I need help bad!!!! V6 Power

[Minion1186]

it needs a starter,pulleys/brackets,carburetor/distributor.The intake stud thread is ruined,will need to be drilled out and re threaded,unless you want to pay extra,i can get one for $10.Thats basically it,excluding alternator,P/S pump and such.I have an alternator,complete P/S pump and i also have a non ccc qjet for this 307 and a non ccc distributor for it which will be included.I have many parts that were on this engine,some are included like i said and some will be extra,i'm not asking much for the extras because i need the room for other parts.
My reason for selling it is because i have just recently swapped in a 355 olds,in place of this 307,i have no room for it and its just sitting here gathering dust.This 307 is mildly moded,has been bored .040 over,port matched heads,fresh off rebuild with just 8k on it.Very clean engine,ran strong.I'm only asking $200 because its a 307!

 

[gto78]

Possibly you can install 3.73 gears and a 200R4 transmission. That's an overdrive transmission so you can get the same highway mileage even though installing much higher rear end gears. Other good upgrades are always high flow catalytic converters and dual exhaust. It can sound meaner too.

If I was stuck with a v-6 again I would change the cam, put a 4 barrel intake/carburetor, and possibly bring the cylinder heads to a machine shop to have some mods done to them. The usual mod for heads is to mill them for higher compression ratio, and have them polished/ported. That's a couple hundred bucks well spent in machine work, possibly around 30 HP. You usually have to use high octane 93 fuel after raising the compression ratio.

Maybe you can make or buy a cold air intake kit to get ice cold air to the carburetor. Thats some HP.

Another great mod to free up wasted horsepower is to install "under drive pulleys". That is usually 5-10 HP

 

[supkylesup]

wow gto thanks for that post thats the kind of stuff im looking to do just little no too expensive up not to cheap minor upgrades just to get a little more horses out of her but ill deffinetly look into getting so of that i know i want to get dual exhaust soon but does anyone know how much it would cost ive been wanting to do it i just dont know how much it would be and dont have the time to go to a shop and get an estimate

 

[devildog214]

3.8s are more turbo cars than anything else, trying to make it like a gn would be hard because probably every part is different except the block, 4.3s on the other hand are 350s missing 2 cyls, and ive seen carbed 4.3 builds alot. But yeah your better off not doing anything to it, do an 8.5 or a 7.5 posi swap like they said. The only way i would keep that engine if i made it a 3.8 turbo, but hey thats alot of money.

 

[pimplogic]

having duals bent up for your 3.8 will cost about 300 bucks but its better if you save up and get a bigger engine, headers (229 bucks) and a header back exhaust system complete with mufflers for about 209 bucks from jegs.com. or summit racing .com.

 

[patmckinneyracing]

What transmission do you have now that gto mentioned it?

My dual exhaust cost me 200$ and my dad paid $140 for his on his truck. Keep this in mind though, whatever money you invest in your v6 is money that could have been spent investing in a v8.

At least with a gear swap and dual exhaust, they can be reused when you swap to a v8.

Pimplogic, what are those headers and exhaust for? If it were for a sbc, a set of headers is only 105$ and a nice set of summit mufflers are only 25$ each.

It depends on where you live. Just do your research, call some shops and don't get bent over for a stupid price. You can get an exhaust done for less that 200$.

 

[Minion1186]

i think in the end,you'll be dumping all this money into a v6 for what?if you're going to swap to a v8,save up....you're only wasting tons of money on speed parts that will give it 50 hp.A good start is to find a mild v8,307,350 olds,or a 350 chevy (if you're that way).

 

[81cutlass]

If your serious about it, the before black section on turbo buick is your home. A lot of good info there for making 3.8's powerful. I have the wierd carb/turbo setup. Everyone says they are slugs but no one takes any time on them. Same for the non turbo carbed V6s. For under $400 you can get most of the stuff for a carb turbo. Bad thing is the motor needs better pistons for boosted use and finding the stuff is hard. I get 20+ MPG, and decent power only at 5PSI. Plus making a 3.8 fast is kinda cool especially without the turbo. 200 HP and even more torque isnt out of the question on a NA motor. Check turbo buick out.

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/before ... -sfi-tech/

A 4.1 liter intake, 4 barrel Q jet, 3.42 in the back, and some better flowing exhaust helps alot.

Dont listen to everyone saying "money put towards a SBC is better than to a 3.8"

 

[patmckinneyracing]

I know to build my 350 chevy it took a little under a grand using primarily summit racing parts. I have had great luck with my engine and bought a set of stock heads that were ported and had larger valves for 400$. This makes roughly 380hp and 425lb. at the rear wheel.

Follow our advice and SAVE for the v8 swap. Your going to need it and it's worth it in the long run.

 

[khan0165]

I definately agree with Boonewagon

I would not invest too much $$$ into heavy engine mods. Use the car as a learning project. Start with minor tweeks and work your way up, so that when you have a V8, you can jump into the fun stuff like intakes, heads, cams, etc... And remember, RESEARCH RESEARCH RESEARCH. You can never do enough research.

Don't be descouraged, and don't get too eagar... minor tweeks can be just as fun, and add up to a noticable improvement.

The rearend is a good place to start. And as mentioned by others, it won't effect you when you go to put in a V8. Get that gear up, and you'll notice much more responsive acceleration. 3.42s are stock and readily available. You may even find some 3.73s.

Cold air is also a good idea. Air flow to your engine can really help. It may also be a good idea just to clean your carburator. A clean carb can make all the diference.

Now, with all that said, sticking with your 3.8 is not a bad idea either... There are lots of crazy buick guys out there that have done some magical things with their 3.8s. But it took them years of research, and patience... it can be tough to source parts, because the demand is so focused towards Chevy V8s. But if you're determined to learn, I say go for it.

You can do up a dual exhaust, but I would only go "cat-back", so that later when you intall a V8, it's a simple matter of connecting your headers.