Engine swap help????

i was woundering if anyone could give me some input on my car i have a 95' chevey camaro 3.4 v6 ... i want more power and i need my engine rebuilt cuz theres alot of miles on it , i was told that if i want more power i should swap for a 3.8 3800 i dont know if that engine just bolts up or not but i already got a chevy 350 that needs rebuilt to but i was woundering if droppin tha 350 in my camaro would be alot more work and money or would i be payin out the same in the end ????

[CHEV 383]

I would say do the V8 swap. I am not sure of all of the details, but you will end up spending half as much money rebuilding a V6 or upgrading to another V6 when in the end, if you focused on cost and looked around for a good small block V8 (305 or 350) you will be more successful. too many times I have rebuilt engines and in the end spent almost as much as buying a new crate motor WITH A WARRANTY!!!!!! JMO though......

[01WU8]

It might be more work, but will have a better pay off in the end IMO...

[Formula Z]

how many miles?? i still think putting on a turbo is your best bet, depending on mileage. it will get better gas mileage then a v8 with about the same power of a stock 305 or 350, if you keep your foot out of it. but again it all depends on the mileage.

[JoeliusZ28]

go with the v8. youll need a v8 cross member which is no small task. also the type of fuel system the v8 has could call for some modification.

either way if youre gonna swap it, swap it. Might as well do some extra work for some extra power. Also if youre gonna do a v8 swap, I REALLY recommend doing headers at this time. Its MUCH easier to install them now than when the engine is already in, and believe me, most small blocks love headers, especially LT1s. youll pick up a lot of high RPM power as well as some solid gas mileage gains.

[bmwmcars]

lt1 swap ftw. not hard to do at all. could do it in a weekend if you had all the goods ready.

[Aguilar2287]

well i think im decidin on going with a turbo 6 cyl. more gas efficiant and hopefully in tha future i can afford a 5th generation for my v8 car , plus i like being tha underdog lol..

[Formula Z]

keep it stock looking and it would definately be a sleeper. you would surprise a lot of people. You need to get some better pics of your car up here also. PM me if you need help doing that.

[bmwmcars]

well i think im decidin on going with a turbo 6 cyl. more gas efficiant and hopefully in tha future i can afford a 5th generation for my v8 car , plus i like being tha underdog lol..

i am all for turbo v6 power, its fun for sure. but its not cheap, not to do properly imho. are you going to only run low boost? or rebuild your motor for lower compression so you can turn the wick up?

[scholtmj]

Crate motor = less expensive than a custom built one. I'm an idiot and have about 10k in my 305! It's pushing 500hp but for that money I could have bought a RamJet 502 or an LSX with new heads and a cam which would have reached 500hp easily. Custom motors are fun but waaay expensive.

my 2 cents.

[Aguilar2287]

im planing on buying a 3800 3.8 and building it up while its outta tha car i wanna get it pretty powerful so i know its gonna be alot of money but its gonna be fun when im done with it i want it to handle plenty of boost so i can get some decent power outta it ...

[JoeliusZ28]

turboing any engine is probably more grief than an engine swap almost gauranteed. and the mileage arguement is really non-existant. I havent gotten less than 17.5 with my LT1 in a really long time.

[scholtmj]

im planing on buying a 3800 3.8 and building it up while its outta tha car i wanna get it pretty powerful so i know its gonna be alot of money but its gonna be fun when im done with it i want it to handle plenty of boost so i can get some decent power outta it ...

If you're planning on more power than an LT1, then you're talking serious money. You'll need a cyclone/typhon ECM, beefed up trans, new driveshaft, a 12 bolt rear end (at least 2500 bucks) plus an upgraded fuel system. If you're car has t-tops you'll need subframe connectors or a roll cage. And while you're speeding faster and faster you might consider nice brakes to stop yourself. All those mods are in addition to the cost of the motor. I bet you'll easily have 20K into the car once you're done.

Good luck.

[JoeliusZ28]

If you're planning on more power than an LT1, then you're talking serious money. You'll need a cyclone/typhon ECM, beefed up trans, new driveshaft, a 12 bolt rear end (at least 2500 bucks) plus an upgraded fuel system. If you're car has t-tops you'll need subframe connectors or a roll cage. And while you're speeding faster and faster you might consider nice brakes to stop yourself. All those mods are in addition to the cost of the motor. I bet you'll easily have 20K into the car once you're done.

Good luck.

12 bolt isnt necessary unless youre talking WAY more than LT1 numbers. Ive got a strong LT1 with a really bitey clutch (i chirp 4th gear at 80 mph) and my 10 bolt hasnt popped yet (although im sure its a matter of time).

[Aguilar2287]

lol now im confused i dont know what i want to do it seems no matter what im lookin at a lot of money and every one has very good arguments i already have a 350 im thinkin about buildin it up and then seein how things go but what all would i need to put it in my camaro