Porting 3400/3100 heads at home!
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- In this video I show you how I make some more power from the 3100/3400v6 by doing a cylinder head port and polish at home!
follow along on Instagram / mod__everything
Free CZcams music: I Feel Like Partying Right Now by. Nat Keefe & BeatMower
Always consult a professional and/or a repair manual before performing any repairs to your vehicle. Don't perform any repairs or modifications that you are not comfortable with!
* This video is not meant to be taken as instruction or "How to" but rather a reference of how I do a simple cylinder head port and polish. Always consult a professional when performing repairs or modifications to any vehicle*
Well I know what I'll be doing for the next 32 minutes. Been contemplating a 3100 top swap for my tired old 3.1 once I finally get the damn thing running right.
Mild p&p on my intake runners & plenum were well worth it, not sure if all the 60° casts are crap but mine were loaded with casting flash.
You have the gen II 3.1l? If so you can use the 3500 valves, in those heads as well but the intake valve seats need to be opened up by a machine shop to fit the larger intake valves! Maybe I need to do a video on the 3.1 heads too! Lol
@@modeverything1 That's really good info, I might just do that. But would the 3100 manifolds fit the gen II heads? The uneven runners in the gen II plenums bug the hell out of me.
Unfortunately the 3100 gen III intakes won't work on a gen II. The ports don't line up correctly.
@@modeverything1 That's what I thought I had read before. Top swap it is 🤔
The 8mm rocker bolts like to strip out and blow. The 10mm may be the way to go if u want reliability…
I had one pull out on my 3500 heads, repaired it with a helicoil. It's still holding after adding a bigger cam, stiffer springs and more RPM!
Cool info on this project man, Should be a neat build!
Man theres so much material you can remove on these heads to really improve the intake side you were extremely conservative looks good tho
Thanks! I was trying to keep it simple for beginners to do at home and get decent results.
so is there no machining in swapping to 3500 valves ?
Not on the 3400 and 2000+ 3100 heads. The "small port" 3100s would need the intake seats cut for the larger intake valve.
Hey I was told not to touch the 3500 heads because they flow better than ported 3400 heads but do you think, I was going to start a 3400/3500 build for my 01 grand am?
They are very good for stock, you can clean them up a little but they don't need much. I may do a video on the 3500 heads soon but I want to do some flow testing on them first... and I can't get to the flow bench for at least another month due to more covid lock downs around here 🙁
I went with Qualcast Valves 102172. They seem to be the same size and weight as the one you show.
Also I found that Melling VS380 might work with the gen 2 head. Also bought VS2254 but they dont quite match the gen2, maybe they fit the gen 3 heads. There is also the VS2224 that is very similar to the 2254 but have little less coil bind height and should allow for 0.51 valve lift. They are all very cheap on rockauto so maybe check them out?
Its the spring locator and retainer that is to big. I can source a 3400 retainer from rockauto but not the locators..
Yes the Qualcast valves work too, the sealed power valves have been discontinued. I have some enginetech valves that I am going to try in my heads. I have a set of spring seats on order that I'm going to test fit to see if they will work with ls6 springs.
The keepers and retainers are the same on 3100/3400/3500 so you might be able to find them under a different year!
I will have to look into those springs!
@@modeverything1 I also looked in the catalogue from PAC-springs and they seem to have some suitable and affordable springs. They also have spring seats of different sizes. So should be able to find some that fits.
Is it really necessary that the spring seats are hardened? Maybe one could turn some from tool steel on the lathe. But I wonder if the springs chew them up.
@@modeverything1 I found a suitable spring seat in the comp 4693-12. Should work with the VS2254 and VS380 springs.
Quite cheap as well at Summit.
For retainer I did buy VSR-709. Fits the VS2254 perfectly.
The retainers are 8 gram lighter than stock and the spring+retainer saves 6 gram in total. Feels like a good improvement.
Regarding the valves. My local engine builder (whos participated in Engine Masters) suggested to keep the 1.72 valve diameter. So I might just take the valves and reduce the diameter as per his suggestion. Well see how that goes..
@@magnusdanielsson2749 I just got a set of those seats a couple weeks ago, just didn't want to say anything on them until I tried them on the car! Good info on the spings/keepers!
I would stay with the 1.76 valve myself, I may think differently if it wasn't a canted valve head.
I tested a gen II head with a 3500 valve without having the seat opened to match and it was worth 2-3cfm across the chart!
@@modeverything1 ok so you found them also. Well I havent tried them yet, but based on measurements they should work.
Yeah I dont really know wich is better. The engine builder was thinking it might be diffucult to form the bowl properly with a bigger valve. I guess hes thinking about being able to get the venturi shape right. At least for the modest rpm Im aiming for.
But I guess thats the beauty of engine building. Trying different solution and see what works. 🙂
If i use gen 3 3100 aluminum heads with the gen 1 3.1 bottom end, i will have about 12:1 compression, right? I'm planning on using e85.
That will get you 11 to 11.5:1 compression depending on wich head gasket you use. And you will want a good cam to take advantage of the compression!
@@modeverything1 yeah about cams, i'm thinking about making a custom setup, it will probably be cheaper than importing a set of WOT performance to Brazil
@@heitorbernardes7977 Just make sure that your tank, pump, filter, regulator, lines, rails, and injectors are all rated for e85 as it is corrosive and will eat right through fuel systems not rated for it.
@@jeffreygout that's no problem since we usually just swap the whole fuel system to a programmable one running 4 bar with national injectors
Still looking for a donor tho, no hurry
So I have a 2003 Chevy Malibu with the 3100 Sfi v6 what are all the mods I can do for horsepower or anything tbh
All depends on how much you want to spend. I have a 3100 in my full size truck with a turbo and it moves good! If you are staying naturally aspirated headers for a 3400 Grand Am fit, larger Throttle Body, ported heads and intakes, pcm tuning... you can do lots, just depends on your budget.
Do you have any recommendations on SBC Rocker Arms? Or how to prevent the rocker arms from being stripped?
SBC rocker arms you will want the narrowest ones you can get and with a 3/8" lock/stud. ARP has a conversion stud to go from 10mm to 3/8".
As for the rocker arm threads in the head you I usually just helicoils if I have issues, others have used time-cert.
Nice work but damn I find it hard as hell to stay awake wit this guy! Sheesh! Already 😴
Does the drop in compression from grinding the combustion chamber have a big effect on power? Like, does it drop compression significantly?
It will drop the compression slightly but you are making the chamber more efficient. With the grinding I did in the video it would maybe drop from 9.5:1 down to around 9.3-9.4:1 or so. What you loose for compression is made up with air flow and efficiency. If I had unlimited access to a dyno I would try just doing the chambers and see what it would do! Lol
@@modeverything1 good to know the volume loss. I'm thinking of putting 3400 heads on my firebird, and I'm seeing it bumps compression to around 11.5 to 12.5 so the combustion chamber work might make that swap more Street able.
never heard it compared to picking your nose :)
Now you can say your doing some porting if someone sees you with your finger in your nose!😆
Lots of LTZ 3500 Malibu / G6 motors out there w/ good top ends? How would that compare?
A stock 3500 LX9 (non vvt) head is like a mild ported 3400 head without doing anything to it! Only problem is that it won't work on a 3100 because the bore is smaller than the combustion chamber on 3500 head. Also it will drop your compression on a 3400 from 9.5:1 to approximately 8.9:1.
@@modeverything1 so your saying 3500 heads are nitrous heads port em up add ring gap and a 175 shot haha 😄 I don't know if the stock bottom end can handle that
Lol I think it would be fine as long as the tune is good! Check out the sloppy mechanics channel, he just tuned a bone stock 3400 in a cavalier with a gt35 turbo a few weeks ago, it put down 440whp @19psi on e85!
Just curious, would a 3.8 fit in the Century?
Yes it will fit. I believe some of those cars came with a 3300 wich is pretty much the same dimensions as a 3800.
@@modeverything1 thats great news! I think a Riviera series III 3.8 would make it a nice sleeper
Where are you getting cams or headers for these 3400s at?
Milzy motorsports and wot tech are the only ones for cams, milzy was making headers for the Grand Ams but the are not cheap and take a while to get from what I hear. OBX is the only new headers left for the Grand Ams/Aleros and can be found on Ebay. Other than that you have to buy used wich is how I got alot of my "performance" parts lol.
@@modeverything1 awesome. Thanks so much for the response. Most appreciated
@@boosted0079 comp also has cams and cam kits
For the gen 1 and 2 engines. They don't have any listings for the gen 3 engines (3100/3400)
Have you flow tested these heads?
I have not tested this set yet, but I will post results when I do!
@@modeverything1 I would be interested in any tests you post, thanks!
3900 upper intake plenum?
Not sure what you mean by that?
@@modeverything1 it's not important. Something I've seen done before.
I have started porting the intakes for my 3900, but I did not get any video on it.
I was instructed to use a HAMMER and DIE to remove springs.? it was my job. Why'd you use that tool?
What ever works for you! Lol I was shown the 'flat rate ' valve spring removal in high school which involved a large socket and a hammer! Works great if you're replacing everything but I am trying to cause the least damage or problems by using the spring compressor. What dìd you use to reassemble?
@@modeverything1 you'll know better than me. I was 20yrs old then. Really didn't know how cool of a job I scored. I'm pretty sure the machine shop only worked on antiques.