SmoothSteve3 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 hey everybody- Have any of you ever heard of a supercharger designed for the 3.1 MPFI? I know about the turbo 3.1, but I'd reall like to supercharge my 1990 3.1 Liter chevy Lumina. Of course, I have no idea how it would fit.....considering the intake isn't exactly geared towards supercharging.....or that the power steering pump is right where the superchargers would need to go.......lol Thanks for your suggesstions SmoothSteve3 1990 Chevy Lumina 3.1 Liter V-6 Ride on White Lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robby1870 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 http://www.rsmracing.com Im giving you that link, but also tellin you that MANY on here have had poor customer service from them. Thier blower is a Centrifugal blower Robby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 Aren't they like $4000??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 I'll save you the hassle and recommending something much easier. Purchase a used Supercharged 3800 Series II along with a 4T65-E/HD transmission. It's a lot easier than having a custom supercharger built for your ride. The 3800 Series II is also a far more reliable engine than your 3.1 MPFI, and it has decent fuel economy. You would have to upgrade so much if you wanted to supercharge your 3.1 MPFI it's not worth the time and expense. That's just my recommendation. hey everybody- Have any of you ever heard of a supercharger designed for the 3.1 MPFI? I know about the turbo 3.1, but I'd reall like to supercharge my 1990 3.1 Liter chevy Lumina. Of course, I have no idea how it would fit.....considering the intake isn't exactly geared towards supercharging.....or that the power steering pump is right where the superchargers would need to go.......lol Thanks for your suggesstions SmoothSteve3 1990 Chevy Lumina 3.1 Liter V-6 Ride on White Lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 Personally, I would never trust those fuckers at RSM. It's too bad, because they're a Canadian company and they make the rest of us Canadians look back. Besides, their Supercharged 3.1 MPFI has never been thoroughly tested. They told me that their system is on sale but they haven't had any customers with their supercharger package installed. It makes you a little curious as to the quality of their products, eh? www.rsmracing.com Im giving you that link, but also tellin you that MANY on here have had poor customer service from them. Thier blower is a Centrifugal blower Robby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 For $4,000 I'll keep my 170HP 3800 TPI V-6 and purchase new shocks and tires, and have all the bodywork done and painted. Forget the supercharger! Aren't they like $4000??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Burning Rom Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 On the issue of reliability, I have seen a lot more 3.1s/3100s hit higher mileage than I have seen Series II 3800s. The 3.1/3100 is one of the most reliable engines GM ever put in the W-body. Other than the alt. problem (which all W-body engines have), and the leaking distributor drive O-ring, they are rather problem-free engines.....unless you beat on them. Personally, I have 3 of them... 90 LE, 3.1, 94,000 miles 90 LE, 3.1, 122,500 miles 92 SE, 3.1, 175,000 miles And then there's the TGP with 95,000 on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redfox340 Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 On the issue of reliability, I have seen a lot more 3.1s/3100s hit higher mileage than I have seen Series II 3800s. The 3.1/3100 is one of the most reliable engines GM ever put in the W-body. Agreed. My pushrods in the family have super-proceed the average life award. The MPFI's are literally in-destructable if taken off. Heck even abused ones still run good numbers. I'm with Burning Rom, the 2.8L / 3.1L / 3100 / 3400 are tough! * 1988 Chevrolet Celebrity S/W - 157K miles * 1989 Chevrolet Beretta GT - 189K miles - Erik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 i've never had one problem with my 3.1, which i bought @ 111,000 miles and it now has 211,000. i went thru one alternator and did some engine resealing when i did the 5-speed swap but the engine itself has been great...no fuel injector problems, no wierd noises, and respectable gas mileage. i've put it thru many street races and besides that it's use is mainly for pizza delivery and i haul ass around town in my car. i also do alot of Interstate trips. my friend had a '91 Corsica with a 3.1, and his went to 206,000 miles before he blew a head gasket. and he is REALLY bad at engine/car maintainence, - he's the type that has garbage all over in his car from 3 months ago lol. i've never had a Buick 3800 and would love to have one, but i wouldn't say they are far more reliable than the Chevrolet 60' V6. but everyone likes what they have. if i had a car with a Buick 3000 TPI, i'm sure i'd love that engine too. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 24, 2003 Report Share Posted August 24, 2003 hey everybody- Have any of you ever heard of a supercharger designed for the 3.1 MPFI? I know about the turbo 3.1, but I'd reall like to supercharge my 1990 3.1 Liter chevy Lumina. Of course, I have no idea how it would fit.....considering the intake isn't exactly geared towards supercharging.....or that the power steering pump is right where the superchargers would need to go.......lol Thanks for your suggesstions SmoothSteve3 1990 Chevy Lumina 3.1 Liter V-6 Ride on White Lightning to get back on topic - i would stay away from RSM period. if you want to go with a Supercharged engine, go for a Series II Supercharged Buick 3800 V6 like 91GranSport mentioned (salvage yard or ebaymotors) or maybe even the earlier Series I Buick 3800 Supercharged engine. much much cheaper than RSM, a proven engine with more cubes, and it obviously fits into a W-body with no problems. you'll probably need a subframe from a W-body with a Buick V6, alot of wiring work, and i'm not sure what else....i'm the last person to ask about 3.1->3.8 engine swapping :oops: if you're set on a Supercharged 3.1 MPFI, i think RSM is your only choice :? or get ready to do ALOT of custom work. i myself am taking the easy and cheap way out and just swapping in the TGP engine (sitting on my garage floor waiting....). my 111,000 mile TGP engine cost me $350, + probably another $150 to freshen it up before i use it. before i bought that engine i was buying TGP parts seperately on the forum & ebaymotors. i had about everything needed to turbocharge my 211,000 mile n/a 3.1 MPFI, but i also ended up spending like $800!!! and that wasn't even a complete engine! (altho i did end up with 2 crossovers and 2 intercoolers). so now that i bought my TGP engine i'm stuck trying to sell all of my extra TGP engine parts but still, that $800 is nothing compared to $4000 for an RSM supercharger kit. thankfully i found a '90 Turbo STE in the salvage yard (see my website) and it was only there because the turbo was bad (and already gone) and the owner defaulted on his loan and abandoned it. i already had a T25 turbo anyway from buying all those TGP parts earlier and i was all set to buy the whole car. then the stupid salvage yard wouldn't sell me the whole car but at least i got the engine for a decent price, which included the radiator, IC, wiring harness, plumbing, downpipe, etc.... good luck man. boost is boost is boost. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SmoothSteve3 Posted August 25, 2003 Author Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 Joshua- Thanks for all the info.......I personally am not really into doing the L67 swap.....just seems too grueling.....but ya know, I might be into turbocharging my 3.1. Any idea if the life span of the turbo 3.1 was affected by it being turbocharged? But seriously......that turbocharging my car sounds like a possibility. It beats spending $4000 at RSM, and it's better than not doing anything at all.......lol Thanks again everybody. SmoothSteve3 1990 Chevy Lumina 3.1 Liter V-6 Ride on White Lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 Any idea if the life span of the turbo 3.1 was affected by it being turbocharged? that's a good question, although boost obviously puts more stress on any engine. the Turbo 3.1 has *slightly* lower compression (8.8:1 vs the n/a 3.1's 8.9:1). that's a good thing, sure, but hardly a difference and nothing to worry about in my opinion when turbo'ing a n/a 3.1 MPFI engine. altho, if i were to rebuild a TGP engine i think i'd order custom lower compression pistons; like 8.2:1 or so so i could add more boost. the Turbo 3.1 also *supposedly* has a better crank, but that's been an issue of debate for awhile now. personally i think a n/a 3.1 crank would do fine (if it's even any different than a Turbo 3.1 crank) as long as you didn't get too crazy with boost levels. i'm going to go start a thread in the TGP section and see who has the highest mileage TGP (non-rebuilt engine). later joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbtk2 Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 If I were in your position I would definately put a turbo on it. It is cheaper than the supercharger (by a LOT), and since the engine is already pretty low compression (8.9:1), and is a good reliable engine to begin with, it will make for a very nice, powerful setup. Although, if I were doing it I would drop the compression and run more boost and timing, but that is just me. On the issue of reliability, I have seen a lot more 3.1s/3100s hit higher mileage than I have seen Series II 3800s. Series II 3800, released in 1995 Model years MPFI 3.1, released in 1989 (or earlier, I can't remember) model years. Maybe the fact that the 3.1 has been around way longer is why more of them have high mileage on them? The Series II 3800 is a hella good engine (and the series I for that matter), and I have never heard of people who do regular maintenance to them and not beat the hell out of them have problems with them. (Except for the occasional lemon, which is always going to happen) But the L67 is a much stronger engine than the 3.1 anyways, it has forged pistons and crank and some other stronger things because it was built for boost, I am not saying it is indestructible, but it is a very strong engine. Our 2000 SSEi has 82,XXX miles on it and is modded (and has been since it had 100 miles) and we have beat the shit out of the engine and it runs like it is brand new...our '95 Beretta Z26 w/88,000 and '90 TGP w/113,000 run good, no doubt, but nothing like they are brand new. I am not trying to say that the 3.1 or 3100 is in any way shape or form a bad engine, I am saying that it isn't (IMO) a better engine than the Series II 3800, and I am thinking there are a few others here that will agree with me, and if not, whatever, that is my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I've seen 3800 TPI V-6s like mine with higher miles than any 3.1 MPFI. Since the 3800 Series II is even better than the 3800 TPI V-6, I'm sure it'll last well into the 400,000km range. Perhaps the reason why we don't see that many 3800 Series II engines that high is because the car is probably trashed before it reaches that mileage. On the issue of reliability, I have seen a lot more 3.1s/3100s hit higher mileage than I have seen Series II 3800s. The 3.1/3100 is one of the most reliable engines GM ever put in the W-body. Other than the alt. problem (which all W-body engines have), and the leaking distributor drive O-ring, they are rather problem-free engines.....unless you beat on them. Personally, I have 3 of them... 90 LE, 3.1, 94,000 miles 90 LE, 3.1, 122,500 miles 92 SE, 3.1, 175,000 miles And then there's the TGP with 95,000 on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I can't say much about the Buick 3000 V-6, hell I never even heard of it. I know Buick had a 3300 V-6, but I don't know much about that one either. My first W-Body had a 3.1 MPFI in it, and I beat that car around from time to time. The only problem I had was a leaky fuel injector or two, and some electronic shit where it would fire on only four cylinders instead of six. I guess that might've been the coil pack, I'm not really too sure. It was long ago and I can't remember. Either way, the 3.1 MPFI is a very reliable engine, but I think for the price you pay, you simply can't go wrong with the Buick 3800 TPI V-6 or the 3800 Series II. Supercharging a 3.1 MPFI would require far too much custom work, and RSM is out of the question since they rip people off. It's so much easier to simply drop in a Supercharged 3800 Series II along with the matching 4T60-E/HD tranny. Since many people have done it before, it wouldn't be difficult getting help. That's just my opinion... i've never had one problem with my 3.1, which i bought @ 111,000 miles and it now has 211,000. i went thru one alternator and did some engine resealing when i did the 5-speed swap but the engine itself has been great...no fuel injector problems, no wierd noises, and respectable gas mileage. i've put it thru many street races and besides that it's use is mainly for pizza delivery and i haul ass around town in my car. i also do alot of Interstate trips. my friend had a '91 Corsica with a 3.1, and his went to 206,000 miles before he blew a head gasket. and he is REALLY bad at engine/car maintainence, - he's the type that has garbage all over in his car from 3 months ago lol. i've never had a Buick 3800 and would love to have one, but i wouldn't say they are far more reliable than the Chevrolet 60' V6. but everyone likes what they have. if i had a car with a Buick 3000 TPI, i'm sure i'd love that engine too. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 Dude, if I were you I'd keep those parts just in case they fail. I don't think the Turbo 3.1 MPFI has any serious problems that I know of, but since those parts are hard to find in the first place it might be a good idea to hang on to them for a while. Let us know how your swap goes, I think it should be straight-forward with the exception of the piping for the intercooler and such. BTW: I'm sure there must be a way to upgrade some of the turbo-related parts. Perhaps upgrading to a larger turbo or even a larger intercooler might bring out more horsepower. to get back on topic - i would stay away from RSM period. if you want to go with a Supercharged engine, go for a Series II Supercharged Buick 3800 V6 like 91GranSport mentioned (salvage yard or ebaymotors) or maybe even the earlier Series I Buick 3800 Supercharged engine. much much cheaper than RSM, a proven engine with more cubes, and it obviously fits into a W-body with no problems. you'll probably need a subframe from a W-body with a Buick V6, alot of wiring work, and i'm not sure what else....i'm the last person to ask about 3.1->3.8 engine swapping :oops: if you're set on a Supercharged 3.1 MPFI, i think RSM is your only choice :? or get ready to do ALOT of custom work. i myself am taking the easy and cheap way out and just swapping in the TGP engine (sitting on my garage floor waiting....). my 111,000 mile TGP engine cost me $350, + probably another $150 to freshen it up before i use it. before i bought that engine i was buying TGP parts seperately on the forum & ebaymotors. i had about everything needed to turbocharge my 211,000 mile n/a 3.1 MPFI, but i also ended up spending like $800!!! and that wasn't even a complete engine! (altho i did end up with 2 crossovers and 2 intercoolers). so now that i bought my TGP engine i'm stuck trying to sell all of my extra TGP engine parts but still, that $800 is nothing compared to $4000 for an RSM supercharger kit. thankfully i found a '90 Turbo STE in the salvage yard (see my website) and it was only there because the turbo was bad (and already gone) and the owner defaulted on his loan and abandoned it. i already had a T25 turbo anyway from buying all those TGP parts earlier and i was all set to buy the whole car. then the stupid salvage yard wouldn't sell me the whole car but at least i got the engine for a decent price, which included the radiator, IC, wiring harness, plumbing, downpipe, etc.... good luck man. boost is boost is boost. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I think GM/McLaren beefed up the 3.1 MPFI when they turbo'd it. If I recall correctly, they had stronger (perhaps forged) connecting rods, a stronger crankshaft, and some other miscellaneous stuff. Joshua- Thanks for all the info.......I personally am not really into doing the L67 swap.....just seems too grueling.....but ya know, I might be into turbocharging my 3.1. Any idea if the life span of the turbo 3.1 was affected by it being turbocharged? But seriously......that turbocharging my car sounds like a possibility. It beats spending $4000 at RSM, and it's better than not doing anything at all.......lol Thanks again everybody. SmoothSteve3 1990 Chevy Lumina 3.1 Liter V-6 Ride on White Lightning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I'd say that's one of the main reasons. There are far more cars on the road with 3.1 MPFIs than the 3800 TPI V-6 or the 3800 Series II. No to start the motor wars when reliability is concerned, but I'm sure everyone can agree that the 3800 Series II and the 3800 TPI V-6 are more reliable than the 3.1 MPFI. Not to say the 3.1 MPFI isn't reliable, but it's not as bulletproof as the Buick 3800 engines. Series II 3800, released in 1995 Model yearsMPFI 3.1, released in 1989 (or earlier, I can't remember) model years. Maybe the fact that the 3.1 has been around way longer is why more of them have high mileage on them? The Series II 3800 is a hella good engine (and the series I for that matter), and I have never heard of people who do regular maintenance to them and not beat the hell out of them have problems with them. (Except for the occasional lemon, which is always going to happen) But the L67 is a much stronger engine than the 3.1 anyways, it has forged pistons and crank and some other stronger things because it was built for boost, I am not saying it is indestructible, but it is a very strong engine. Our 2000 SSEi has 82,XXX miles on it and is modded (and has been since it had 100 miles) and we have beat the shit out of the engine and it runs like it is brand new...our '95 Beretta Z26 w/88,000 and '90 TGP w/113,000 run good, no doubt, but nothing like they are brand new. I am not trying to say that the 3.1 or 3100 is in any way shape or form a bad engine, I am saying that it isn't (IMO) a better engine than the Series II 3800, and I am thinking there are a few others here that will agree with me, and if not, whatever, that is my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I can't say much about the Buick 3000 V-6, hell I never even heard of it. oops - typo :oops: i meant 3800. you really like those Buick engines huh that's cool tho, i think my n/a 3.1 can make it to at least 250,000 or 300,000 miles. i wish i could keep my extra TGP parts, but i REALLY need some extra cash right now. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91GranSport Posted August 25, 2003 Report Share Posted August 25, 2003 I don't want to sound biased about Buick engines simply because I own a Buick and I have a Buick engine, but I know the 3800 TPI V-6 and 3800 Series II are damn near bulletproof, and given my own personal experience I can't say the same about the 3.1 MPFI. The 3.1 MPFI by itself is an outstanding engine that'll last long, but I don't think it's as durable as the Buick 3800 engines. I can't say much about the Buick 3000 V-6, hell I never even heard of it. oops - typo :oops: i meant 3800. you really like those Buick engines huh that's cool tho, i think my n/a 3.1 can make it to at least 250,000 or 300,000 miles. i wish i could keep my extra TGP parts, but i REALLY need some extra cash right now. joshua Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L67wanaB Posted August 26, 2003 Report Share Posted August 26, 2003 I can tell you first hand that the RSM supercharger is not worth the cost. My brother and I did a forged rebuild of his 3.1 as a safety measure before installing this POS into his 93 GP. There was a substantial gain, but this thing can't hold up to daily use. Within 2 months we started experiencing problems. RSM is of no use in helping us with anything and they're laughing at the request for a refund or exchange. As an experienced driver, by brother knows how to keep his foot off of the gas. He treated the car no differently than he did before the rebuild and SC install. I am so glad he decided to be the guinee pig before I made my purchase, but I feel so bad for his wallet. There are other Supercharger kits out there, but I do not feel that the cost of worth the gain. A stock TGP still treated the SC/GP like a little bitch. Now I have done the L67 swap, and It cost me about 100 bucks less than the SC kit. I have a series II, freshly rebuilt and it still impresses me. My advice, forget about the SC kit. Get the 3.1 turbo, or go with the L67 swap. Those two are worth the cost, and will cost less while giving you more power. Edited to add some further info. You will not need to swap the engine cradle or other parts of the frame to do this swap, unless you have the 3.4. Check out http://l67swap.com. There's plenty of help there as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien1282 Posted November 16, 2012 Report Share Posted November 16, 2012 Aren't they like $4000??? The gt grand prix is a .3.8 same as the gtp the supercharger from the gtp will mount to the 3.1 BUT will need alot of modifying. And on top of that u will need to find a way to program the ecu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19Cutlass94 Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Really? 9yr old thread... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runt Posted November 17, 2012 Report Share Posted November 17, 2012 Once again...please watch the last post dates on these threads. Many of the users that posted in these threads are not on the boards anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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