Top end swap onto my '95 3.4 Camaro what I need?

[nikos95]

Okay I have been spending enough money on bolt ons, now its time to do the top end swap on my camaro, get rid of my 4500rpm power dropout!

I just picked up the heads and intake from a '99 grand am Gt 3.4, I know I need the pistons for the Grand Am also, I am going to order those in a week or so.

Next question is I am going to need new fuel injectors because the factory 16lb ones are not going to cut it. So do I buy injectors for my Camaro or for a Grand Am? Just really don't want to buy the wrong parts here, or will they both work? I'm looking to get probably 21lb injectors, I have a exhuast system, and cai so far, swtiching out ignition system late this summer, and hopefully turbo'n next summer.

Will my factory injectors work for now, just to get it running again?

[geoffinbc]

Factory injectors will be fine to make it run. Infact they may be fine period. What are you planning to change on the ignition system? It is the same system you wil find on the Grand Prix your are getting your parts from.

[nikos95]

The parts are comming off a 3.4 in a grand am... But I'm going to put a complete programable MSD ignition system in it.

[Superdave]

you can run your stock pistons.. but you better be ready to put 110+ octaine gas in there

your stock injectors will work fine for now, use a pre '99 FPR on the fuel rail and you should be ok.


On a side note, after you pull your stock pistons... you should sell them to me for a good price

[PCGUY112887]

I dunno anything about the camaro 3.4, but leaving in the stock pistons and putting on 3400 heads results in a super high compression ratio or what?

[SappySE107]

You can run your stock pistons on pump gas, proven multiple times. In fact this is how I would run it if I were. Granted instead of pistons I would then get a cam since all the engines running that setup have had custom ground cams (for gen 3 roller setups) or the 272 grinds for the flat tappet setups like you have. Its about 12:1, probably high 11s. You do have a slight dish according to all the piston books I have looked at. In fact, I looked at a couple books yesterday as im building a high compression 3400 right now. The compression height is also slightly lower so yeah, id say its in the 11s.

Stock injectors are your best bet for now. You will need a new ECM though really to tune it. Thats going to be the biggest upgrade you can do along with the top end swap, if you go high compression or not. Tuning is absolutely a must. Look at russ' setup (top end swap). Its got potential but the tune is just crap in stock form. Going with larger injectors on the stock ECM is just not gonna work well at all. Forget the programmable msd ignition. I am not aware of a DIS 4 version of the programmer anyway, only DIS-2. You don't need any of that stuff if you can program the computer for fuel and spark and if you can use the older grand prix computer setup its cheaper than a DIS-4 as well.

You will need to get headers or something as your stock exhaust manifolds won't work with the gen 3 heads.

[green_kidd]

Hey Sappy, I thought I heard that compression would be like 14:1 or something like that if you put the aluminum heads on a 3.4 Camaro. Is that right?

[SappySE107]

No. Your stock pistons are slightly dished so its high 11s or low 12s.

[Superdave]

No. Your stock pistons are slightly dished so its high 11s or low 12s.

Yep, i heard it was in the 13:1 range a while back... if i had known it wasn't i would have stuck a set in my 3400 when i built it...

(thread where i asked) http://60degreev6.com/showthread.php?t=30840

exhaust manifolds for him are going to be the worst part... you could buy a set of RWD 3.4 headers and oval out the bolt holes and make them fit (been done on a Jbody).. I had to do that on my header flanges as well (iron head 2.8 flange on a 3400)

[green_kidd]

Dave, have you done the aluminum head swap onto a Camaro 3.4? I was curious how many people have done it and with what results. I wish GM had done it from the start so there wouldn't even be a question of making them work.

[Superdave]

Dave, have you done the aluminum head swap onto a Camaro 3.4? I was curious how many people have done it and with what results. I wish GM had done it from the start so there wouldn't even be a question of making them work.

nope.. but i've taken apart and built my share of FWD 660's tho...