s10 2.8 build up

[dog_slice]

just found this site and am grateful to find some folks that have some USEFUL info about these engines instead of the usual "toss that s#it in the garbage and get a v-8"(i'm in texas).

my truck is a 91' 2wd 5spd w/tbi that's just about to turn 200,000 and knocking pretty hard. i'm gonna pick up a 2.8 from a salvage yard and freshen it up a bit. i would like headers, a cam kit, and few other knick knacks, but a few things elude me. what would you gods among men recommend in trying to find a lighter flywheel? and as far as internals, from browsing the site for about 30 min, it seems feasible to bump displacement by just using a 3.1 crank.

if it helps, this will be my daily driver, that will be slightly lowered, i don't really tow anything, and may see some autocross action. so forced induction is not really in it's future, and i wouldn't want to veer too far from just bolting/swapping parts. i work in a parts store and know some good machinist's to help me out.

i appreciate any info and i love the site. mucho thanks.

[sharkey]

there are a few things you can do. first off, id recomend against getting another 2.8l to build from, rather try to find a 3.4l from a 93-95 camaro or firebird. its basicly a bored and stroked 2.8l, and would bolt right in place of the 2.8l. if you do still decide to go with a 2.8l, you can stroke it to a 3.1l with the 3.1 crank and pistons (different pin heights).

either way, id recomend going with a complete comp cams kit with the 260h2 cam. you can get the kit (i think its an SK kit) with cam, lifter, timing set, springs, locks, retainers and pushrods. everything is matched and works well together. if you are able to, some porting goes a long way with these heads. there are stil headers out there, i beleive pacesetter makes a set for the 2wd s10. i wouldnt realy recomend a lightweight flywheel in a street truck, it can make for some unfun driving.

[dog_slice]

fantastic. thank you. just what i needed know. i knew the flywheel was gonna be a point of contention w/ some people, but now it's from someone w/ experience. i will be using another 2.8, but the 3.1 bump will be a no brainer, as is the cam kit. with regards to porting and exhaust, would it be wise to just use headers w/ a high flow cat and muffler, or spring for a full system. i've seen single and dual setups, but wasn't sure if dual would be a fruitless endevor, like w/ vortecs.

thanks again.

p.s. that's a lovely cavalier, shark. 15.4 e.t. is most impressive.

[X11_STE]

I'll probably get flamed for this BUT.... With the S-series, my vote is to ditch 2.8 and go for a 4.3v6. Dont get me wrong, I love the 2.8, as long as its in a FWD configuration. I've driven both and the power to weight ratio is much better with a 4.3 <with a 4.3 you dont need 10 miles to get to 60mph!>. I think you should still be able to autocross and have all kinds of fun.

[Superdave]

Meh, IMO the 4.3's are complete dogs.. but they seem to like boost.


i think your best bet is to swap to the gen3 aluminium top end, that will net you the most gain overall.. compliment that with a good cam and some headers and you will be suprised at what it will do.

[ezrollin]

The 4.3 swap requires new tranny,radiator,etc. $$$$$. Get a 3.4 camaro/firebird[160 hp],if high miles rebuild,you can usally reuse the pistons and use std. rings and bearings so no machine work $$$. Rebore the intake and use a 4.3 tbi [wreckingyard or ebay] a coldair intake can be made from a 4.9 caddy air bonnet. The 3.4 cam is a good daily driver but a 272 grind will add hp.Add hedders and a freeflow exhaust and pocketport the heads.Some claim 200 hp with this setup. Check betterthanyou's homepage at S series.org he has some good writeups and pic's.

[Ortie666]

Its not just texas, I love these motors for there light weight and mid-range power, but if your racing ever, or even doing some hardcore street crusing, I'd go with a v8, simply because they fit verry nice, theres miles of parts for them, it garontees ur truck a 13.5 at least, and meen Least. There not actualy all that bad on fuel, i have a handfull of buddy's with v8-s10's and jimmy's and they get pretty close to my milage on my 2.8 or 3.2 nicley crusing.. But its not my call If ur hell bent on a v6, id use a 3.4L and, change to the tourqurer II manafoldand go carbureted, or buy a Fageol supercharger Witch bolts on, and your TBI can bolt on to it. I beleve they make like 8 psi

[geoffinbc]

Everyone has good suggestions and it can all be done but you never said how much money you are going to spend. If it is true budget you are after and do have access to a mechanic and a machine shop the 3.1L (stroker 2.8L) is going to be the cheepest for you. You can use ever existing external part of your current engine and bolt it in without worry. The 3.1L will give you similar resaults to a 3.4L swap. Maybe shy a few horsepower but similar torque numbers. A couple of you have suggested the 4.3L swap. In my opinion that is the worst option A V8 would be a better choice for both install cost and ease of swap. Just for reference my truck will beat my friends 2002 4.3L V6 Ext cab s-10 in a race on any day and I have time slips from me and him at the track to prove it. He will even vouch for it. And there is really nothing special installed on my truck.

I would never ditch the TBI system in favour of a carb. TBI is such a reliable and easy to manage EFI system. It rerely ever gives its users a problem. This may be the reason it lasted from 1986 all the way to 1995. Bore the stock manifold (infact I can sell you one professionally bored and cleaned) to fit a 4.3L TBI unit and just do some port matching to the heads clean up all the casting flash on the intake manifold and heads and then install some Hedman headers. An engine like this with a 260 or 272 cam will have good street manners and with a custom chip from TBIchips.com I bet you would make an honest 200flywheel HP.

[ForcedFirebird]

I vote a 3.4 and FWD top end swap if $$ will allow. Your biggest hurdle with this would be swapping the ECM for MPFI/SFI.

[jwvess00]

Hi there!

Edelbrock sells their TES headers for 2.8 S-series trucks. I've got them on my '82, and I have a set for my '84 Blazer waiting to go on.

The 4.3 swap takes the same amount of work as a V8 with less power when you're done. I'd only do it if I had a strong running, complete donor truck for *very* cheap.

A V8 swap can make a nose-heavy S-truck even more nose heavy. It makes a lot more sense in an S-Blazer where the weight bias is much more like a car.

Raven can talk to the GenII / GenIII top end swap, but for cheap/simple, the best route is a freshened-up 2.8, 3.1, or 3.4 with the stock iron heads (ported if you want), TBI intake (bored to 1.68" throttle bores), a 4.3 TBI or Holley TBI, better exhaust (i.e. headers, etc.), and whatever cam you think will work out best for your driving/gearing.

I used to think the 4.3TBI was a myth, because I could not find one that had the right throttle cable bracket mount -- none of the ones I saw (and I looked at a lot of them) were drilled to bolt the 2.8 throttle cable bracket to the TBI. I *finally* found one -- it was on a '91 (I think, salvage yard find) 4.3V6 S-10 Blazer. None of the ones from the '80s (Caprice, V8 Camaro, fullsize truck, Monte Carlo, Astro) looked like it would fit, so if you're after a 4.3 TBI look at ones from the '90s and make sure that it has the three drilled bolt holes on the side to take the 2.8 throttle cable bracket.

[dog_slice]

great info everybody. lots of options it seems.

betterthenyou brought up budget, which i forgot to mention. it not a whole lot, to be frank. that's why i'm leaning towards a freshened up 3.1 with headers and a cam kit. i looked @ the comp cams kit sharkey recommened, the k-kit, and the price is certainly reasonable. anyone know what my new red line would be after installation? i'm also looking for internals. a quick look @ wiseco's and arias's website shows nothing for v-6's. are we all doomed to using oem pistons?

[bszopi]

You can get aftermarket hyper pistons from Sealed Power. As far as forged pistons go, custom is the only route and look at ~$600 for a set.

[ForcedFirebird]

I have a set of Keith Black .030" over hypers with pins (for 3.1). Never used. I'll take $120 shipped.

[dog_slice]

@_@ $600?!?! I'm not that hardcore.

$120 huh? with them being .030 over, i would have to bore out the cylinders? and how far is too far on these blocks?

[ForcedFirebird]

@_@ $600?!?! I'm not that hardcore.

At least $600.

$120 huh? with them being .030 over, i would have to bore out the cylinders? and how far is too far on these blocks?

Yes it would require machining. There a couple of guys I know that have gone .080" over, even more that has gone .060".