3800 Vs 3400/3500

[nocutt]

Weird thread...I bet if this thread came up in a 90 degree board the feeling will be reversed...well of course it will
I love the 60 degree engines but not when it comes to adding power...yeah if you want to play with stock power all day then keep your 60 degree...if you want a boost in displacement then that nasty @ss sounding 90 degree Buick V6 is the ticket...hey but not everyone will share my enthusiasm...and for the record most enthusiast that tinker with the 60 degree v6's are Do-it-yourselfers so it is a closer community which unfortunately is probably less than 1% of the populate that drive the cars with this recepient engines...
In a perfect world a 3400 will produce ~207 hp and a 3800 will produce ~231 hp without the technological gimmicks nowadays , alas the world isn't that perfect...but as far as performance goes and we are still talking small community here...the 3800 hands down, L67 or L36 they both respond well to mods not to say this cannot be accomplished with a 3X00 motor...but to be fair in regards to only performance which is the sole reasons why most boards even exist...stock form, weight for weight, power for power...you add a stick with the same gearing to the individual engines...you might as well forget the 3x000 motor...iron heads, balance shaft or not...this motors where built to haul 3800-4000lbs sedans and coupes around and they do it Oh so well if ask me...
Bottom end is as stout as a Mofo
Head gasket technology wasn't el cheapo (thank goodness)
I mean this suckas are just candidates to be BLOWN

[Manitcor]

From someone who has had a blown 3x00 engine as well as modded both the 3100 and 3400 I would say they respond just as well to mods as the 3800 if not better.

On my 3100 pre-turbo dynoed 134hp/164tq and with just 4psi turned 171hp/218tq after driving for 5k miles I redid the head gaskets and top end, there was no damage to the cylinders or pistons and the valves were perfectly clean and this was with stock internals. I ended up loosing the engine to a leak in an oil line

So I replaced the engine with an NA (for now) 3400 and I have to say with the few mods I have its damn strong and runs really well.

The problem that the 3x00 engines suffer is lack of aftermarket, but with the coming of the 3500 and the 3900 as well as slowly increasing support for aftermarket things will only get better for the 60v engines.

[GPXSS]

ID hafta say that with the introduction of the 3900...

this thread has just been

[gpse3400]

And the 3500......

[Rhedalert]

the 3500 makes the 3800 obsolete. The 3900 makes the 3.8 SC obsolete. Therefore 3800 owners can continue using Pentium 1

[Sorin]

Yeah, which makes me wonder if GM is going to start replacing the 3.8L with the 3.9L in the cars that come with 3.8s. And whether the 3.9L will replace all 3.8s, or just the supercharged 3.8s, or what. That'd be awesome. They could replace all 3.8s with the 3.9, and then in place of the L67s, they could supercharge the 3.9

[Rhedalert]

no, we must keep 3.8's cause the 400 lb heads are good for NAWWWWWWWZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! And BOOOOOSSSSSSTTTTTTTTT!1!!!!!1111 And no engine is worthy of anything if it isnt Blown, right?

[nocutt]

I don't see GM replacing the 3800 any time soon...besides it still doesn't matter...the LC2 was cancelled what? Almost 15 years ago?!?!...and the aftermarket blew out off proportion when that happened. The 3100, 3400, 3500 and 3900 are nice platforms but I still cannot envision the community been bigger than the 3.8/3800...
As far as which is better...no point, whatever they were meant to do;they do well...the point to me is when we are talking aftermarket...hands down 3.8/3800...
GM is trying so hard now to reinvent themselves...croonies ...it is too late, IMHO. Stick to a program and stand by it...look at what FOR....D did with most of their 4 and 8 cylinder programs especially of late...now it is freaking 2.2 ecotec...which they should have done several years ago...
Anywayz what was the thread for again

[Anonymous]

no, we must keep 3.8's cause the 400 lb heads are good for NAWWWWWWWZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!! And BOOOOOSSSSSSTTTTTTTTT!1!!!!!1111 And no engine is worthy of anything if it isnt Blown, right?

I forget who's pic this is.. but its to good use.
[img]http://photo.starblvd.net/~grandprix93gtp/4-1-2.jpg?i=1070461405&pw=*56EF3FA20928[/img]

[GPXSS]

I don't see GM replacing the 3800 any time soon...besides it still doesn't matter...the LC2 was cancelled what? Almost 15 years ago?!?!...and the aftermarket blew out off proportion when that happened. The 3100, 3400, 3500 and 3900 are nice platforms but I still cannot envision the community been bigger than the 3.8/3800...
As far as which is better...no point, whatever they were meant to do;they do well...the point to me is when we are talking aftermarket...hands down 3.8/3800...

wtf is an LC2?

Why is the 3800 community so large? ClubGP. Most people there dont give a flying poo about any of these engines, they just want to buy stupid shit for $100 to be a part of a community. If the GP engine changes, it will instantly get aftermarket... so you cannot judge the popularity just because its a 3800.

[Sorin]

And maybe I misuderstand the post, but GM sure as heck won't keep the 3800 around just because it has a large community. Since when has GM given a genuine shit about its non-smallblock and/or FWD enthusiast communities?

[Anonymous]

If GM keeps the 3800 around maybe its because its cheaper and easier to make than a more advanced 60* engine. Iron heads, slap on a supercharger and they got 260HP, 14 second car.

[geoffinbc]

The 3800 is done and so is the 4300. Small trucks are getting the Atlas engines and cars will get the 660's. The W bodies are suposed to goto RWD by 2006 from what I have been hearing. In 2 years the 3800 and 4300 will most likely be extinct.

[gpse3400]

If GM keeps the 3800 around maybe its because its cheaper and easier to make than a more advanced 60* engine. Iron heads, slap on a supercharger and they got 260HP, 14 second car.

How is it cheaper and easier to make powerful? If GM decided to install a forced induction apparatus to the 60 deg complete with comparable hardware it would give you the better results Ex.(G6 3.5S/C with 285 HP), simply for the fact its just less stuff the turn and better heads. Hell we even know now the GEN1/2 bottom end can support 400 HP+. As far as advancement...Take a look at those 3800 cylinder heads. I haven't seen anything so crude like that thrown on a car since the model T. At least the 60 degs excuse on power problems is the Exhaust and running too rich at WOT in some or all applications. GM is investing in the 60 deg..Let's revel in it. Keep the 3800 in the Buicks if it must stay, since it's their monstrosity...but GM won't anyways....

[gpse3400]

wtf is an LC2?

Liquid Crystal.....2