The time has finally come to start my Z34 project car.

[truckfighter]

91 5 speed Z34. But, I need some advice. I don't know where the hell to start.

 

Sorry to be long winded, but I'm just trying to give you as much background information as possible.

 

First of all, it still runs. It has not been driven (on the road) for 2 years now. It was at that time that I made the decision to park it and buy something more reliable. IT has 225000 kms and I was afraid the engine was ready to blow at any time. I think it had a little tick, nothing too too serious, and the whole duration I had owned/driven the car (about a year) it made a noise that one mechanic said sounded like an "air pump", and a high school auto tech teacher said it sounded like "crank walk".

 

It always had a stalling problem when the engine warmed up, but only when you would have the revs up above 3k or so then put in the clutch and let them free fall. The revs would dive past idle, sometimes recovering, sometime dying out. It would start right back up afterwards, though. It threw a check engine code, I believe it said "clutch postion sensor". However we changed that to no avail. I read a GM bulletin somewhere about a "crank position sensor" problem with some of the earlier 3.4s, and I am pretty convinced that is root of my stalling problem.

 

But anyway, I started it up yesterday for the first time in a year, and with a boost it started up on the first turn of the key. That is after taking off the accessory belt because the freakin' alternator seized. So its running, with some pretty decent ticking (which is understandable after having sat for so long). I only let it run for a minute though, since the accessory belt was off (no water pump). Prior to starting it, I checked the oil and it looked pretty clean.

 

So now I have some money, and I need some advice as to where to start here. Ultimately, I wish I could beef up the engine to get ~300 hp out of it (which I think is about the most I want to force the getrag 284 to try to cope with), but that, in combination with the body work, suspension work etc etc that needs to be done would cost one pretty penny.

 

I'm thinking get the alternator bebuild, let it run for a while and see what the engine sounds like. I can get a short block rebuild kit off the net somewhere (my buddy knows the site) for ~$400, and think that would be a good, relatively cheap idea, but I don't really know what else I really should be doing and what my plan would cost.

 

So 3.4 experts, please lend me some advice. I'll be sticking around here and reading as much as I can as I waste my money trying to make my Lumina (relatively) fast.

 

And on a side note, I used to lurk the efi-street forums religiously and post occasionally back in the day when my Lumina was on the road. I recognize a few screen names, so its good to see people still working on their 3.4s.

[jeremy]

Ultimately, I wish I could beef up the engine to get ~300 hp out of it

So 3.4 experts, please lend me some advice.

 

 

I would start with homemade headers.

[jeremy]

moving this to powertrain too

[topless94style]

If you go NA, definitly spend the time building a good set of headers. Do all the research and ask header professionals before you you start buying any pipes so you build the right set.

 

Over on 60degreev6.com you can get P&P heads and lighter lifters, you can get FFPs Underdrive pulley and dogbone mount.

 

Depending on the money you actually have, you can get your upper and lower intake manifolds extrude honed but expect to spend a ton of money.

 

Get bigger pistons and bump up the compression some, you could try getting a crank out of a 2.8L motor and some slightly longer rods I think and destroke the engine and pull a few more revs out of it.

 

You can get a chip for the computer, there are a ton of things you can do. Look into custom cam shops and get a cam regrind, there is a nice thread about it over on 60*, but its starting to just be nothing on the topic in the last few pages.

 

Then, there is always the option of boost.

[EurosportZ34]

all FFP parts and forced induction for starters

[truckfighter]

Well thanks for all the advice so far.

 

I think I want to try to keep my car all engine if its feasable. I dunno, I just think its cooler if you kept it all engine. Plus I don't want any turbo/scharge whine screwing up the the beautiful sound of the lq1. Plus you have less a chance of loosing the sleeper effect when they can't hear the whine.

 

And how much money would the honing cost? I think I'm going to try the 96+ intake swap as far as intake goes.

 

And what kind of power do you think is advisable to try to make the getrag 284 handle?

 

And you mentioned chips/computer mods... but are there any worth doing for a 5-speed?

[havikZ34]

yea..thats what i wanna be pushin out of my z too. i'm also lookin to turn it into a 5-speed. i'm gunna probably get the upper and lower plenium ported and polished, and a wider exhaust. we'll see where i am after that.

 

As for the chip..the 60* chip is great. i got it and instantly felt a difference. nothing HUGE, but every little bit counts i guess.

[94 supreme]

also if u are going to take the whole thing apart buy some porting bits like 80 bucks and port the intakes and heads we got 60 hp out of a 350 SBC by porting it ourselves. I'm not saying ull get the same results obviously but it will help for some cheap HP