 was rated at 175 HP while the 2.8 was rated at 135 HP. So you should have fewer problems getting to 200 HP with a 3.4. Most any modifications to boost HP greatly will shorten engine life and encourage reliability issues.

if you want to juice it you better build up the top end. those perf heads and valves should be enough. the engine kit will be good too. go with a roller cam set cuz its way smoother and more reliable. i would think the 2.8 will handle the nos better than the 3.1 would but i dont know for sure

I also heard that the 2.8 and the 3.1 are identical except the crank. I was told if I replace the 2.8 crank and cam with a 3.1 crank and cam I will have a 3.1?

Well, you do have to bore the cylinders to 3.530" or you'll have a more like 2.9 :iceslolan

If you go with a roller cam you WILL need a thrust plate behind the timing gear or you'll have little pieces of Fiero everywear in a rather short period of time.

I was told not to get roller rockers or rollers arms (or whatever they are) I was told to get a cam with higher lift.


perf. heads
perf. rebuild kit
arp rod bolts
forged rods
272 or 260 cam
75 or 100 shot


That should give me 250-275 whp, I hope.


About the fiero rods some say GM forged them others say they aren't. Wich is it?