Top 5 Reasons to swap a Supercharged 3800 Engine into your Pontiac Fiero
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- Äas pĆidĂĄn 18. 06. 2021
- * Pontiac Fieros are cool - but their stock 2.5 4-cylinder and 2.8 6-cylinder engines are underpowered and inefficient by todays standards. Luckily there is a relatively easy and cost effective engine that is readily available and deserves to be in your Fiero's engine bay. Here are the Top 5 Reasons Why!
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I have watched this video like 5 times and I still enjoy it
Sweet, I appreciate that, one of my favorites too;
Not gonna lie, I've been seriously contemplating swapping the 3.8 into my GT. This video just gave me more reasons to go for it.
NICE!
Go for it.. I had a V8 Fiero it was fast but I must say my 3800sc car is on another level..
My 3800 supercharged Fiero pulls wheelies and rips 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and 11.3 in 1/4 mile with a 1.4 second 60 foot..
I had a 87 GT with the 3800SC. Great car. PO did some suspension work on it also. Nice package. I am looking for another.
You better scoop one up, they're getting harder to find!
@@V8Ferrari hey, that's faster than mine. Engine mod list please.
GM never let Pontiac put a real engine in it. It would have spanked the Corvette, and they couldn't let that happen
I am sure that was discussed!
Corvette was their golden child.
Just bought a mint 87 GT and engine swap was the first thing on my mind to turn this thing into the absolute rocket it was always meant to be. Now I've got a good idea on what to do for that, thanks!
Spent years with an 86Gt. Loved that car. The 5.3 FWD from the later grand prix is a tempting swap but probably way more expensive. Those 3800s were everywhere.
Yeah, they made a few of those 3,800s and for good reason! I would do the 5.3 with a turbo but I can't find the transmission that's really available It's going to handle it.
@@Toys4Life Yeah. That is always a problem in the Transverse engine universe. You could always keep economy tires on it and just have the ultimate highway weapon to preserve the transmission. There was a place years ago that specialized in quad4 racing stuff. I think they had some cool GM transverse transmission stuff. Wish I could remember what company that was. Anyway, nice work on your rides. Thanks for the interesting vids.
Even with the anemic 4-tech iron Duke, they are ridiculous fun in the snow. Tons of traction and easy to control the slide.
I dig your passion on this s/c 3800 fiero . Thanks for your insights . Cool ride.
Thank you sir, I'm glad that came through because I think these cars are pretty freaking awesome!
Great video.. It's getting harder to find decent cheap Fieros lately and nice ones are going up in value..
Indeed!
That's a time capsule.
â@myguysinc Are you still selling it?
If you're still selling it, I'm interested as well @myguysinc
Yep at 15k now
Greetings, I recently ran into a kid with a 3.8 supercharged fiero, he looked like an extra from the Joe Dirt movie! Cool dude! His car peaked my interest in a model that I always wanted. It's great to see what is being done with these great little cars.
By the way, I had a Celebrity with the 2.8l V6, it's crank bearing failed because of a common problem, bad head gasket leaking antifreeze into the crankcase!
I loved that car, it had enough power to drift through the corners on the dirt roads near my northern Minnesota home.
I had one with the 3800 SC. That is a very fun engine to have in a Fiero! I got to get another one and got to get the wife a C5 Convertible! Then our bucket lists will be just about finished
didn't realize the 3800 would fit in a Fiero - great swap !
Great video. This makes the Fiero a serious option as a project car.
Thanks man!
For me I think going with a L98 makes more sense. Had a ride in one where the owner had people on the street stunned by the performance.
Definitely fun!
Hey buddy like your video, grew up in Massachusetts and friend owned a Pontiac dealership, drove every single fiero made including the last gt and formula version, agreed 3800 supercharged, (dads park avenue ) is great but coolest ad on is the scoop that covers engine air intake and sits on the roof of the car, was developed to stop heat fires and so on đđ»
The buick 3800 v6s have the buick 3.8 lineage that includes the Buick Grand National/ GNX and it is one of the best V6s out there! Loved my 3800sc fiero but I had to let her go and now I want one with a f23 5 speed! Highly recommend any fiero owner to convert to a 3800sc
Amen!
If you're going for power to the ground I would recommend the F40 6 speed. The Getrag F23 uses the same axels as the stock GT, makes the swap easier. But the Getrag F40 can handle more power, and has an extra gear for highway driving, but you need the larger axels. I think the stock axels in the ss cobalt are a direct fit, if it's a 6 speed. For around 7 grand they sell an Ecotec with 450 hp that fits nicely. Turn key crate motor that has complete engine all sensors ready to run, wiring harness, ecu, flywheel, fuel pump and some other stuff needed for the install. Swapping in the Getrag requires you to buy custom length shift cables. And you'll need the shifter from the 5 speed Fiero the 4 speed won't work without some modifications. 3.8 is a great motor the Ecotec is better fuel economy with the same power levels. Cobalt ss and Ion redline are cheep and have 85 percent of the parts you need. Just a thought not telling you to change your mind. But it might be easier to source parts for the Ecotec. Good luck
I'm all for an ecotec swap but there's no way it's going to come close to matching the low end "off idle" power that you use going stop light to stop light. One of each is in order...lol
@@Toys4Life I did mine for a fun daily driver that's good on gas it only has 230hp but that's 90 more than stock. I also have a Solstice GXP. They hit peak torque early due to VVT plus turbo makes a difference
240 is still pretty darn good!
I was going to do stock at first but from what I saw it became easy to see I needed more. Lol so now that engine is going to be used for a go-kart.
A good running 2.8 is fun for a while but 135 HP vs and easy 300+ is an EYE opener for sure. Cheers!!
I love the 3800 SC swap in my 84 Fiero. đ
It is soo much fun!
How hard was it....for you. Biggest challenge ?
@@stevebarnes9694 wasnât too bad. 84âs have different wiring do figuring that out was probably the biggest challenge.
Very cool, I have had 3 Fieros in my past, I'm on my 4th one and I love the look of what I did to it cosmetically but still wondering what I should do with the engine. A lot of things into play here with me, along with medical issues. Thanks for the video, I agree, I'll send you a pick of my beauty if you like.
Take care of your medical issues and get healthy first, then worry about the car. When you get to that point, 3800 supercharged all the way!
Miss my 86 2M6......what a fun car! Always wanted todo a 3.8 swap but life happened and i had to sell her. Someday maybe ill find another and make it scary fast.
Saw one many years ago with a Northstar V8 in it... That was badass!!!
Those were pretty sweet although I'm not really sure why they did not become super popular. Probably not a huge supply of engines??
My 86 has a 4,9 caddy motor set-up Holly n it moves n l just love it!!!
Nice!
What, Wait you have a Fiero & Vette? Cool. I want to get another Fiero. My last one had the 3800SC. FUN! And it was my daily driver for 4 years. Yes all year and I live in Michigan. My wife wants a C5 Convertible. She and her first husband had a 73 way back then. Wow you have both! AWESOME
I'm a sucker for plastic/smc body paneled general motors sporty cars. I like having the most because there's such different cars the driving experience is vastly different! Thanks for commenting!
As a big fan of the Fiero, I was well aware of this popular swap, but you put it together so well and concisely, I shared this on FB with my other comment about a rare swap, the 2.0L turbo from either a 1989 Grand Am SE (from Isuzu) or the more modern ones from GM, like mine in my 2012 Regal GS (with a stick, of course). In fact, I wonder if the entire drive train can be swapped, so you can row a six speed!?!
Likely - but I most of those grand ams were 2.3 quad 4's if I am not mistaken - and most are crushed by now. Turbo 2.0 would be hard to find and hard to mod with OBD1 PCM.
I like the rear spoiler on your notchie
Thank you, I wanted something different so I built it a few years ago. Appreciate you're taking the time to comment!
I did a SBC swap (L98) but seriously considered the 3800SC. If I do another one I think thatâs the way Iâll go.
Sweet!
My first Fiero was a 88 Notchie with the 2.5 and manual. Now I must say on trips I would get 40 MPG. Even when it was at 180,000 miles! But it was not fast
My first Fiero was a 2.5 4 cylinder 1984 with the four-speed manual. Absolutely the wrong transmission for that engine. The 5-speed was much much better for the 4 cylinder in my opinion.
Yeah gas's milage was competitive in that thing.
Amazing being as how that 4-cylinder was pretty archaic compared to modern engines.
Man, at one point in time I owned three Fieros, I wish I had thought to swap a 3800 into one of them, that would have been pretty dang sweet.
Hi . I'm in Australia . Have an 86 gt I'm doing up as my last project ( I'm nearly 70 ) . Has been converted to RH drive for Aus roads . I'm fitting a stock L36 up to the 5 speed gertag , just as a fun car to take me to the grave . Can't wait to get it finnished .
It'll be worth it sir, you'll enjoy it!
Hope I can find a nice one next year! Still building my l67 grand am, but Iâve always wanted a fiero
Nice đ
im doing an f40 replica build so this engine might just be what i need thank you!!
Thanks for the thanks!!
Highly recommend..
Great Video, I'm keeping the original 2.8L V6 in it. But I got the car from a guy who was trying to put a corvette engine into her
Very cool!
As a purest, I love my all original 86.5 Fiero GT, but would really love to someday buy another car just to do all the modifications like yours. đ
One of each works for me!
My Fiero had the original V6 boarded out to 3.2, had a turbo and a phase 2 tuning and made roughly 300hp.
The Fiero V6 engine sounds pretty good though. Better then the supercharged one.
The engineers did get the 2.8 to sound a lot more powerful than it was that's for sure!
Change reliability for a sound đ€Łđ€Łđ€Ł
I like my all original 86.5 GT with manual 5 speed and only 41k mile, but this video has made me think of buying a project car to do this to. đ
Sweet!
I think the last year of the Fiero GT has the most attractive body. i thought it was amazing from the first time I saw one on a southern California freeway. At first I thought it was a Firebird from the rear. then I got up alongside it and wondered what it was. A built and restomoded GT seems like an economical way to have a mid engine car that wont break the bank. Just make sure you buy a rut free no accident car. If you can buy one that has already been modified all the better.
These are forgotten very cool cars!
I had customers back in the 90s that had these, I made good money fixing them!
Clutches and Rod bearings?
Hi @toys4lifec5 . I am planning on pro-charging my manual 2000 c5. Im not sure if you already have made a video on this but I am curious on t56 upgrades. If you have done any or recommend any in the long run. Love the channel thanks!
I do have a vid on just that! Here you go and thanks for the Comment!! czcams.com/video/Y5FNzR3pFzg/video.html
I miss mine so much. I didn't have the money to keep it up. 18 wonderful years.
Managed to snag me an '88 yellow formula with the aero nose for 5 grand. I'm super excited!
If the chassis underneath isn't rusty, that's a nice deal!
@@Toys4Life 92k miles with an impeccable interior. Can't say the same about the paint though. Oh well, I'd rather paint it that Talbot Yellow again than have to redo the interior.
I have always dreamed about buying a Fiero and put a better engine in it. Here in sweden we dont have so many american cars for donors, except from the Pontiac Montana which I am considering. The 3.4 188hp V6 is really a nice engine and even in my heavy bus it performs good and is decent in fuel effiency. It dont fit? Well, it should be far from impossible :) I have also thought about the Audi/VW 1.8T which also is a good engine and is easy to find cheap. But the sound from a V6 is something special!
Thanks for commenting, glad to hear people in Sweden have some love for the Fiero's.
Thanks for sharing! Is it worth swapping a non-super charged 3800 in it if I've already got one lying around not being used? Bought the car it came in for $1 and it only has 90K on it.
I did that exact same thing, I loved the 3800 so much and got so greedy that I found a supercharged engine another year or two later. Swapping to the supercharge version was a lot easier than the original swap.
I had an 86SE that a buddy of mine and I swapped out the engine for a 3.8Turbo from a Buick Grand National. I miss that car....
They have a way of making you miss them!
Hey thatâs my in-laws neighbor!
Great video!!!
I have a question. With the 3800sc platform aging a bit and getting harder to find without needing a rebuild. Are there any more modern DOHC V6 engines/transmissions that work well for the swap? I know the 5.3 in the lacrosse special, impala SS, GXP will swap along with the north star, but some of the new DOHC V6s sound as exotic as the Fiero looks.
I owned a 2003 regal GS with the supercharged 3.8 years ago. Making that thing fast was tough because the weight. Now I own an 88 4banger fiero 5speed. That's tough to make make fast cuz the Duke.... Even if I came up with the money for a junkyard 3800 I don't trust myself to do the swap at all. I will continue to dream of it every night though.
Hey I got to be the 1000th person to like the video. Iâve always thought that Fiero needed more power that engine swap sounds great.
Thanks for that - much appreciated!
I had the 2.8 V6, it sounded nice and was fine for normal daily driving ... but yeah it wasn't very good. I daydreamed about swapping a more powerful motor into my Fiero but then some guy got confused one day and took me out head on with his Chevy Lumina. My Fiero handled the collision well, and my then girlfriend (now wife) and I walked away from that accident. The insurance payout wasn't nearly enough, looking back I should have played a little hardball with the guy's insurance but I was in totally unfamiliar territory and I didn't reach out to my own insurer for advice.
Yeah, I've been down the same road and have learned that insurance companies are seasoned pros at not giving out money. If it's serious at all, you pretty much need an attorney. Most importantly though, you guys walked away!
Toyotas got a new one ,diamond battery front drive.Worth the wait.
Interesting!
loved the video.... i would love to rebuild a Fiero with your specs.. you have listed parts you can suggest? Thank you in advance
Thank you! I am doing my best to provide a bunch of useful 3800 swap content - see other Fiero vids on my channel - there are several of them and the Fiero tips series (1,2,3) have tons of specific info. Good luck!
Its very true they lack power.
I did not opt for the 3800 sc my self but am building a custom 3.4 wich I hope will be somewhere around 250 hp.
A much more expensive and complex project but very interesting đ
Other options to consider would be
1.8t from a golf
3.2 VR6 from r32
K20 or K24 from a civic or similar
LS v8
Turbo v5 from golf or similar
Or an Gm Atlas engine with turbo
Or the 4.3 v6
Variety is the spice of life!
Would the Atlas 4.2 even fit under that hood? They barely fit a V8 without serious mods/fabs, and you're talking an engine that has got to be at least a good 8-12 inches longer?
Just learned about these beauties a couple months ago. Trying to find a decent fiero for my first project car that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg has been ridiculous! The waiting game is brutal.
These are getting kind of rare. Know what you want and be willing to travel a ways to find one to shorten the wait time for the right one to come along. Good luck!
@@Toys4Life there is one. It's an 87 GT 5 speed V6 with 40k miles and almost 0 rust asking 7400. It's half way across the country from me but it seems to be the only one with everything I want to get started. Just seems high. Any advice is appreciated!
Any car you're interested in, ask them to peel the carpet back on the driver side and the passenger side of the rear trunk area and take a look at how Rusty it is. That's the single best tip I know before you go waste your time looking at a rust bucket. If it looks clean and like nice metal, it's probably a decent shape chassis except of horse you got to still look for a crash damage.
@@Toys4Life I definitely know about the rust issue. The photos I received are solid. Car looks super clean in all the important places. Looks straight but hard to tell from photos. There is a subtle low tone rattle that I'm curious about. At first listen it could be a super minor engine knock but after going back it could be exhaust echo...
I'll link you the video I uploaded a couple to my channel. Would appreciate your thoughts.
@@Toys4Life
czcams.com/users/shortsQzMYOUMOe7A?feature=share
I just bought a fiero, it's got a few problems, and instead of throwing money at the motor I have in it now I may just drop the 3800 in, that supercharger whine is so addicting
Indeed
I'm already convinced. I have an 88 GT and a '02 Regal donor. I have a question about wiring. I want to use the Regal's dash (as you did). How much Fiero wiring did you retain? How much Regal wiring do I need to salvage? I'd like to modernize as much as I can. I appreciate your channel and your inspiration. I'm looking at much the same engine mods as you have. Did you keep the stock Exhaust manifolds?
I took the donor cars entire harness including the underhood fuze center. Most of the fiero wiring is still there except the engine harness is gone. I used a lot of the engine controls from the donor cars underhood fuze center and tied the necessary functions into the fiero harness. Others (probably most) power more of the engine controls and pcm powered from more of the fused wires from the fiero - rather than the donor Underhood fuze center. Take a look at the 3 part fiero tip vids if you haven't seen them - they talk more about it as does the fiero wiring vid. gmtuners.com has a lot of good info too and search in Pennocks fiero forum.com - that helped me a TON!!! Good luck and have fun with it!!!
@@Toys4Life Thanks. I will do that. Cheers>
The 3800 is a rock solid engine.
Indeed!
Camâd aluminum block LS based 5.3 all the way.
Rode in a V8-Archie car a while back. Now itâs on my list.
A bored out and camâd 4.8 would sound even better.
What transmission did that have and how much horsepower approximately?
@@Toys4Life
Looking at an LS-4, 4.8 crank, bored to 5.4l, 4T80 Trans, built.
NA, Shooting for 375-400. May later be adding a SC, and go for the 475-500 range. Anything above that, and even specialty parts have longevity issues.
Sweet
Love Fieros
Me too!
Would love to have a GT with that setup!!!!
That would be awesome!
Hey I dont disagree with you. Mum had a 1985 2M6 for nearly 15 years, until my sister drove it to uni with the E-Break on, causing the minor oil leaks to catch fire, and gut the car. She was alright, but urgh, argh. In any case, the 3800 swap is interesting and period correct, which I like. Though I was wondering, is there a twin cam V6 GM made which would have been as good? I know the 1990 prototype they made before it was cancelled used a twin cam V6, but which one? Were it's power and fuel efficiency good? I personally prefer the fuel efficiency of twin cams and top end power delivery. I kinda like the idea of putting a Volkswagen VR6 in there. I know, gasp shock and horror. I'd love to put a transverse system back there complete with steering, get some Prelude kinda action going.
I got a 1984 fiero, I want to put a 3800, but it has the original 4 speed manual transmission in it. Would you recommend swapping it out or using it? I want to keep the car a manual.
My father gave me his old buick riveria. It has a new air bag system and the 3800 SC engine and now I thunk I've found a great project idea for the engine (not sure if the air suspension is compatible for the fiero, but being able to drop and raise the clearance would be pretty awesome too. Thanks for sharing your experience and *if anyone knows of the air bag suspension would be feasible to fit the fiero* I'd be very appreciative of that info
That would be a pretty serious challenge using the air system, but the engine would fit oh so beautifully.
Keep the riveria it will be a classic one day
Impressive đ
Thanks Wing!
Dude I would love to find a decent example of a Fiero. I have a 2000 Regal GSE and the body has been seen better days, but the SC 3800 is in awesome shape and right now sports a 2.55" pulley, blower cam, A2W IC, E85 tuned and a stage 2 built transmission.
Man you're already 80% of the way there!
That 3800 engine should've been called the iron duke, it is virtually indestructible and can take some serious mods.
That Honda Civic 4 sounds exponentially better than that SC 3.8. Having that whine less than 3â from my ears would get old real fast.
Um, đ€ o.k.
With Ecotec turbo 4 cylinder options these days I don't see ever using a V6 in a car this size. You can get 400-500 whp in a lighter package and have some space under the lid. I do like that blower whine tho....
Turbo ecotec and a 5-speed for road racing would be fantastic. If I gave up the 3800 supercharged, I would greatly Miss the g-forces when you punch it you immediately have a ton of torque. IMO You're not going to get that low end stoplight to stop light torque with a turbo ecotec and I would miss that tremendously.
I was thinking of swapping a K20A with a turbo and a dry sump oil system into this car as well making a custom body kit and diffusers.
I would also restore the Iron Duke and keep it as museum art piece. This engine got some great mpg on the highway but I wouldn't get this car for the mpg.
I like the way you think, sir!
What doner cars had the 3800 supercharged engine?
What is the name of the company that makes the adapting motor-mounts and a list of necessary adapter plates for a stronger 6 or 7 speed manual transmission? I know the Porsche 911 6 speed gearbox can handle 600hp+ but what is your recommendation?
Like another commenter here I also believe an aluminum LS1 with itâs 6 bolt splayed mains is a well proven (fully bulletproof) 350hp in bone stock configuration, power plant and would be even more interested in adaption kits to fit it in a late model FieroâŠany recommendations there?
Best,
R. C. Christian
Grand Prix GTP, Regal GS and a host of other ultra's Riverias etc.
The Mail truck body was made Grumman, but the mail trucks engine is a GM, and they run all day every day, the hardest miles which is stop and go.
Yep, it's a pretty good utilitarian engine!
had an '88 back in the day, but got married sold it, you know the story. Would love to get another one and just now starting to look. Any thoughts on a Fiero as an autocross option? Also, I'll check your site, but what was involved in the swap? Any idea on cost? Thx
88 best fiero for autocross (1 year awesome suspension) - but 84-87 have 10x more parts availability.
Been in a 1987 Pontiac fiero gt with a 4.9 turbo swap with a stick that was a absolute basket case Frankenstein car . Scared the living hell out of me when the nose went up 1-2 the. came down on the front wheels . Pinned u
I know V8s are a possibility but you've got me thinking a 4.3 would really be nice for the power to weight ratio. Of course it would need a bit of massaging to beat the 240hp number but would be really happy making a reliable 350 HP even in NA form. Throw some extra pressure to a half worn out junk yard motor and 400 isn't a stretch at all. Next that Chevette front suspension would need some help.
The 4.3 was a decent motor but not sure why it never really caught on as a swap. I know why the 3800's did. Came in FWD platforms, adapt easily, make a TON of low end torque - 3.8 liters with boost oh my! Good fuel mileage. Keep this in mind, a 3.8 with 7psi of boost is very similar to a 5.7 liter in low end torque.
im currently in a interesting situation. I have a 1993 cutlass supream with the 3.4l DOHC and its only got 84k miles but the engine has never been touched. It's a ticking time bomb till that timing belt is the alkalis heel. Is it possible to drop the 3.8l supercharged engine and transmission into a 93 cutlass?
I'm not sure, but I think that 3.4 dual overhead cam engine might be worth some money đ€
Hey guys quick question I unfortunately bought a 4 cylinder fiero and Iâm wondering what would be the best option and way to go about building the car to be a little faster and improve the overall drive of the car. Four speed manual trans. Taking any and all advice thanks boys
I would just maintain the 2.5 in good working order. If you love the car and want a serious upgrade - look at an engine conversion. The single best mod to these cars IMO is the S10 brake booster upgrade. If you think the stock brakes seem rather 1950's like, the booster upgrade makes it feel like a modern car.
Hi I'm from the Netherlands which models of cars I can take the 3800 from? As old American cars (motorblocks) are scarce here possible to fit another type of engine in it that you can recommend?
What general motors cars do you have in the Netherlands?
Do you have any take off fuel lines that you have built for this swap, my journey has started, you have a whole hell of a lot to do with my motivation to make this happen
Glad you're motivated! I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.
Are these supercharged 3.8's the same ones we have in Australia? Here, these engines came in some Holden VT Commodores and other models. My friend had one that he cammed, put on a smaller pulley, front mount intercooler, full exhaust and tuned (probably some other stuff I'm forgetting) it made 350hp at the wheels. Unfortunately he never took it to the drags but we did lots and lots of burnouts lol
I believe so. And I'm glad to see this vid reaching you in Australia! I hope to visit there someday for an extended time!
Sorry if this is a dumb question but is the swap so desirable because of a similar size and engine mounting positions? Or would the bay and to be modified to fit the new motor
For me the swap was desirable because it more than tripled the HP, was inexpensive, gets great fuel milage and fits nicely and is pretty easy for an experienced enthusiast. Cheers!
What about the Oldsmobile Aurora engines 3.5L V6 or 4.0L V8 are those good modifiable engines?
To be honest - I am not super familiar with them. I still need a grin-ectomy every time I take the SC 3800 Fiero for a spin!
Looking for a guide, Iâm starting my swap very soon. Any recommendations? Iâve got an 86 with the 2.8.
Pennocks fiero forum - search on whatever aspect of the swap you are doing - it is all there from years of threads - you just have to located it. It was my main source of info when I did mine.
I swapped a 4.9 cadillac into mine. Not as good as the 3800 but you can't beat the sound.
I bet, V8 always sounds better than a six!
I would rather go with the 4.3 V6 swap myself & here's why. Granted, one will need the adapter plate to change to the SBC pattern, but considering your taking out the cradle anyways, it's no big deal. Then there iis the longevity capabilities of the transmissions & the smog-compliance issues of your particular state. You go to to your smog-sniffer station with your V8 & likely they will laugh & fail you on the spot.
Now we all know those stations don't have the brightest people running them...a howling supercharger might give them pause to do a second look which could fail you as well. . I propose a marine-grade 4.3, an aftermarket fuel-injected throttle-body on an Edelbrock performance intake, some marine plastic carb covers painted in red, the valve-cover also in red to emulate a 2.8 V6...with this modern FI and some cats you can get those gasses out the back down low enough, no problem . The HP values will start you at 220 Hp & go up to just shy of 300 Hp, depending on your camshaft. I don't relish dealing with integrating of a boosted factory engine electronics into the Fieros systems with the likes of the 3800.
The 4.3 is a decent motor - I am not sure exactly why - but it really never caught on as a swap option. I vote yes (:-)
The marine vortec 4.3 cam adds about 50hp but generally won't pass smog the gen 1 4.3 with nodular main bearing caps as in the syclone would be a better base for mods
@@gainerman I know the street smog version is rated at 190 HP & the marine version comes in at 220-223 HP...perhaps the Mercruiser FI system will get the smog-sniffer numbers under the wire...or perhaps a "universal" port-injection system would work. I've tweaked carbs & jets endlessly trying to get "passable" gasses out the back...maybe some port-work in conjunction might do the trick, dunno.
@@gainerman What states are still emission testing 38 year old cars?
Would a 3800 supercharger engine fit in to a 2002 se Pontiac Sunfire
Would a Subaru 2.5 sti engine work đ€ size Wise? Because they can be built into the 800hp range and a stock 2019 had 305hp or even more crazy đ€Ș the 3.8 gtr engine đ
I'm not sure, but for someone who's contemplating a swap, definitely something to think about but not well documented so you'd be forging A New path.
đșđžđthank you brother for the support, information good news
My 1.5L Toyota Echo engine has 100hp. So your first point is valid.
In my past, I owned 3 Fieros and I pounded the crap out of them. All were 4 bangers. One particular time, I blew a fan belt and drove the car 2 miles I totally thought the engine was cooked. Put a new belt on the next day and the engine ran great without smoking. Those Iron Dukes are a great engine.
They were durable, that is for sure!
What about the 2 liter direct injected turbo engine that makes 260 hp and was available in fwd vehicles ?
Next Swap?
I'm sitting on a 2004 GTP and and wondering what to do with it. Its under side was exposed to metropolitan wisconsin winters and I lived in it too. But I can't bring myself to crush it because of the super charged 3800 with 125K on the odometer. It never occurred to me that it could go into a Fiero. Stock would be plenty of power. More so what does that extra weight do to the handling? I assume the suspension also needs to be upgraded. Can the transmission from the GTP be used to keep things simple?
There's several Fiero videos on my channel that talk about what goes into a swap. I think you'll find most of your questions answered.
Hey! I've recently been thinking about engine swapping my 86 fiero. I was wondering would this still work for the 3 speed automatic version?
Yes, but ditch the fiero 3 speed auto.
3800 would be better with the trans it comes with or ecm will hate you
I have an 86 GT with the 3800 supercharged swap. its awesome. Im getting water coming out of the exhaust in a big way, I changed the intake gaskets and supercharger gasket but it still does it. anything I should check before I do the head gaskets?
Pressure check your radiator. If it doesn't hold pressure and coolants not flowing on the ground, there's only one other place it can go.
@@Toys4Life thank you. the rad is ok, is there any way coolant can get into the upper intake/supercharger? I think its sucking in water up there somewhere ?
@@casualcarmeets5695 keep in mind, especially Iif it's humid, water is a byproduct of combustion so it's normal. The only water would be coolant, or a rainwater. If you're not losing any coolant, have you been driving in the rain?
@@Toys4Life no, im sure its sucking in coolant from somewhere in the intake, but its not the intake gaskets or the sc gasket as far as I can tell ( I changed all of that)
I think I still have the Hot Rod mag with the Bumblebee Fiero on the cover. I know I still have the one with all 4 bangers from the big 3. Seen a couple of builds lately that got the wheels turning. 1 was an OG Bug pushing north of 5. Same guy is working on a Corvair with the most unloved LS ever. I've been a Fiero fan since they debuted so đ€. TT LS out of a Montie SS. Anyone?
I vote yes!
I'm trying to talk myself into it. I'm on an extreme budget. Will the 3800, which was designed for OBD2, be able to mate up to my stock 5 speed and/or will it freak out about anything else? If this swap was as simple as just bolting everything together I would be on my way to the junkyard right now but nothing is ever that easy
I think you can make it work with the v6s 5 speed. That having been said I believe the stock donor engines transmission which is a four-speed automatic is much more durable.
what car would i look to get that engine from and what transmission?
97+ Grand prix gtp, Regal GS, some Buick Rivs and other large 97+ GM Boat cars.
Wasn't the 3.0 mercruiser stroker with the non emissions cam a popular upgrade on those for a while ? It's already fiberglass right ?lol
Not too sure about that! lol
How does it fit? What mods have to be done? To make one fit.
It fits as good as the 2.8 Fiero V6 in my opinion.
I once encountered a Fiero at a car show that the owner had dropped a Mk VI 502 with Hilborn style injector stacks. Was fuckin WILD.
That might be a wee bit heavy.
I know GM never did this but can the 3800 swap be done with a manual transaxle? I'd like to use the Getrag 5 speed from a 94 Z-24 or even the 4 speed that's in my 85 Fiero GT. If it can be done who has build info?
Lots of them have been done I do believe. Pennocksfieroforum .com- should have tons if info.
I had always wished they put a turbo quad 4 in it
Any How-To videos on this swap?
Yeah there's several other videos on my channel about things to consider.
Those 2.8L where a joke seeing the 2.5l was more dependable with almost as much HP and better fuel mileage but that 3800 is one of the best motors ever built for dependability mpg and HP for the $ I've seen a couple with the Northstar engine and it killed me all that work to fit it with very little return from it
I've had both back in the day, the 2.8 felt so much better though cuz it actually revved a little bit, until the day it didn't, thus the durability issue you point out. Also, the 2.8 actually sounded really decent the way they tuned that exhaust, the 2.5 never sounded that great.
@@Toys4Life I've driven my 84 with a manual 4 speed and a friend's 86 2.8l with an automatic in the fiero and have worked on several other cars with those engines. I've Hurd the manual vs auto had a big difference in the power feel in the fiero. But fast wasn't a option in any car in the 80s when you consider cars like the corvettes and Ferrari of that time could barely touch 300hp but the biggest thing that always impressed me for being a light low car was how well it did in the snow
Not one mention of the red 88GT in the thumbnail. I bought one like it in 1990. Sold it in 2010.
That's a beautiful car for sure!
Iâm currently doing up a fiero for a friend and had to show him this video because I told him modifying the tec 4 in his 86 is a waste of time and money. And now he believes me
Good work!