Y Dos Every 1 Say That V6 3.4
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 12,312
From: Aurora, IL
There are just better platforms out there to work with. I don't know what kind of aftermarket there is for the 3.4, but if you are talking about boosting it, you are going to have to look into upgrading alot of different things depending how crazy you get with it.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 9,507
From: Okemos, MI
Please turn off Caps Lock when you're posting. Also, please write in complete sentences and give us as much information as you can about your car and what you want to do with it. It makes it much easier for us to know how to help you.
The 3.4L V6 that was used in the 1993-1995 Camaros and Firebirds is weak and doesn't generate much horsepower, especially in the higher RPM range. Later 3.4L V6's (found in other cars) from 1997 and later have much better heads and intake manifolds, and make quite a bit more power. I've heard of people swapping those parts over to their Camaros with good results.
The 3.8L V6 in the '96+ cars already has some decent heads and a decent intake manifold, so it doesn't suffer from that problem. The performance aftermarket for the 3800 is MUCH broader than for the 3.4.
The LT1 and LS1 V8 engines have huge aftermarket followings and huge performance potential.
Do you already own a car and you are considering an engine swap, or are you thinking about buying a car?
The 3.4L V6 that was used in the 1993-1995 Camaros and Firebirds is weak and doesn't generate much horsepower, especially in the higher RPM range. Later 3.4L V6's (found in other cars) from 1997 and later have much better heads and intake manifolds, and make quite a bit more power. I've heard of people swapping those parts over to their Camaros with good results.
The 3.8L V6 in the '96+ cars already has some decent heads and a decent intake manifold, so it doesn't suffer from that problem. The performance aftermarket for the 3800 is MUCH broader than for the 3.4.
The LT1 and LS1 V8 engines have huge aftermarket followings and huge performance potential.
Do you already own a car and you are considering an engine swap, or are you thinking about buying a car?
Banned
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,577
From: Sandy VJJville
I love my 3.4 because even after 15 years and 217,500 miles, it has never been rebuilt or even had the valve covers off, runs fine, and still gets 30mpg on the highway. I don't look to it for anything more than fuel economy though. To think of it as a peformance motor is just laughable. 
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 12,312
From: Aurora, IL
Personally, I wouldn't supercharge it, I would work with another platform, whether it be buying a different car or swapping in a different motor. What kind of budget are you working with? An engine swap can become costly, buying a new car can be costly, and switching to forced induction will be as well.
Super Moderator
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 9,507
From: Okemos, MI
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 2,092
From: lakeville, pa
guys the correct term here is Superchargers. as in " i would like to Superchargers my car, but i can not afford it. but it is also to mach to twin turbo"
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 234
From: state of confusion
cesar - I realize that you're really new here . . . so I'll go easy . . . and tone it down . . .
If you want to get all of the really good answers, please start asking your technical questions in a less casual manner. Except for posts in off-topic forums, IM-speak, text-messaging, or whatever that communications mess is called these days gives the impression that you might not be smart enough to understand the answers, so people tend to hold back. My eight year old granddaughter writes and spells better than that.
I get paid really good money at my day job, and I'd be insulted if any client ever sent me a request for information or work to be done that looked like that. You can be damn sure that I'd bill him extra for the time it took me to figure out what he said, and then from that what he really meant. I'd make it a separate line-item on the bill so that he would absolutely get the message.
Anyway . . .
On-topic, IIRC the 3.4 was once available in a DOHC arrangement with somewhere over 200 hp even after being downgraded to suit the capacity of the then-available transmissions. I think early testing put it at 270-ish with decent reliability on the test stand. Point being that at least the bottom end ought to be good for an upgrade regardless of the heads and valvetrain, or you might even find the DOHC pieces themselves. If you were to go the DOHC route, I'll suggest investigating for any improvements made for better in-service reliability (it's been a while since I considered using this engine in anything or talked with anybody who was running one).
Norm
If you want to get all of the really good answers, please start asking your technical questions in a less casual manner. Except for posts in off-topic forums, IM-speak, text-messaging, or whatever that communications mess is called these days gives the impression that you might not be smart enough to understand the answers, so people tend to hold back. My eight year old granddaughter writes and spells better than that.
I get paid really good money at my day job, and I'd be insulted if any client ever sent me a request for information or work to be done that looked like that. You can be damn sure that I'd bill him extra for the time it took me to figure out what he said, and then from that what he really meant. I'd make it a separate line-item on the bill so that he would absolutely get the message.
Anyway . . .
On-topic, IIRC the 3.4 was once available in a DOHC arrangement with somewhere over 200 hp even after being downgraded to suit the capacity of the then-available transmissions. I think early testing put it at 270-ish with decent reliability on the test stand. Point being that at least the bottom end ought to be good for an upgrade regardless of the heads and valvetrain, or you might even find the DOHC pieces themselves. If you were to go the DOHC route, I'll suggest investigating for any improvements made for better in-service reliability (it's been a while since I considered using this engine in anything or talked with anybody who was running one).
Norm
Registered User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,209
Teh 3.4 Dose Not Have A Lot Of Potentail. Teh Fatest 3.4 Car Was A Turbochargers Firebird Tat Put Out A Lil Ova 300 Hosepowa And Ran In Teh 13's. Full Bolt-on Naturaly Asspirated Cars Run In Teh 15's.
Yo Wood Be Much Beter Of Ether Swapin Teh 3.4l Out Fo A Lt1, Or Selin Teh Car An Buyin A Lt1 Or Ls1 Car.
Yo Wood Be Much Beter Of Ether Swapin Teh 3.4l Out Fo A Lt1, Or Selin Teh Car An Buyin A Lt1 Or Ls1 Car.
Last edited by skorpion317; Mar 19, 2008 at 08:21 AM.