Power chip

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Oct 14, 2008
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ck80

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I'll be honest... I would expect you see more speed increase from the lesser weight in your wallet from the money spent on that chip than anything the actual chip would provide on a n/a 3.8 - it's almost a crime they would be willing to sell those to people.

When new the car made 110hp with something like 190ft lb torque. As it aged I'm sure the engine wouldve only lost some of that "pep".
 
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ck80

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As an aside, it cant even be all that accurately programmed - I looked on their website.

Under a 1984 cutlass vin "a" car it calls for a 2bbl n/a 3.8 with overdrive transmission - a configuration never even offered from the factory.
 
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Clone TIE Pilot

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Best thing to do with a n/a 3.8 is to swap it out for a better motor. Second best is to put in better rear axle gearing.
 
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Kmmurray73

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Best thing to do with a n/a 3.8 is to swap it out for a better motor. Second best is to put in better rear axle gearing.
I plan to put a 350 in it eventually, but the car only had 77000 kms on it and has never been winter driven so I was planning on keeping the motor for awhile
 

ck80

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I plan to put a 350 in it eventually, but the car only had 77000 kms on it and has never been winter driven so I was planning on keeping the motor for awhile
The one thing to really watch out for with those motors is the timing set.

Gm used a steel chain over a steel gear that had a nylon composite teeth on it. Those teeth can get brittle with either age, heat, or use. The chain breaks them off at that point, and then the chain jumps time and obviously screws up how it runs.

The fix is buying a steel chain and gear set marketed for the sfi grand national motor. It fits as they used a common block/timing set/cover/etc. Aside from that one real issue, they're great motors. They were so consistent the oil companies bought them in bulk from gm to use for testing purposes. Slow, but everything of that era was really.

If you find yourself getting into any preventive maintenance repairs to drive the car a ton, that's probably the one to make.
 
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MrSony

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Did I hear the words 3.8 and 350 in the same paragraph?!
 
Oct 14, 2008
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A Buick 350 is direct swap. I have seen a few around here lately.
 
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