2.8 swap option (Page 1/1)
1932ford JUL 31, 09:53 AM
my 87 2.8 spun a brg, cant find a decent engine,but lots of good s10 and an 86 celebrity, are either an easy swap? thanks for the replies ,but will the rwd s10 and camaro engines work with their side mount pads. basically i guess i need a long block donor,and redrill starter if its rwd.

[This message has been edited by 1932ford (edited 07-31-2021).]

Dennis LaGrua JUL 31, 02:13 PM

quote
Originally posted by 1932ford:

my 87 2.8 spun a brg, cant find a decent fiero engine,but lots of good s10 and an 86 celebrity, are either an easy swap?



I would think that if you swapped manifolds and a few other bolt on parts, the iron head GM 2.8L and 3.4L engines may bolt right in, but finding a reasonable low mileage engine of that vintage in good condition may be hard. If it has good compression, your 2.8L may be rebuildable, if not I would do a cylinder leakdown or compression test on any used replacement engine that you are considering purchasing.

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"THE COLUSSUS"
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Gall757 JUL 31, 08:05 PM

quote
Originally posted by 1932ford:

my 87 2.8 spun a brg, cant find a decent fiero engine,but lots of good s10 and an 86 celebrity, are either an easy swap?



Because this is your first post, you may not be aware of the 3.4 short block option. Do some searches about the 3.4 swap and find lots of information. It should be just as easy as a 2.8 swap.
fierofool JUL 31, 09:23 PM
The 3.1 FWD engine is also a compatible swap. Same HP as the 2.8 and a lot more torque but you would need to replace your externally balanced flywheel with a neutral balanced flywheel or flexplate if an automatic. Timing cover would also need to be changed. I'm not sure if the 3.1 has the same heads as the Fiero, but they are interchangeable. The Fiero and 93-95 Camaro/Firebird have the same larger valve heads. I have a FWD van 3.1 in one of my cars.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...s_60%C2%B0_V6_engine

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 07-31-2021).]

fierofool AUG 03, 06:06 PM
Check our Aril 2020 Newsletter on Page 8. The 90-92 APV FWD van engine is an iron head 3.1. It has the smaller valves so your 87 heads could be swapped over to it for the bigger valves. Then everything else, as we discussed, can be bolted directly on. Just need the neutral flex plate that should be with a replacement engine.
http://gafieroclub.org/pics...sletters/Apr2020.pdf

The crankshaft casting numbers for the 90-92 3.1 engine are 981, 186, and 268. 981 is also used in the 93-95 3.4 Camaro/Firebird V6. The APV crank will have notches cut into the countweight. I can't find casting numbers for the 87 or 88 Fiero crankshaft.

[This message has been edited by fierofool (edited 08-03-2021).]

Skybax AUG 03, 09:42 PM
Sorry to hear about your spun bearing, common failure, and I cringe every time somebody posts the bad news. How many miles was on the engine?
cvxjet AUG 03, 10:09 PM
Back in 1999, I swapped in a F-body 3.4 V6 long block......There are a few things that need to be done to make it work; Drill holes for the left/front mount starter (RD has a fixture for this) and swapping to the proper flywheel and seems like something with the front cover and engine mount......everything else is the same as the original 2.8. It looks stock but has more power. You only gain (Approx') 20 HP and 30 Lb/Ft of torque...But this happens at much lower RPM which is like getting a better rearend ratio for acceleration;

My Fiero went from 7.5 0-60 down to 6.5 seconds...the quarter went from15.6 to 14.8....The car is a rocket off the line.....MPG went from my original 22/28 to 20/30. And it has passed smog at least 10 times here in CA.

Recently I did some porting on an extra upper manifold, then cleaned up the exterior and painted it- the porting gained more usable RPM at the top end....

[This message has been edited by cvxjet (edited 08-03-2021).]

Skybax AUG 03, 11:09 PM
Very nice stocker type setup.