Engine Rebuild For Performance.

[MalibuDavyou5]

I am going to ask the community for guidance, information and insights once again. On Face Book I was reminded that these cars were not built to be Muscle cars, it was a hard hit reality. I am considering just doing an Engine rebuild of the K 229 3.8L V6, but buying the parts myself, instead of a $3700,00 dollar price tag that would bring the total down considerably, $1500.00 or lower. However I am not content with a V6 only having 110 HP.

Anyone out there know what I could buy to raise the HP up a notch or Three? New Carburetor? Heads? Crankshaft? Piston's? I have very few idea's what I can put into a rebuild with a 229 Engine. But a rebuild would be Cheaper on the wallet in the long run, 350 HP SBC 350 is way too long of a wait in saving. Any idea's to share would be much appreciated.

 

[kornball426]

If you've got even $1500 to spend you can pull off a basic SBC swap for that if you pinch pennies and buy used parts and what not. Hell in a few weeks I'll be pulling the 305 and TH350 from my car and sell it for a couple hundred bucks. I'm sure a few performance mods could be done to it, but I'm just swapping it for a more powerful built motor. There's SBC's alllllll over Facebook marketplace and craigslist. If you buy smart you might be able to buy a complete runner for a few hundred, or a engine that just needs some freshing up, gaskets, maybe bearings and rings. And you'll be way way ahead of what you'll ever get out of a naturally aspirated 3.8L v6.

Most of the U-Pull It type junkyards around here sell sell complete engines for $200 and transmissions for like $150. You might get lucky and find a wrecked 1996 to 2002 truck/suv with an L31 vortec 5.7L which can easily make 350 horse with just a cam, good intake and carb, and headers. The downside of those places is you have to make sure some douche didn't leave the hood open and water got in the engine. The other downside is all the good stuff gets pulled within hours or days of it hitting the yard so you have to be vigilant to get the good stuff.

 

[shoedoos]

little bit above your budget, but cool anyway....

Chevy 4.3 V6 street race engine - auto parts - by owner - vehicle...

For sale a Chevy 4.3l V6 iron block/ 18* aluminum headed engine purpose built for 15 psi on 93...

milwaukee.craigslist.org

 

[kornball426]

little bit above your budget, but cool anyway....

Chevy 4.3 V6 street race engine - auto parts - by owner - vehicle...

For sale a Chevy 4.3l V6 iron block/ 18* aluminum headed engine purpose built for 15 psi on 93...

milwaukee.craigslist.org

4.3 is a chevy engine, totally different than a 3.8 Buick engine. The 3.8 is arguably a much much better engine than the 4.3, especially if you're talking about a boosted engine like that seller is talking about. There's tons of 10 second and even 9 second 3.8 Grand Nationals with stock blocks. Then go look at the trouble guys running GMC Typhoon and Syclone turbo 4.3's have even getting into 11's without blowing head gaskets on a regular basis. Really fast ones usually have GMPP stage 2 blocks and heads which have extra head bolts over a production block to keep the heads from lifting.

If you wanted to keep it a Buick V6 but go fast, there's always LC2 grand national engines for sale. But it will definitely cost you a ton more than just going with an SBC. Or if you can find one there are 4.1 Buick engines too, which would bolt in place of a 3.8 but the power difference wouldn't be very noticeable without a bunch of additional mods. You can also use a 3800 series II engine out of a gen 4 F body Camaro (along with it's transmission) but that would require a lot of work, you'd have to be really mechanically/technically minded and dedicated to make that swap work, at least as much as an LS swap, and honestly the LS swap would be better bang for the buck.

Part of me really wants a Typhoon or Syclone. I might trade my GN for one, one day.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

On Face Book I was reminded that these cars were not built to be Muscle cars, it was a hard hit reality.

Dont believe everything you read on Facebook.
Mine and several others on here are just as much muscle cars as anything the factory built back in the day.
Many of us are pumping out 600 + HP and some are likely close to double that.
We have built our G Body's to suit our driving styles,handling,drag racing,cruising,or a combination of these.
Guy

 

[08Malibu]

I picked up my 96 350 for $300 from a local yard. I pulled it myself. I’m currently setting money aside to get it together. I had a line on a 97 Tahoe with the same engine for $600 and was going to part it out but I decided against it. The deals are out there.

 

[ck80]

4.3 is a chevy engine, totally different than a 3.8 Buick engine. The 3.8 is arguably a much much better engine than the 4.3, especially if you're talking about a boosted engine like that seller is talking about. There's tons of 10 second and even 9 second 3.8 Grand Nationals with stock blocks. Then go look at the trouble guys running GMC Typhoon and Syclone turbo 4.3's have even getting into 11's without blowing head gaskets on a regular basis. Really fast ones usually have GMPP stage 2 blocks and heads which have extra head bolts over a production block to keep the heads from lifting.

If you wanted to keep it a Buick V6 but go fast, there's always LC2 grand national engines for sale. But it will definitely cost you a ton more than just going with an SBC. Or if you can find one there are 4.1 Buick engines too, which would bolt in place of a 3.8 but the power difference wouldn't be very noticeable without a bunch of additional mods. You can also use a 3800 series II engine out of a gen 4 F body Camaro (along with it's transmission) but that would require a lot of work, you'd have to be really mechanically/technically minded and dedicated to make that swap work, at least as much as an LS swap, and honestly the LS swap would be better bang for the buck.

Part of me really wants a Typhoon or Syclone. I might trade my GN for one, one day.

The problem with pushing a turbo Buick engine is the OP doesn't even have a Buick engine to start with.

GM offered 2 fundamentally different 3.8 engines in the early 80s, one Chevy, one Buick. The Chevy was a 229 ci and had basically nothing in common with the Buick a 231 ci.

OP said 229 several times over. So while a Buick 3.8 can be a potent motor, you need to be aware everything down to the frame side motor mounts from that existing drive train would need to be ripped out for the dumpster to use any Buick 3.8 or 4.1... radiator, a/c from lines outwards, engine, trans, mounts, exhaust... all trash.

 

[lilbowtie]

Anyone out there know what I could buy to raise the HP up a notch or Three? New Carburetor? Heads? Crankshaft? Piston's? I have very few idea's what I can put into a rebuild with a 229 Engine. But a rebuild would be Cheaper on the wallet in the long run, 350 HP SBC 350 is way too long of a wait in saving. Any idea's to share would be much appreciated.

Even if you could get a whopping 50% increase you still wouldn't have any HP. Don't know what your mechanical abilities are but I would suggest building and engine on the side while your car is still running and when everything is ready do the swap. 350 HP out of a SBC easy and cheap.

 

[pontiacgp]

look around for a used 350 vortec

 

[ck80]

If you want the most cost effective swap imaginable... (and no swap is truly cheap) here's what I'd probably look into.

A 305 Chevy motor is dirt cheap used. You should be able to find a decent one for 200 or 300 running with good compression.

V8 frame motor mounts are also cheap. I'm thinking 40/probably shipped isn't impossible if you find someone scrapping a frame.

To keep exhaust cheap get a parts store 4 foot universal straight pipe for $15, and a flexible tailpipe for another $10. Then buy a old style glass pack for $20. Run the exhaust straight back from the factory y-pipe and manifolds that came with your 305, then into the glass pack where the cat converter is now, then run the pipe back along the floor board before turning it out the side before the tire.

Your existing wiring harness has all you need to run a non-ccc hei carb setup on that 305, look for a motor from a pre 1987 truck when buying.

Buy a summit $170 aluminum 2 core radiator. Best compromise of cooling and cost, and fits without hacking things up.

Get a th350 short tail transmission, it fits your driveshaft, and fits your crossmember. That's another $150-200 in running condition.

Figure another $100 for incidental's - fluids, hoses, belts, maybe valve cover gaskets and the like.

You now have a running/driving 170 or so HP v8. Save money for round two.

Next up, buy a pair of 350 vortec heads, it's a popular swap on a 305 to bump HP and go with a better cam. Get a carb intake at the same time, and switch to headers with a proper exhaust. This should bring you into the upper 200s nearly 300 for HP. Added bonus is the headers, exhaust, etc will work on a future 350. If you're not crazy that transmission and your rear end will still live just fine while you save for round three.

Shop around and save money to get your vortec 350 to build, a better trans rebuilt, and a better rear end than your 7.5. Your existing intake, headers, exhaust, radiator, etc will work that you already bought. Sky is the limit here, but, you've been enjoying a reliable car fairly cheap in the meantime