Just curious. Girlfriends got a 98 Firebird wiht a 3800 (I think its an L36?) and a 5 speed. Just want to know how* strong the bottom ends are.

We're looking into a heads/cam swap and exhasut/rear end gears, but thats upward toward 3500-4000 bucks...

I designed a nice turbo setup for my saturn that was a whole hell of a lot cheaper than that... just curious as to how much those bottom ends of the 3.8's can take, becuase it'd make more sense to turbo the thing for cheaper than heads/cam. She doesnt need a lot of power, maybe close to 280-300 whp woudl be nice.

Thanks.
Steve

 

IDK how strong, there are some people using forced induction on them though.

http://web.camaross.com/forums/showt...13#post3156313

 

it'll handle that amount of power no problem. I've been running the dyno numbers in my sig for a year now. With a T04 turbo, you'd probably be around 280 with 7-8psi, which is well within the safe area for these cars.

 

How much cheaper!!?? And whats your secret??!! Ive been looking into getting something similiar, but like you said theyre upwards of 3-4k and last I checked Im still poor folk!

 

From what I have been told, the 3.8L supercharged motor in my grand prix is very similar to the 3.8 in f-bodies, minus the supercharger and the f-body being a longitudinal motor and the grand prix a transverse mounted. Anyways, on clubgp.com there are numerous members there pushing their motors well beyond 400 horsepower on stock bottom ends with no problems and some are already beyond 100K miles. Also, there is barely an aftermarket for beefier bottom end parts for our 3.8 supercharged motors other than forged pistons and rods so we have no choice but to put crazy numbers on stock bottom ends!!

 

I designed the turbo kit for my saturn thats close to 380 whp.

I designed the turbo kit for our 11.40's Cavalier drag car.

And Im designing the kit for the girlfirends firebird, and doing the work myself. I am estimating the final cost of just the turbo parts and fuel parts (new pump/injectors/tuning) to be in the 1500-1800 dollar range.

The kit for the saturn was only 2200 bucks, but on a 8:1 bottom end taken .045 over and sleeved with forged guts, full race port on the head, and about 25 psi of boost .... I needed a much bigger turbo

Once the project goes underway Ill be sure to post pics, details, prices, etc etc for a DIY kit. It isnt hard to do, just common sense and some automotive knowledge of WHY parts break when honda queers want to put too much boost down below

 

friend ran up to 12 lbs, currently 10, on his. Pushing 350wrhp.

 

err... what the hell did you do to your T5 to handle that much torque man?

 

It handles boost pretty welll...


you wanna go overboard, you can swap in a GTP block or just GTP internals, they are compatible.

YOu don't need to but drops the compression, and makes it similar to a "boosted motor"

besides if you do kill the motor you could probalby pick up a used low mileage 3.8L for like $300-600.

one thing you may want to incorporate into your budget is tuning too...

check out the forced induction section at www.firebirdv6.com you can get some good info their.

 

Nothing. I already blew one up.

 

LOL Very nice! The last time I did in my BW T-56.... Wow... took a 2" chunk out of the flywheel and cracked the pressure plate in 2 pieces... HAHA

 

If you design and build your own turbo system you can do it for a fraction of the built ones.