how much HP can 3400 handle

[Berettaspeed]

I have no clue on how much power the stock 3400 put up with. Im asking becasue i plan on fabing up a turbo set up. I have somethings but I don't know exactly how much "boost" it can handle. I wanted to try it out around 4psi at first but my friend said i should be able to handle around 7-9 stock. I was thinking what do the turbo gran prix put out stock?? but those have different internals don't they?? I don't want to go over board but i just want my motor to last.


If the 3400 can't handle this what would i need to focus on??

thanks guys

[geoffinbc]

Turbo GP's were totally stock bottom ends.

400 plus HP has been done with no dire consequences. I would throw 300 at it if I could and never worry.

[1QUICKHATCH]

a friend of mine is running 10-11 psi on his stock 3400 in his 93 Cavalier convertable! no problems yet!

[vsop4me3.1]

a friend of mine is running 10-11 psi on his stock 3400 in his 93 Cavalier convertable! no problems yet!

how long has he been running it?

[1QUICKHATCH]

a friend of mine is running 10-11 psi on his stock 3400 in his 93 Cavalier convertable! no problems yet!

how long has he been running it?

he only had it out for 3 months last year, its was daily driven too! but he had a stock 3.1 in it before and ran it for over a year with the same boost.

[Berettaspeed]

ok cool.
Thats good to know. now i just have to figure out how my lay out will be LOL

[imported_germ]

ive been running 10-12 psi since July 04. had some head gasket issues that were fixed with resurfacing the head and new head bolts and new gaskets.

the thing you really need to worry about at 10 psi is your tranny.

[Berettaspeed]

what would break on the trans??? what are the weak points?
well i know it has 158,XXX miles so it could break anyday. lol

[TurboZ24]

The tranny really shouldn't be a problem until you are pushing a good deal of HP (over 300 wheel for sure). For me, the tranny issues range from case shifting, breaking mounting tabs, and blowing the differential as well as blowing the axles.

[TurboGTU]

As long as your fueling is good and your intake temps are tolerable..and the knock sensor in working order..you shouln't have a problem. I'd say 300hp is pushing it on the cast pistons. 280 is still good. The 3.1 can take 18psi on a cold day. 13psi on a regular day. I'd expect the 3400 to be the same. But like before..watch the head gasket.

(Curtis..I've read on the haltec forums your looking for a haltec for you buds station wagan because you can't get someone to help you out on the TGP code.. I can try and help if you like.)

[imported_germ]

depending on which tranny you have will determine when it MIGHT go out.


if you have the gtrag , well i dont know, ive heard good and bad

if you have the 284, well i dont know, ive heard good and bad

if you have the 4t60(e), well thats what i got, it has almost 200,000 miles on the stock tranny and it held the turbo for 17,000 miles with hard DAILY driving and its on its last leg for the last 2000 miles, ive been nursing it until i can finish with the other tranny i have so i can swap it in or find another car to drive everyday. but the 60e is does seem to be prone to failure more than the manual trannies in higher HP applications. the cool thing is that you can swap over a lot of the 4t65 parts to make it handle a great deal of power. ZZP Performance (part of the Grand Prix community) will rebuild the stock tranny and install it for around $1500 and gaurantee that it will hold every day abuse and still handle 12's at the track. Plus you can get some extra goodies to make it handle a lot more for fairly cheap (condsidering the options).

if you have the 4t40 or 4t45, well, you may want to reconsider putting a turbo on, or at least keep the boost low (5psi).

[Berettaspeed]

i have the 5spd 282 i think

but yeah i have extra axels right now becasue i have broke them in the past 2 times. LO
thanks again guys

[Quinky]

depending on which tranny you have will determine when it MIGHT go out.


if you have the gtrag , well i dont know, ive heard good and bad

if you have the 284, well i dont know, ive heard good and bad

if you have the 4t60(e), well thats what i got, it has almost 200,000 miles on the stock tranny and it held the turbo for 17,000 miles with hard DAILY driving and its on its last leg for the last 2000 miles, ive been nursing it until i can finish with the other tranny i have so i can swap it in or find another car to drive everyday. but the 60e is does seem to be prone to failure more than the manual trannies in higher HP applications. the cool thing is that you can swap over a lot of the 4t65 parts to make it handle a great deal of power. ZZP Performance (part of the Grand Prix community) will rebuild the stock tranny and install it for around $1500 and gaurantee that it will hold every day abuse and still handle 12's at the track. Plus you can get some extra goodies to make it handle a lot more for fairly cheap (condsidering the options).

if you have the 4t40 or 4t45, well, you may want to reconsider putting a turbo on, or at least keep the boost low (5psi).

The 4T40E/4T45E have no aftermarket for them for a reason.. They are one of GM'S strongest fwd transmissions off the factory floor to this day...

Off the factory floor the 4t60e and even worst the 4t65e are gms worst transmissions to have.. granted because of the GTP's there is a huge aftermarket for the 65's to build them up stronger.. but I'd put a 4T40E behind a turbo'd motor any day over a 65...

[imported_germ]

http://groomlakelabs.com/gallery/transmission

you sure about that 4t40/45 statement.


i would love to pull the facts of max hp and tq from gm specs for you if i need to. im pretty sure they are not above what the 60e's ratings are.

and yes, there is an aftermarket for the 40/45's, DP carries a "bulletproof" tranny and EP makes an LSD for them (not condoning the services of either one since i have not done business with either entity)

you may want to head on over to www.grandamgt.com and check out the S/C'd guys and the couple of turbo guys and ask them how their 4t40/45's lasted before it started to go. there's only a couple of them that have babied it for a long time and never drive it hard and only go all out once in a blue moon. those are the guys that are still driving on the stock tranny, but the other guys that drive like real guys, all of them will say their trannies are slipping.

i wouldnt put a 4t40/45 behind a lawnmower engine.

[vsop4me3.1]

so the 4t65-e is the worst possible tranny to have? I hope I didn't just read that right