GM's Forgotten Engines: The Chevrolet 60° V-6

[@OldCanadianguy953]

I used to own a car with one of these engines. Once the water pump bearings go, you’ll never hear the serpentine belt slipping so the heads will warp once the engine overheats. Mine did just that and it never was the same after this malfunction. Pre-1987 engines were notorious for having a sieve as a rear main oil seal. I drove a company car with the 2.8 and you literally had to dump 4 to 5 litres of motor oil in every time you stopped for gas. That car eventually caught on fire on the highway as the oil emptied faster than normal one day. But it was a company car so no one cared.

[@brandonsmith5506]

I used to love the sound out of the old 2.8s and 3.1s

[@davidmckibbin4440]

the 81 X11 had the best sound of any six ive ever heard

[@markk3652]

I had a 90 Lumina euro sedan with the 3.1, factory twin pipes from one muffler sounded god awful.

[@bobcarlino7280]

I did, too! The 2.8 and the 3.1 had the most awesome "growl" when being started or when the car accelerated...

[@MrTheHillfolk]

My buddies old 84 s15 had one. One day the exhaust broke right after the cat , and all we had laying around was some pipe and a glass pack. Lil 2.8 sounded like a 2 stroke Detroits cousin !

[@scrappy7571]

@@davidmckibbin4440 Fiero sounded pretty good too. And it was pretty snappy, no MAF lag.

[@neuideas]

I used to have a 1991 Beretta GT. It had the 3.1. I loved the sound of the engine, and I appreciated its torquiness. Several years later, the wife got a 1999 Monte Carlo with the 3.1 as well. It may not have had the robustness or power of the legendary 3.8, but it had a unique character and sound, making it my all-time favorite V6.

[@5roundsrapid263]

I got a Beretta right after I got my license. My parents traded it in after a couple speeding tickets!

[@ericknoblauch9195]

The 3.1 in our Cavalier RS had a lot of torque. It was a sleeper, and when it woke up everything else on the road appeared in the rear view mirror. I loved that car.

[@ADHDsquirl]

In 99, that would have been a 3.4. possibly a DOHC variant, I've worked on them before.

[@trope5105]

bro you trippin lol, just my opinion ;)

[@andrewdonohue1853]

@@ericknoblauch9195 the j body with the V6 was far better with the manual then the automatic for performance

[@fredmcfarland873]

I worked on a boat load of these engines. Great design by GM. Wish they were still around

[@andrewdonohue1853]

i think the 3.8/3800 was better. i had a 91 cavalier with the 3.1 that was almost trouble free, but i had a 91 grand prix 3.1 that was very much troublesome. i had a 2.8 in an S10 blazer, it was OK but underpowered in that application. the 4.3 was far better in the blazer and S10 pickup. the 4.3 in a S10 pickup could smoke the tires.

[@eddiea3782]

My sister had a red 1987 Chevrolet Camaro. It sounded real nice with the Camaro dual exhaust. And then she impressed me by lighting up the tires. It lit those tires up easily. I was impressed for sure. Very nice little V6.

[@Kdog307]

Me in my 88 process z z28 barley tip toe ING the throttle the second I thought I saw rain n had a corner coming up, torque in the 350 tpi (mpfi) was no joke. Owned one in a 76 blazer to. Gf had a 2001 century with 3.1 It may have been a 98-99. Really only cars I mess with now is gtp grand prix or the SC 3800 buicks because here in Wyoming snow is a big issue with torque monster rwd f body's. Couldn't move out a parking lot that had 1/4 inche of snow.. had it sold next day lol

[@elirenigar9357]

The 2.8 was a super cool engine. Great little motors.

[@milkyperformance]

still daily driving a 2002 buick century with the 3.1 280k miles on it. original engine and transmission. 25 mpg normal driving 32 highway driving. absolutely love this car.

[@Kdog307]

Seems normal getting mid-thirties with a Grand Prix GTP 300000 miles

[@zachsummers3321]

Nice they seem like decent engines if cared for. Nothing like the 3.8 that was almost bullet proof.

[@machinehead6892]

I worked on thousands of these engines in every format, the 2.8 was excellent, in a j body with a manual transmission, they were so much fun. Common problem was the oil pump drive that replaced the distributor, the o ring would harden after years then they would leak oil like crazy, had to remove the throttle body and lift out the drive to replace the o ring and also installed a distributor gasket from a small block and they never leaked again. I still have two of these in two Montana vans a 3.4l and a 3.9L, both have 400k on them and still run perfect. I miss the 90's with all the v6 cars GM had, they were great cars except for the v6 F body was a joke. Still have my 88 S-10 with a 4.3l but that is another story, thanks for the memory.

[@johneckert1365]

I drive an 08 Impala with the 3.5, and it's been great. Good fuel mileage too

[@richardepstein3494]

That was the problem that developed with my 93 3.1 Sunbird. Mechanic told me it couldn't be fixed and that I needed a replacement engine. This occured at app. 146k.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

The Fiero was a vlast to drive with the 2.8

[@maxmowers1434]

Daily drive my 83 Oldsmobile Omega Brougham with the carbed 2.8L

[@robertarthurs328]

The O-ring oil leak , intake gaskets, fuel pressure regulator were the most common issues none of them a deal breaker.

[@jurti19]

My grandma had a 1994 Chevy Cavalier Z24 that had a 3.1 Ltr. Loved that car

[@stepheng3667]

Your grandma had one? I must be getting old or maybe your grandma was hip!

[@pattyjay9999]

@@stepheng3667 Cavalier Z24 were the shit back in the day because we didn’t know about Cosworth Escort GT’s in the US😜

[@ottopartz1]

I had the hatchback version of the Z-24 caviler. It had some issues especially with the digital dashboard but overall I really liked that car. It would really rip when I laid into the gas pedal and cornered especially well compared to the other cars of that era.

[@fbanda20]

Those z24’s sounded awesome!

[@probegt75]

Those were fast as hell with the manual transmission. My brother had a 94 and it would push you into the seat.

[@scrappy7571]

I worked on a gazzlion of these at the dealer. First gen 2.8 in the Citation had oil leaks and weak bottom ends, The 2.8/3.1 multiport were the most trouble free. The later 3.1/3.4 had piston slap and leaky intake gaskets. 3.5/3.9 had coolant leaks. All of them paid my bills every week for many years.

[@frankpeletz1818]

Remember the rear main oil seal changes? Rope to two piece to one piece seal. You forgot the leaking oil pump drive seal. I could have the heads off a 3.4 in 45 minutes

[@scrappy7571]

@@frankpeletz1818 2.8 S10 blazers with the extra frame brackets were miserable to replace the leaking rear seal. Oh and that 3.4 dual overhead cam turd, had to pull the head to replace the dummy oil pump dist drive seal (or get creative wink wink).

[@mojo6706]

I had the 2.8 mpi in my 89 Cavalier Wagon. Honestly the best car I ever owned. I replaced a water pump, O2 sensor, alternator, and fuel sending unit. I sold it in 2001 with 170k miles and it ran like the day I bought it. It was a fast little wagon!

[@natereinhold6180]

The big port 3.1 and 3.4 were fun as long as you replaced the intake gaskets on 2003 and older. Always wanted to through turbo kit on one. Interestingly enough, sbc rods can be used after removing something like 50 thou in thickness.

[@lilibethdoherty295]

GM Planned Obsolescence at work, GM gave away Millions of loyal Customers to Toyota ,Honda and Ford with this Strategy to Screw over their Loyal Customers !

[@JohnnyFox666]

The sound they make is unique i used to heard them everywhere in the mid 90s 😊

[@SurelyYewJest]

Ya, the GM 60-degree V6 was THE sound of American summers from coast to coast from '89-'96.

[@drippinglass]

Glad I missed out on that. I was listening to 440 Mopars.

[@ronaldwilliford301]

Great engine! with Great sounds!!!!!😀😀

[@jeffarmusik9115]

These engines were great little powerhouses. I had an 87 Z24 with the 2.8L. Always was tinkering with it and upgrading anyway I could. Then got a 94 Z24 with the 3.1 with cowl induction. Finally had a 5 speed behind this one and she could sure go!!!! These sounded like nothing else on the road, one of the best sounding v6 engines in the 80s and 90s! Back when Chevy were building cars, not the junk the produce today. Awesome informative video. Thank you

[@squidduck]

Had 2 of them, one in an Olds Cutlass Cierra, one in a Lumina. Both were reliable and reasonably fuel efficient

[@thatcarguy1UZ]

I was a dealership Tech in the 90s and with the exception of the early carbureted version of this engine (that had a lot of intake manifold gasket leak issues) and the 3.4 L twin dual overhead cam V6 version these were great engines. One of the best things about them actually was the sound that they made. I don't know exactly what GM did with their mufflers, but these engines sounded a lot more badass than they actually were. For a non v8, they had a really nice burble in the Celebrity Eurosport Pontiac 6000 and the Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme variants.

[@marko7843]

A lot of that good exhaust sound comes from the fact that it is a proper 60° V6... Even with a cat, a resonator and two mufflers, the 90° Buick always sounds like crap at 2000 RPM. (And with my gearing it seems to be at 2 grand a lot 😉.)

[@good4jg]

My '94 Sunbird had the 3.1 and 5-speed manual and, you're right, it DID make wonderful sounds.

[@bennydubbz]

This motor was awesome!!! I had it in my 1988 Chevy Cavalier Z-24 with 5 speed!!! Car was awesome even put a Flowmaster on it. I still miss it. Thanks for the vid!!!

[@rporestorations]

They sounded great. I can still picture it.

[@benclark1423]

I had an ‘89 Grand Prix with the 2.8. I still remember the delight I experienced when I learned that I could loosen the front motor mount and rock the engine forward to facilitate easy R&R of the rear spark plugs. I recall the water pump and belt being a breeze to replace too.

[@jalton9416]

I had a 92 Chevy Lumina Euro coupe with the 3.1L. It got me through college. I traded it in with 190,000 miles on the odometer. I miss that car

[@0wl999]

I inherited the stock version of the 92 from my dad after he passed away, absolutely loved it. 140+ on 4 cylinders ( computer was going bad, didn't know till afterwards ) with still a 1/4 inch of pedal travel left to go. I'd put it over the v8 crown vic on power.

[@good4jg]

We had a base '94 Sedan with the 3.1 and the 4T60 (the 3T40 was standard with the V6) and put 297K on it before we gave it away after buying an '01 Malibu. It was the most reliable car I've ever owned.

[@nathanielbolden5053]

Another super reliable gem from GM couldn’t kill the damn thing!…had the 3.1MPFI in my ‘91 Corsica LT damn thing ran under water!

[@good4jg]

That was a great synopsis of a great engine. Other variants of this engine (there were already too many to mention in such a short video) were made after 2005. They are also legitimate members of GM's 60-degree V6 family and were called "High-Value" engines. They include several 3.5 liter versions from 2004 to 2011 that were placed into cars like the Chevy Malibu, Impala/Monte Carlo, and Uplander and 2006-7 Buick Rendezvous (alter-Aztek). The first ones were based on the LA1 3.4, but later ones were based on the VVT LZ9 3.9 (though not all of the 3.5s had VVT) which was a first in OHV engines. The "High-Value" family also included few 3.9 liter versions from 2006 to 2011 installed in all of the above except the Rendezvous. All had offset bores and VVT, but only the Impala got active fuel management (for 2007-8). The Rendezvous got the DOHC LY7 "High Feature" engine as an option from 2005 until its discontinuation after 2007 - the Lucerne got the 3.9 engine instead. The "High-Feature" 60-degree engines (which share only the bank angle) would eventually replace all of GMs other V6s except the small-block-based 90 degree engines in the trucks. I have owned: 1994 Pontiac Sunbird and Chevy Lumina with the LH0 3.1, 2000 and 2001 Chevy Malibu with the LG8 3.1, 2007 Chevy Uplander with the LZ9 3.9, and a 2017 Chevy Equinox with the LFX 3.6.

[@wrotenwasp]

WOW, 1980. 12th grade. With the smog era in full swing then the X cars, it seemed like a whole different world compared to the early 70s. A friend of mine right after high school bought a 2 year old X-11 it handled quite well and for the time, it moved out pretty good. I had the 180 HP version 3.4 in a 2000 Impala and when I popped the hood, I thought "how is that dinky engine gonna move this big car. I couldnt believe how well it accelerated. 31-32 MPG highway too. Awesome mil.

[@Dark_Knight_USA]

Greetings: 2000 Impala "big car".... Nope.

[@wrotenwasp]

@@Dark_Knight_USA No doubt it really isn't a "big car". I've had a 2005 Impala SS with the L67 (with the vintage Gen III Eaton M90 huffer) since 2008 and when the Doddge Charger came out, the latest Taurus or the 2014 Impala, this 05 Impala looked more like a mid sided car or slightly larger than a Malibu. Weighing in at around 3600, that also puts it in the "not a big car" category. Back in 2000, I guess with that larger engine bay, that 3.4 60 deg V6 looked so small but punching it at around 25, I was impressed at how much 180 HP actually accelerated the car and with a 4t65e trans, it wasn't constantly up and downshifting. Looking back , it also seems like the city/highway MPG rivaled that of most of these turbo 4 cyl piles a crap or the more powerful/ complex DOHC 4 valve per cyl 3.6. That 60 deg V6 and the 90 deg 3.8 V6 had to be two fo the best if not the best V6s built back then. Hard to believe the 3.8 was last built in 2008 and the 3.5-3.9 VVT 60 deg V6 was in 2011. .....looks like I kinda veered off on a tangent there. You know how it is with automotive talk Dark-Knight-USA!

[@Dark_Knight_USA]

@@wrotenwasp Greetings: Indeed. True. My Foster dadc(RIP) bought a new '92 Grand AM with the 3.8. He was a big car guy, so I was surprised when I 1st saw it true. We went on my 1st ride. Out of the lot was a left turn he looked at me as I was holding on, pressed against the passenger door glass..." Now I can catch them" he said. That little egg thing was quick. Then the SSEi Bonneville came out followed by the GTP. Basically my Pop's body with the SSEi powertrain. Woohoo! Definitely melt the tires at intersections type. Still. I like the old V8s. Bsafe. Peace and love. If U cannot make those then make war. :)

[@vlaramconnamory]

My 1989 olds ciera had a 2.8 vs and it was a very good engine i love the engine.

[@taylorsutherland6973]

I can hear the piston slap from here! I put many intake Gaskets on them when DexCool was first introduced

[@dave1135]

The dealership i was a tech at we called it dexkill.

[@runner3033]

@@dave1135 DeathCool is another I've heard

[@ericknoblauch9195]

I had intake gasket problems without the Dexcool. I was using the old green antifreeze and it still happened.

[@johneckert1365]

This engine layout went on even further with the 3.5 starting in 06 I believe, and also a 3.9. The 3.5 was common in Impalas, Buick Rendezvous, Chevy Uplanders, etc......

[@jnorthrop70]

My 04 Rendezvous had a 3.4L. I didn’t realize it was essentially the same engine as the 3.1L that grenaded itself back in 1999. Bad intake manifold design. Wouldn’t have bought it…but that said GM redesigned the intake manifold for ‘04.

[@johneckert1365]

@jnorthrop70 Chevrolet should've redesigned that intake gasket issue IMMEDIATELY. Many many good engines were destroyed because of that problem.

[@dmandman9]

They truly improved that engine. When they first put them in the S10, they had weak bottom ends. But once they went to the aluminum head edition, the durability improved greatly.

[@MrOlea]

I had a 1986 Fully loaded Camaro sport coupe with T-tops and the 2.8 with the 5 speed manual. It was a lively car and fun for what it was. Ran that 2.8 for 250,000 miles.

[@dmandman9]

@@MrOlea I think around 85 they improved the oiling system and increase the size of the bearing journals.

[@seththomas9105]

I had a 84 S-15 Jimmy with a 5-speed. The 2.8 was a underpowered POS that I spun a bearing on with only about 140K on it. I hope the later ones were better.

[@dmandman9]

@@seththomas9105 they were much better. It went from being a disposable engine that was lucky to see 100,000 miles to being a pretty good engine although never quite as good as the 3800. But I agree that it was an underpowered turd in the S10 pickup and blazer. Pretty much any carbureted edition was an engine to be avoided.

[@stevebrown5603]

That was actually not the same engine.the 2.8 used in the pickup had a different degree pattern

[@stepheng3667]

I loved the 2.8 and 3.1. Loved the sound of that tuned port exhaust. I had a 91 Sunbird, 3.1 5 speed - what a riot. My dad had a 91 Cutlass Supreme with 3.1. My wife had a 97 Grand Am with 3100. Then she had a 2003 Malibu also with 3100. The 03 Malibu developed a bit of piston slap at around 100K. Not long after that it got T-Boned at an intersection and had to be scrapped. I think they were great engines. Intake manifold gaskets were a problem and GM peeved off a lot of customers by looking the other way.

[@geraldscott4302]

I had an '01 Malibu. It was junk. Nothing not much wrong with the engine mechanically. Starting in 1996, GM started putting a VERY EFFECTIVE engine destroyer in the cooling system, commonly known as DEXKILL or DEATHCOOL. It goes in as a liquid, and solidifies in the engine. My engine, radiator, and heater core were plugged up solid with it. They are still using it. I will NEVER buy another '96 or newer GM vehicle.

[@WC_Beer_Reviews]

You could also find these in the 1st gen AMC Jeep Cherokee XJ and Comanche MJ. They were said to be doggy motors back then barely making more power than the 2.5 four cylinder. I wonder what the aftermarket support is for these motors? How much of a power bump would headers, intake, carb, cam, and ignition upgrades get you?

[@tonyrichards254]

The way to bump up power would be fuel injection, like GM did. Whether aftermarket or somehow installing a donor system from another vehicle, that made all the difference for the 2.8. If you can, though, you may want to drop a 3.4 in. That's 165 horsepower stock.

[@Greatdome99]

I had one in my 84 Jeep Cherokee. The fact that they were designed to be mounted transversely explains why the engine would kill in sharp curves (float bowl alignment). The intake manifold formed part of the rocker cover seal (along with the head) and the gap between the two was historically huge (and with NO gasket), allowing oil to escape at will. A head gasket blew at 100,000 miles, making this THE absolute motor I ever owned.

[@jeffgriffith7003]

I know exactly the situation you’re describing. I accidentally lost a plastic float bowl anti slosh block when rebuilding my Rochester carburetor on my 2.8 for my 84’ GMC Jimmy, it would stall out on left turns if i recall correctly. Had to buy a junkyard carburetor to get that anti slosh block into my carburetor. No more stalling afterwards. Lol I loaned the Jimmy to my sister and forgot to warn her about it stalling during turns. Lol

[@chrisbrownjohn6277]

I remember those things from working at an AMC Jeep dealership at the time. Maybe that's why my memories of them aren't as pleasant as some other peoples

[@dannork1240]

My dad had 2, 2.8 powered Cherokees. They both blew up on him. The 4.0 ones seemed more than twice as fast

[@valiant1968]

The exhaust note from these V6's was so unique and so good. If I had to describe it, it would be like gargling water with your mouth partially open LOL😄

[@milesdyck]

We had a 1985 Chevy Clebrity with one of these. Major upgrade from the K-car we had before that!

[@samphillips8322]

Thanks for posting this. We had one in an S-10 Blazer, another in a Camaro. At 145K miles the Blazer had a head gasket leak. Relatively easy to change head gaskets and fortunately no warped or cracked heads. Good compression on all 6. The engine in the Camaro gave us no trouble. Gave the kids something sporty to drive without any trouble with speeding tickets, etc. One of the kids picked up a used Equinox with one of these engines. I was impressed by the improvements. Don't recall final mileage but it was at least 200K when it was traded for something new that was junk in 4 or 5 years. Always thought the 60 degree 2.8 was a good basic design and the final version with multiport injection was superior to anything that came along later for vehicles in the size and weight range it was intended for.

[@arnoldmcqueen2944]

Had several cars with the 2.8 variety, always liked them. Enjoyed the video!

[@DavyDave123]

Best motor ever. Had an '88 Beretta GT with a 2.8 and a 5-spd manual, super fun, and my wife has a '89 Cavalier Z24 with a 2.8 and a 5-spd, more fun. She got a '96 Lumina with a 3.1 after that and later I got an Impala with a 3.4. Just sold the 19 year old Impala with 268K miles last month to one of my kids' friends. Still runs like a top. They love it. Probably drove about 700K miles on all of those cars and the only engine repairs I did was a water pump on the Impala and a valve cover gasket on the Beretta. Oil and coolant changes help a lot. Oh yeah, used to get 34 to 35 mpg with the Lumina and Impala on longer trips all the time. What's not to love?

[@damianabbate4423]

I did my automotive apprenticeship at NAIT in Edmonton Alberta in the early 90's. The entire automotive program revolved around these and the Ford 4.6.

[@MartinKirklandll]

I also attended NAIT in that era and remember those .I still have a 3100 Malibu/2003 .

[@solitaire5142]

I had a 2.8 in my `88 Corsica, it had the coolest exhaust and intake tone:)

[@jakeballard7999]

I love these - they are peppy and reliable

[@brjr2009]

I had a 1980 citation 2 door with a 4 speed manual transmission with the 2.8 L engine. I was and still amazed at the durability of that engine and the awesome fuel milage. If the rest of the car was as good as the engine, I would probably still be driving it

[@jamesfishin]

Had one of these in my first truck a 83 S15 for a bit. Then dropped in a 4.3 Vortec tied to a 5 speed.

[@user-et4kn2zh3e]

My first new car out of college was a 1988 Beretta. It had a 2.8L with a Getrag 5-speed manual. This car, at idle, sounded like a 5.0L Mustang...sort of. During acceleration,, it had a great growl and a good amount of torque. I have great memories of owning that car. My next car, a 1991 Chevy EuroSport coupe had the 3.1 V6.

[@DBVintage]

I have one of those in my 2004 venture. It’s the 3.4 L variant. It’s a great little motor., It’s got tons of low and mid range for its size and it easily lights up the tires through first gear.

[@adammosher1115]

Had a 89 celebrity with the 2.8 and the was a little beast keep coming back and asking for more I still wish I had that car

[@johnwhite815]

Still working on my 2.8 in my s10 .good little motor. Easy to work on . Thanks for the info. Good video

[@garyalleccia2793]

Great video. To this day I still have a 1996 Monte Carlo Z34 with 170,000 Mi on that 3.4 LQ engine. It also red lines at 7000 RPM with a lack of pushrods. With slight modifications I have almost 300 horses coming out of mine. It came stock with a Forged crank Forged rods and Forged Pistons. Just a little bit of degree work with the cams, monster Bosch injectors, port polishing and free-flow the exhaust. And it's a blast to drive. Replace that timing belt every 30 to 40,000 MI Run synthetic oil in it and it will run forever.

[@rporestorations]

Thanks!

[@chincemagnet]

My grandparents had Buicks from the early 80’s right on up until a few years ago. They were like sleepers imo, especially the supercharged motors and the later DI V6 was a beast.

[@RobertNES816]

I had a few cars with the 3.1L MPFI I loved it! Had one in a Lumina Euro Sport Coupe and another in a Grand Prix LE 4 door. Excellent fuel economy and pretty good acceleration.

[@dankline9162]

I definitely recognize that engine, love the big stamped out letters haha. Had a 92 grand prix SE as my first car, 90 LE next. Both had the 3.1 First car was a bit of a lemon or abused used, but i loved it. Body and parts broke and rusted but never did any major engine work, even the gaskets didn't give out on me.

[@Offthbadan]

Loved my 91 Grand Prix. I remember changing the spark plugs by rotating the motor. That was unusual considering most car up until the 80s were rear wheel drive and carbureted.

[@maximagmhondafan8892]

Man I love these engines. I have the L82 in my Grand Prix. These are the best sounding V6s in my opinion, but my most favorite ones are the LB6 and the LH0.

[@kylescarfarm]

I've owned numerous versions of the 60° V6. I specifically like the 2.8 & 3.1 MPFI flat top and still own 3 today. Great engines!

[@sartainja]

Had a 1984 S-10 that had the 2.8L V6 that I put 60K miles on before selling it to my cousin who put over 330K on it. He overhauled the engine once at 180K after it overheated The engine was bad to bust radiator hoses. The upper and lower radiator hoses busted on me during the 60K miles. The engine had just the right amount of power for an S-10 with the 4 speed automatic transmission. Got an average of 23 miles per gallon on highway in the small truck. Around 20 miles per gallon in the city. The only major issue was that the main seal between the engine and transmission went out and had to have it replaced. This was a major issue with that model year. Additionally, you had to replace the spark plugs wire every 12 to 18 months or the truck would start missing slightly driving down the road. This is where I learned to use GM parts rather than aftermarket parts - you might get 3 to 6 months out of a set of the cheaper ones. Would give anything if I had that 1984 S-10 now in show room condition. Loved that little truck.

[@justgoofingoff]

Had the 3.1 in my 92 Sunbird SE( Had a Hypertech chip, exhaust and self made ram air, that little thing was quick once it was able to breath) and my 94 Gran Prix. They were both solid motors.

[@joshuajones8505]

I had several of these 2.8s in Beretta cars. They did sound really good. I'd like to have one to drive around.

[@NotAGarage]

I had a 2.8 1986 Firebird and a 3.1 Camaro. I loved them engines! I drove my 2.8 from 128k to 240k in less than 2 years as a young teenager. Man, every accessory and component failed, but i drove them so much it was normal wear and tear.

[@mikechasse1016]

3.1's used to crack the blocks in the spring for some reason. The rear driver's side cylinder. Either the lower head bolt thread /corner would crack or the block would crack right along the cross hatch lines an inch or 2 from the top of the cylinder.

[@jeremygranier6086]

Had an 87 fiero GT. It was pretty quick and lots of fun to drive. Loved that performance intake and brushed aluminum valve covers! Had 250k on mine before I sold it. That little fiero had the raspiest little tone to it. Sounded so much meaner than it's 140hp

[@lyzek01]

I had an 88 Beretta GT manual. Installed a cam and had a nice lope. Straight pipe with a dual tip muffler. People always thought I had swapped a V8 in it by the way it idled!!

[@mcarlkv53]

i had a 3.4 in a monte carlo, dad had 3.1 in buick and mom had 3.8 in a pontiac...all 3 at one time in our driveway....loved those engines

[@lilibethdoherty295]

My Neighbor bought a 1980 Citation new and it had every problem a car could possibly have, finally when a tie rod failed on the steering and almost killed him he bought a Honda Accord and did not have a single problem for the next 30+ years.

[@Jscot1001]

I still occasionally drive my 87 Chevy S10 4x4. Still has the 2.8 TBI. I replaced the engine about 12 years ago at 130k. It spun a bearing. I've only put 15k on it in the past 12 years. It stays in the garage most of the time. It's crazy to see the value of these trucks skyrocket these last few years. Especially when they are in good shape like mine is.

[@Slevin-Kelevra]

I still got my 3.1L 1994 Cavalier. Factory Mint Condition. Collector plates!!

[@ruley73]

@0:21 They actually had a 31 year run. The last iterations of the Chevrolet 60° V6 engines GM used were the 3500 and 3900. The 3500 was last used in the 2011 Chevrolet Impala. The 3900 was last used in the 2011 Buick Lucerne and Chevrolet Impala.

[@NorthernMaineProductions]

I had a few of these back in the day , they made me money working at a GM dealer , I had 2 1983 Pontiac 6000s with the old 2.8 2 barrel V6s , One was real good and the other was an Oil leaking POS , I had a 1985 Celebrity Eurosport Wagon with a 2.8 2 barrel it always ran good until that POS Th444 Overdrive Transaxle Crapped out ,( I swapped it out for the much better 3 speed auto) , Much later on I had a 1993 Lumina 3.1 MFI , that thing was awesome! It ran 300,000 Miles! and drove to the Scrap Yard in 2008, In 2009 I bought a 1989 Corsica with a Blown up 2.8 MFI and swapped that engine out for a 1994 3.1 MFI from a Wrecked 1994 Lumina , that old Corsica was a little rusty but a lot of fun to drive! , in 2011 I bought a 1995 Skylark with a 3.1 SFI v6 and other than the normal Intake troubles and that Pesky sticky EGR valve which took me forever to figure out , the engine ran great and amazingly did not even have the 3100 Knock typical of that timeframe , I liked the 3100 SFI real well but I think the MFI engines from 87-94 were the best sounding and real snappy power too especially in a z26 Berretta or Z24 Cavalier , However the MFI engines were not real good in the sub Artic Cold here in Northern New England they were not real good starters at 20- 30 Below zero , the SFI 3100 Beat them all to Pieces in Artic Cold Starting

[@HomerJ1964]

My mom had a 1981 Citation X11 that was an absolute blast to drive. I owned an 88, and eventually an 89 Corsica with the 2.8. The 88 had problems but the 89 was a good, dependable car for as long as I owned it.

[@Ryan-vo3rm]

Man when I was 17 years old I bought a 1988 Z24 with a 5spd and it would haul ass in the day beating alot of V8's back then.. being that young and careless, I literally beat the crap outta that thing and after all that and 300,000 miles it still had perfect compression and ran like a top. I'd love to get in one again just for the fun of it.

[@ericknoblauch9195]

We had the 3.1 V-6 in our 1992 Cavalier RS. That engine had a lot of torque. People thought it was a slow 4 cylinder. It was a sleeper, and when it woke up it left everything else on the road in the rear view mirror. It outran many V-8 engines back in it's day.

[@rpf6562]

I had a 1991 Buick Regal Limited, with a 3.1L. It was a great car. I loved it.

[@johnzuggster375]

Your video deserves a big Thank you!

[@rporestorations]

Thank you too!

[@demontech06]

Yeah I remember them quite well. I had the LQ1 in my 91 Z34, and still have the LG5 in my turbo Grand Prix.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

I still have a 1995 Skylark with the 3100, runs like a top and surprisingly snappy. I heard the cam lobes are brazed or pressed onto the cam core and sometimes came lose? I have no idea how to remove this engine if it ever needs work, the engine compartment is extremely tight.

[@Nyth63]

I had a 1986 S-15 with the 2.8. I also had 1996 S-10 with a 2.2 L4 that was my understanding had its designed based on the 3.4 V6. Pistons, valve train, etc.

[@m3rdpwr]

Back in 88, I had bought the newly redesigned 88 Chevy Cavalier z24 5 speed. It was a fun ride. Too bad it feel apart in less than a year.

[@stevemino142]

When I worked on the line these were popular motors in the new then Corsica for 1987 the fuel injection 2.8 was designed for those cars specifically

[@84gssteve]

Back in high school I grabbed an 87 S10 2.8L TBI engine from the junk yard and dropped it into my 78 Mazda GLC. With a T-5 and 1st gen RX-7 rearend and brakes, it made for a fun little street car, it looked great in the engine bay and was super easy to work on, not that it gave much trouble. When that car finally had enough, I tore everything out and swapped it into an 87 Samurai and built a great rockcrawler that I still use today. Same T-5 but with a Dana 300 and Dana 44's on 33's. After 20 years of use it's still on the factory original build and only needed oil changes/minor repairs.....and she's CA smog legal to boot, which means I can drive it on the road anytime too.....which I do!

[@frankpeletz1818]

I can remember which car magazine ran a story - but GM did drop a 2.8 from an s-10 into a Chevette using off the shelf oem parts. Car was so lite it didn't need much to make it go.

[@clydeprather941]

OWNED a 1989 Beretta ! STOCK 2.8V-6/5 speed got me 35 ( driving mostly from Fredonia, AZ.to Mesquite, NV. on secodary highways) @ 57-63 MPH.WISH I HAD ANOTHER ONE!!!

[@ogr7771]

I had a 83 Citation and never had a problem with it, drove it till 2000 and sold it to a kid and he drove it a couple of more years then I lost track of it. Still have a Oldsmobile as we speak with a 3.1, it's 28 years old now and my granddaughter still drives it.

[@ButchNackley]

I've got 4 of these engines. A 2.8 in an 88 Z24, 3.1 in a 92 Z24 convertible, 3.1 out of a 94 Cavalier RS now in an 88 Cavalier wagon, A 3.1 taken out of a 94 Z24 (camshaft failure due to internal coolant leak washing the oil off the cam/lifter. It was like that when I bought the car. I'm going to get a 3400 for the 94 Z24. The GM 60° V6 is a very bullet proof design. Take care of them and regularly check for intake gasket coolant leaks. They'll run an extremely long time.

[@John-or9ccUndauntedRaceCars]

The 3.1 was still being Remanned in 2015. There's still a ton of them around in 3.1/ 3.3 variants. I've worked on so many of those things over the years.

[@texasscooter]

I have worked on idk how many. Only owned one in a 90s s10. that truck did well over 300k without much trouble. The later 60 degree engines where good but never enjoyable to work with. Great video

[@TheMrmmkkpro]

Had one was a 1988 S-10 , 5 speed 4×4. I'm a bricklayer and would haul scaffolding , boards and pull a mixer. I would stack stuff above the roof. It was a tough engine and truck. I miss it.

[@DaveNorton-yi5ix]

I had a 1988 Chevy Corsica with the 2.8 (that shot of the cast aluminum head and EFI is very familiar looking) and a 1996 Olds Cutlass Supreme with the 3.1 ... both of them extremely reliable and I was glad I'd purchased the vehicles.

[@Mr10Alpine]

@ 6.25 Actually, the LA1 3400 V6 production began in 1996, and were installed in the same, final year "dustbuster" minivans. And I myself own the L82 (not the 5.3 from 2014-2021, nor the '70s era V8) 3100 SFI V6 in a 1994 Pontiac Grand Prix. Fun fact: the "High Value" 3.5 and 3.9 variants are a distant, yet more technologically advanced (for the time) relatives to this engine family, and most of the stuff that plagued this engine platform were addressed in the 'newer' engine i.e. dry intake.

[@torres3800]

My first encounter of this engine was on my dad's '85 GMC Jimmy with the 2.8. Later was the 3.1 on his Trans Sport, and at the end was the 3.4 on his 2000 Montana.

[@z289t6]

Dad had one of these in an 83 s10 blazer. Spun a bearing around 40k so he replaced that with a reman engine that also blew up around 90k and it was replaced with a gm crate engine. That was still going when we sold the truck at 120k. Not the best experience but maybe that wasn’t the best choice for a 4wd truck. It was the biggest engine available in the s10 at the time. Sounds like it was improved over time so that’s good.

[@Mike-yq7ce]

the 3.5 and the 3.9 were both derived from the original 60 deg V6 family. They had their issues but when right were good running engines and had a good sound with the right exhaust set up

[@MrSmartAlec]

I had an '86 Camaro with the 2.8. Not for laying long strips of ruibber but it was peppy and got the job done while returning decent mileage.

[@SkaBob]

I worked at a car dealer from around 2000-2015, I saw tons of these motors in all of GMs 90s mid size cars we got. Most common issue was leaking oil from the distributor (oil pump) drive shaft. It was a 15 minutes $3 fix for a new o-ring. Then give the motor a wash and it was good to go.

[@magmomwise]

I bought my wife a new 1987 Camero RS with 2.8l V6. Wonderful car. The engine power was better than expected. The car looked like a the Z28. I guess that is why it was stolen once and attempted thefts twice.

[@joesmithjoesmith4284]

I had a 85 Camaro 2.8 FI 5 speed, and a 89 Beretta GT 2.8 5 speed. Only had the Camaro for 10K miles but it was trouble free. Pretty base car tho, had gauges and an AM radio no a/c. The Beretta GT, 2.8 FI was loaded and I kept it to 70K miles. It was pretty good to, but needed an ECM. It would start and idle but die as soon as you touched the gas. Being a 5 speed I was able to get it going at idle speed and upshifting thru the gears until I got it to the dealer where it was fixed under warranty! I did work at a Chevy dealer and remember the tons of 2.8 FI , 87-88 models that had stalling problems, and we repaired those by converting from a mass airflow sensor to a speed density system.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

How do you convert a MAF system to a speed-density system? The cars have to have a crank position sensor, and I think GMs early MAF systems came with MAP sensors too. Doesn't it default to speed-density if you unplug the mass airflow sensor? Does it need a different memory chip to do it properly?

[@joesmithjoesmith4284]

@@gregorymalchuk272 This bulletin consists of changing the MAF system back to a speed density system. In this repair the PROM or MEMCAL is updated with a new chip. This PROM change ignores the signals from the MAF sensor and uses signals from the MAP sensor to control fuel supply. ~ from Tomco

[@dperreno]

Great engine. I had it in several cars, including a couple of Grand Prix.

[@daveallen7767]

Back in 1985 Jeep put this 2.8L V6 into the Cherokee SUV. It was the optional engine over the 2.5 4cyl jeep produced base engine. I purchased new one of the 2.8's with a 5 speed manual in a 4 door Cherokee. Ran great out to 100K miles, sold it too soon.

[@jamesrichardson2077]

these were good reliable engines! had one in an 82 camaro beleneta...fords 2.8 version was awesome too

[@johnnyhawk329]

I have a 93 chevy lumina with the 3.1. Daily driver with 325000 mi. still runs great. I have never did anything to the engine or trans. This thing just wont quit.

[@mph5896]

3500/3900 from 2006 or so plus was one of the best engines GM ever made. Well, besides leaking oil everywhere🤣 and minus the AFM on the 3900 from 2008-2009.

[@BenSmith-h9t]

Had an 89 camaro rs, 2.8. Changed out the injectors to the 3.1 injectors, Opened up the twin air filters to K and N filters and got rid of the air baffles, Bumped the timing by 4 degrees, removed the Cat for a high flow after market, put a transam 5.0 cat back exhaust, had the "BABY" 700r4 rebuilt, Put transam springs in the rear, plus bypassed the head temp sensor with a resister and put a 160 degree t/stat in. Had a friend who blew up a 94 camaro z28 with a 305 ho 4barrel auto. Put a long block 350 to replace the 305 and broke it in. With the v6 89 rs we raced several times. Beat him to 70 plu miles per hour all day long!

[@atikovi1]

I convinced my father to order a 1987 Cavalier Z24, in bright red no less. He had no idea what Z24 meant and thought it was a plain Cavalier. He wasn't a car guy, but I loved the sound that engine made.

[@SurelyYewJest]

Good work on that one. I found a mint super-low 4-digits mileage 1987 Z24 manual for sale on Car Gurus a couple weeks ago for...$30,000. These cars can get big prices now. I wish I still had mine.

[@pancudowny]

In '82, Chevrolet Engineering placed a carbureted 2.8L into a Chevette--using mostly off-the-shelf parts--that was backed by a Saginaw 4-speed manual transmission from the "all-new for '82" Camaro, and fitted with 14-x6" (Sock were 13x5.5") wheels & low-profile tires on all four corners. The results: A 2100-lb coupe that got mileage in the high-20s, while beating the '82 Z28 and Trans-Am inn all areas of performance. My theory: Had such a model gone into production, it would've most likely received the same Borg-Warner used in S-10 pick-up/SUV apps slated for introduction in the Chevette in the '83-m/y, and received the 130-hp EFI-equipped version slated for the Firebird, with possible option for the 145-hp MPI-equipped version of the same engine placed in the FWD A-body sedans (Chevy Celebrity, Pontiac 6000....) making for a car that would be nipping at the C4 Corvette's heels... for an estimated production cost of around 1/4-1/3 their price. But, this wasn't so. And as for why the prototype was built? Well, let's just look overseas: Vauxhall--the originator of the Chevette--was killing it in FIA rally Group-4 competition with the surprisingly durable little coupe... especially after swapping-in a 2300cc 200-hp DOHC Lotus engine! This led to sales of a popular homo-ligation model: The HS(E) 2300, with a de-tuned 150-hp version of the same engine. Seeing this, GM thought "Why don't we build an American version of of it, but with an engine of our own DESIGNED by Lotus?" And that led to the acquisition of Lotus by GM, and the development of the Quad-4. By why didn't we see such a car... in either form... ever built? Simply: GM couldn't justify it. They claimed in testing of the V-6 version, the Chevette's preferentially ubiquitous drive axle "...didn't met our standards when torture tested with such configuration" and the project was abandoned as a whole. Personally... I think they were scared that sales of such a model, in either configuration, would cannibalize sales of their "sexy" models by offering better performance for less, and hurting GM's already tarnished image becuae of the Oldsmobile Diesel fiasco. Plus, on further investigation: It wouldn't have been difficult for GM to take the 7.5" ring-gear axle--the same one used in the V-8 Chevy Caprice, the 1/2-ton capacity S-10 pickup, and some models of the V-8 Camaro/Firebird (

[@ShinobiShadow777]

I just purchased a 92' Lumina APV with the 3.1 LG6 back in November of 23' (I'll upload a video of it sometime in the near future) and I have to say, these are tough little motors, they sound good too! My buddies occasionally give me crap for wanting to keep the 3.1 in it, and work with what I have, instead of swapping in a 3800 (in reality, it'd make more sense to attempt to find a van with a 3800 in it from the jump, if I wanted to go through all that). Plus, I like the simplicity of the TBI system with the 3.1 in this application. The 60° is here to stay ✊🏿.

[@jmans093]

Video forgot the final 3.5/3.9 versions. The 3.9 with the active intake manifold and variable valve timing was quite a runner.

[@allhailinternalcombustion]

I still have one in my 91 S10. Fun little truck to drive and it gets decent gas mileage. The only real issue so far was rotted out core plugs, but that was from the previous owner running dirty water and stop leak instead of coolant. The T5 makes it even more fun.

[@grettagrids]

Yes quite familiar with these! My family had 2 Pontiac 6000s.

[@noahbones1221]

Little Fun Fact: when AMC era Jeep came out with the Cherokee XJ in 1984, they offered the carbed RWD version of the GM 2.8L as their upgrade option in the cherokee, which ironically enough were considerably worse motors then the base model AMC 2.5L i4, which actually made more horsepower. Jeep even started offering EFI for the inline 4 in 1986, which was the last year they used the carbed GM 2.8L. In 1987, Chrysler bought AMC and Renault and together they designed the iconic 4.0 AMC 242 i6 used from 87-06. The thing I have always found funny is, Jeep people hate the 2.8 and Chevy people love it.