3100 heads

[firebirdv6 3.4]

I was just wondering if I could take the heads off a 1996 chevy beretta with a 3100 v6 and put them on my firebird, I have a 3.4l. I know I would need the intake and the thottle body along with the injectors and the fuel rail, but my main question is will I need to swap the pistons out, or is that just for the 3400 head swap. If i'm able to what type off horsepower gain will i be seeing with this swap along with i/h/e/p, will it be close to 170whp.

thank you,

[FunkZ]

Re: 3100 heads

All FWD aluminum heads have the smaller combustion chambers, which means you have to change the pistons to lower the compression ratio.

If you're swapping in stock parts and have no other modifications I would expect your engine to make about the same horsepower as the stock FWD version you got the parts from. So if you use parts from a 2000 Grand Am 3400 you should end up with around 170hp at the crank. 3400 parts don't "magically" gain more horsepower when used on a 3.4 block. The top end is capable of more however if you start doing other engine upgrades.

[firebirdv6 3.4]

Re: 3100 heads

All FWD aluminum heads have the smaller combustion chambers, which means you have to change the pistons to lower the compression ratio.

Then why does black34v6 say ''All this said, it seems to be that the 3.4L engine is a stout powerplant with untapped potential. I proved this when I bolted the aluminum heads to the block itself. Using a stock 3.4L RWD engine block I mated the Gen III aluminum heads and 3100 intake (1996 model year) along with the fuel rails and larger injectors, the stock 3400 throttle body (50mm, just like the RWD stock tb) and adding RKSport headers (due to the fact that nothing else fit that would work in the RWD engine bay, pacesetter headers would work just as well) I realized a gain in the form of 27RWHP and 30RWTQ. (thats from 140rwhp -> 167rwhp and 183rwtq -> 203 rwtq). Once I took the cutout plate off to open the exhaust fully, it gave me another 3 horsepower and 3 torque (both rearwheel) taking me to 170RWHP and 207RWTQ. That’s a 30 RWHP gain and 24 RWTQ gain. Factor in 15% drivetrain loss and that comes to 200 horsepower at the engine. Now when I started, stock engine save for the 3” catback exhaust and K&N FIPK – I had dynoed at 140RWHP and 183RWTQ – that’s 164 HP and 215 TQ at the crank. Just updating the heads and intake from the restrictive version that GM put on there in 1993-1995 to the ones they were currently using in 1996 gave me an increase of 36 hp and 30 tq (170rw=>200c / 207rw=>245c) over what came from the factory.''

It doesn't say whether or not he used pistons for the 3100 heads, would this be what he means by genIII heads?, he only said he used them for the 3400 heads. He also said that the 3100 heads flow just as good as tiago's heads on his 3.4, so would you or would you not need pistons?

[FunkZ]

Re: 3100 heads

I would suggest talking to Russell to clarify what he posted. Obviously he is doing other mods and changes as the top end is upgraded, so he didn't gain 30rwhp from the swap alone. You can't logically take a 3.4 block, bolt 3400 stock parts on it, and have it make more power than the stock 3400 engine. If anything it will be a little bit less because you're not getting the roller cam or windage tray with the swap. The advantage of the 3400 swap (aside from the weight savings) is that when you start talking cam upgrade, forced induction, etc. you've already got heads that flow 160+ cfm without any porting. Stock iron heads flow ~125cfm and fully ported ~150cfm.

AFAIK the only FWD heads that did not use the small chambers were the Gen I iron heads.

[camaroman1181]

Re: 3100 heads

yes, you still need to change the pistons.

as far as his gains go, you can probably expect similar ones, if you do everythign he did as well. Note, he used larger injectors, and headers, as well as a CAI. those things, alone do not generate that much of an increase. However, linked to better flowing heads and a much improved intake manifold, combine to produce his power gains.

[wolf]

Re: 3100 heads

Then why does black34v6 say ''All this said, it seems to be that the 3.4L engine is a stout powerplant with untapped potential. I proved this when I bolted the aluminum heads to the block itself. Using a stock 3.4L RWD engine block I mated the Gen III aluminum heads and 3100 intake (1996 model year) along with the fuel rails and larger injectors, the stock 3400 throttle body (50mm, just like the RWD stock tb) and adding RKSport headers (due to the fact that nothing else fit that would work in the RWD engine bay, pacesetter headers would work just as well)

It doesn't say whether or not he used pistons for the 3100 heads, would this be what he means by genIII heads?, he only said he used them for the 3400 heads. He also said that the 3100 heads flow just as good as tiago's heads on his 3.4, so would you or would you not need pistons?

he used 99 3400 pistons out of a grand am, 3100 pistons wont work on a 3.4 (3.5 bore vs 3.62 bore)

easyest way to do it would be get your hands on a whole 3400 (like i did)

oh and to clarify 3400's and 99 and newer 3100 have a bigger tb(56mm) along with the bigger runner intake and bigger valves (93-98 3100 have a 52mm tb and a smaller intake)

[firebirdv6 3.4]

Re: 3100 heads

Thanks for the info guys, I really didn't want to tear into the block, but it looks like I might have too.