Looking to build a mild sleeper

[PAYNEinjc85]

Tonight I traded one of my old S10s for a very well maintained 95 Cutlass Ciera. It has the 3100 SFI. It's going to be my 3rd vehicle so if I decide to park it for a week or 2 while I do a few things to it thats no big deal. It already runs pretty good considering it only weighs about 2800 lbs. I just want some easy bolt on parts for it. No boost, motor swaps etc. Just a bit more power.


It needs lower intake gaskets. While I'm at it and want a little more HP should'nt I just go ahead and put a 3400 or a newer 2000+ model 3100 intake manifold on it while I got it apart? I hear if the 3400 intake comes off of the 96-99 vans you dont have to do anything custom at all. Just bolt it right up. Is this true? How about heads? With the newer 3100 intake or 3400 would the 3500 heads fit? Also, I'm not against putting a 50 shot on it either. I mean how many 14 second fwd Cutlass Cieras do you see?

[PAYNEinjc85]

Ok so after doing some further research I got to reading about this swap on a Cutlass Ciera being complicated because of the throttle body design. I saw where one guy made a metal plate so he could use his factory throttle body on the 3400 intake. Problem is I dont really have the know how to do this. Could I just use my factory 3100 intake and have it port matched for the newer 3100/3400 heads and achieve the same outcome?

[bob442]

Your only problems if any are egr. If you use a 99 UIM from a car you should be good on that iirc may be 2000, you won't get much gains unless you swap the heads from a 3400 as well. Adaptor plates are available for a larger tb. There are also adaptor plates to use an older egr with a newer intake. Look on the wottech site to see what's still available. Only issues with the tb change is the linkage. And those can be swapped back and forth. As Long as you use a TB from the same intake you will be fine, I the linkage is different and cable bracket swap it from your old TB

[PAYNEinjc85]

Your only problems if any are egr. If you use a 99 UIM from a car you should be good on that iirc may be 2000, you won't get much gains unless you swap the heads from a 3400 as well. Adaptor plates are available for a larger tb. There are also adaptor plates to use an older egr with a newer intake. Look on the wottech site to see what's still available. Only issues with the tb change is the linkage. And those can be swapped back and forth. As Long as you use a TB from the same intake you will be fine, I the linkage is different and cable bracket swap it from your old TB

The swap is different on these cars I read because of the different TB. I read on here and several other forums the Cutlass Ciera uses a single unit for the TB, MAF, and TPS. So using a regular TB, even a ported one would do away with my MAF and TPS wouldnt it? I dont see how that would work out.

[TGP37]

One big glorified air pump! 3500 heads will not fit a 3100 block. But you can do 3400 heads/top end, I think 3400 heads + 3500 top end is possible (but not sure of the work needed)

Start by reducing restrictive points in and out. Larger air filter, smoother intake pipes, larger throttle, exhaust headers, high flowing mufflers.

If your into more, swap the top end for more flow and add a larger exhaust pipe.


A camshaft grind suited for performance (from WOT-TECH) will do a lot for more power.




WOT-TECH knows there stuff....check this package out

[ericjon262]

One big glorified air pump! 3500 heads will not fit a 3100 block. But you can do 3400 heads/top end, I think 3400 heads + 3500 top end is possible (but not sure of the work needed)

3400 heads and LIM, with a 3500 UIM is about the only way that would work, the UIM's interchange, the lowers do not as the 3500 has raised ports.

I be willing to bet headers would yeild a nice gain, but I doubt anyone makes a set, so you would have to fab them up yourself...

[Purple pit]

Swapping the linkage from a 3100 TB to a 3400 TB is easy. I have a write up on Bnet about that. The topic is about 3100 linkage into a TCE, but it is the same for a 3400 TB.
You can get an EGR adapter from WOT-Tech and use a 2000 3400 upper(they are better than the 99's).

[SappySE107]

Your TB won't bolt to any other upper intake, so yes, your car is a bastard and you should probably leave it alone. Its not going to be easy to do anything with it.

[PAYNEinjc85]

Your TB won't bolt to any other upper intake, so yes, your car is a bastard and you should probably leave it alone. Its not going to be easy to do anything with it.

Thank you!!! For actually understanding what I was trying to say. Could I not just port match my factory intake to the 3400 heads and achieve the same results that I would if using the new 3100/3400 intake?

[SappySE107]

No, the ports for your upper will not bolt to the 3400 lower so you really have no options other than porting your small port manifolds. Probably the only time id actually say its worth porting a set of those since you cannot swap. The heads, yes, you can use the 3400 heads if you want. Its a very small port height change that won't cause you a any issues. Marginally worth it, and really only if you need to pull the heads already. I am not sure what your tuning options are, but that leaves me with my original suggestion of leaving it alone other than maintenance.

[ericjon262]

I bet the shaft could be swapped into another TB easy enough. mind you, I don't have m hands on yours, so it's hard for me to say 100%.

[SappySE107]

I can say 100% this is not going to do any good as the linkage is not the problem and the bolt pattern is. No TB options. No manifold options.

[robertisaar]

I am not sure what your tuning options are, but that leaves me with my original suggestion of leaving it alone other than maintenance.

the ECM used in the 94-95 A-bodies is a non-underhood version of the 94-95 LQ1 ECM...

that being said, if i were doing this and had to retain the original ECM for some reason, i'd just swap everything and run a newer MAF further upstream and change calibration to match it.

[PAYNEinjc85]

I wasnt talking about using my 3100 upper and a 3400 lower. I was just talking about using my factory upper and lower and having them ported. I'll probably just wait until it needs head gaskets and score me some of the better heads one of these days.

[bob442]

After reviewing everything. I would agree. If it runs leave it the f**k alone. If you want a race car build one. If you want a driver, buy one. Don't try to mix both. Power is fun but I've had none stop headaches with custom parts and crap with my driver/race car