I plan on rebuilding my 3.8L series II. I got about 1500-2000 I'm willing to invest in this. I'd like to achieve slightly better horsepower and torque. Maybe +20-30 tops. What all do I need for this rebuild. I'm mean everything, all the gaskets, and everything. I appreciate any help.

 

all gaskets, brearings, rings, head bolts, valve seats/guides replace any worn out parts like springs and stuff like that. But a rebuild isn't going to gain you any more power that what came stock with the engien to begine with. The only way to gain power is to mod eitehr bore, stroke, cam, or bump up the compression ratio thats the only way you are going to gain any power. But once you stay messing with stuff like that you are going to be well over 2000 bucks. Internal engien mods are not cheap or easy to do. Your going to have to find some one extreamly knowelagble in the field and be prapried to fork over some big bucks.

 

I don't see any improment in a rebuild 3800. There cheap, easy to find, and the money spend it's worth it for what you "upgrading". Ther is a 4.1L stroker kit put it's not as strong, and fits for a max NA build.
Stock they handle 300-400 whp fine.
I'd just get a good used motor, and get rockers, or a good cam like a ZZP grind. (zzperformace.com )
That will reack you goal easy.

 

well, I have to rebuild the engine anyway, I figured I'd up the oomph a bit. I have no complaints if I had to leave it stock, without a larger stroke or bore or whatnot. My girlfriend spun a rod when she let it overheat, and happened to crack the block as well. I found a 3.8 for 200 with 200,000 miles on it, but I figured I'd rebuilt it just to be on the safe side.

I'm not too worried about having someone helping me, since the guy who owned the car before me, and my best friend, really wants to see it up and running, and is a student at UTI. But if anyone could take the time and help me make a list of whatever I need, I'd really appreciate it.

 

hey i have a 97 firebird 3.8l and i have done alote to it if you are planning on spending 2000 then here is some ideas of what you can do like i did to mine frist i would gett some pace setter headers then flowmaster exhaust then get a performance cam ,and some performance pistons you can get all of this at this website http://www.ftpp.net/V6Main.htm its a good one you will have to get the headers off of another website. but if you do all of that you will be pushing close to 400 or more.

 

I don't think adding a turbo charger and all that other crap to it has anything to do with rebuilding a 3800 v6 engine, lol

 

Um... let's see what's wrong here...
a) flowmaster on a v6
b) overuse of the word "performance"
c) ftpp has headers for the 3.8L, dunno why you say he'll need to go somewhere else
d) 400 or more from exhaust and a cam... definatly not (whether you're talking about price or horsepower)

 

Oh please, when you ran that 14.9 just admit you were only giving it 1/4th gas...

 

That was a few months before the cam as well.

 

Thats actually pretty intersting, more info on the car when you ran the time? M5 or A4? Mods?

 

Why not just do a V8 swap or something like a turbo v6 like in the grand national? Why waste the money on 3800. But it's ur money not mine, just my opinion.

 

Full exhaust, intake, lsd w/4.10s (M5) 92 degree weather and 90% humidity.

 

Thats not bad at all, If you're down south where there's no snow and no track closures I'd like to see how it would react to the cold denser air and less humidity with the cam... I'm thinking with traction you might beable to hang with SRT4's? or Stock LT1's being alittle optomistic?

 

hey i said more then just cam there bud like raceing pistons and cam, headers ,flowmaster ex now i have done all this stuff to mine plus speed chip new igntion system and alote of other stuff and just to say aging i am pushing close to 400 there bub. i had it dinoed.

 

The other guy who has this cam is running a 13.6 with a stock tune on drag radials. He has a few eight reductions as compared to me and has 3.73s where I have 4.10s. I recently got some drag radials and can't wait to use em. I'm not looking as optimistic as a 13.6 but a 13.99999999 would make me a happy man, lol.