Hey guys,

I got a 1988 V6 Fiero engine that I took out of a car. Got the PCM and most of parts. I currently got it for sale on craigslist but I was wondering if it would make a good conversion engine in my 72 914. The engine ran great when it was installed and had good power. Think it is 2.8L. Anyone ever did this engine swap? If so, what is involved?

Thanks,
Jason

I just dont think its a great engine.
Im sure you could do it though.

Heavy engine for the power. Lots of better choices out there.

A subaru engine makes a bunch more sense. The 2.5L is a dime a dozen and makes similar power, is lighter, has lots of support, and the weight is lower in the chassis.

Because of the tight package in a Feiro GM had to design the engine to run one quart lower on oil that the same engine in their other products. With all the work it takes to do a conversion I would really use something with some real HP or at least do a turbo Grand National engine like Paul b.

Chevrolet 60 Degree V6 2.8L .... Look it up!

They went from 2.8L to 3.1 then 3.4. The one I could never find was the 2 year only 3.4L DOHC engine.

The 60 degree V6 was not one of their finest products.

I wasn't really looking at swapping what I had anytime soon. It was just a thought. I appreciate all the comments.

I just got my 914 a month ago. I traded it straight for a 1987 Bowrider boat that was abandoned at a house I purchased. Guy wanted the boat and offered the trade which I was more than happy to do. I got nothing in it. I can't get it to start but it does turn over. A buddy of mine who has a 914 is coming over either tomorrow or Thursday to help me get it running. It ran when I got it but having a difficult time getting it to run now. Can't wait to start summer driving in it!

Same motor, different strokes. GM used the same motor in their S series trucks for a long time.

Kinda like the 914 shared its power plant with the VW vans.

True.... I can't count how many coolant leaks I've repaired on those engines. Whose idea was it to design an engine where you have to pull the valvetrain to repair the base gasket on the two piece intake manifold??

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Heavy iron lump,and in direct opposition to the 914 paradigm,light,low and economical.
I've considered the transverse 914 install,and found that there is indeed plenty of room.
At no time have I figured on a 2.8,the gm accountant's solution for the exotic mid chassis.
The Getrag 5/6 speed tx is a great design and is compact and relatively light.
So,an aluminum V6 mated with the right TX and you now have a decent powerplant,a description which cannot be applied to the 2.8.
All the info you might need is here:
http://www.fiero.nl/cgi-bin/fiero/Ultimate...passCookie=true
http://60degreev6.com/forum/forum.php
The money you could spend to make a great 2.8 would be more effective applied to a later V6,and less prone to grenading.
The whole story of the iron duke and wimpy v6 is written,a tale of an engineering department saddened by a meek corporate board.

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btw,
Tell me more of the Diablo.

The Fiero burns up more then 914s do.............

Was there an automatic fiero?
What tranny did it use?
Did that tranny also bolt up to a SBC motor?

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4.5L V8 510hp,a few pounds heavier than the 2.8.

From Wiki:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontiac_Fiero
"Of the total production of the Pontiac Fiero of
370,168,[1]
135 (.036%) of them were reported to have had engine fires,
122 of these occurred while driving, according to the NHTSA."

For various reasons,owners would allow the oil level to drop,making the car disposable.
Some facts to counter rabid bs that costs nothing to produce,like what is heard on biased mainstream media.
Like the Corvair of the 50's,the propaganda affected sales,and compelled the decision to stop production.
Now today,to build a decent Fiero,you would have to do it the same way as a Fourteener.
Losing the iron block is a good first step,the ultimate gm V6 being the Shortstar.
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Anyhow,planting an iron anything into a 914 is an act of economy,compromising performance.
Sure,it's possible,but there are so many newer engines of greater p/w ratios that the jump from aircooled
can be made with a minimal addition of lard.
A trade with the wreckers might get you a decent alloy engine of 150hp or so,in 4 or 6 pistons.

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https://www.google.ca/maps/search/german+au...#33;3m1!4b1
http://www.ladismantler.com/
http://stores.ebay.ca/Bavarian-Auto-Recycl...d=p4634.c0.m322
See anything you like?

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If the PO had not driven the 914 and it tan some recently you probably have a bad fuel issue. Just go thru the normal checks. The tank is not hard to drain, but if injectors are gummed, you might need to clean them. Fuel, spark, etc…

This forum will get the car running, guaranteed.
Good luck and find the VIN database and add your car.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=porsche+fuel...RdEAioQ_AUIBigB
Fuel fires,
speaking of which,the 914 is a real firebomb unless updated to modern standards.
The problem is usually a lack of maintenance and neglect,and ensuing leaks and fires.
The fuel hoses are old plastic lines from 1968 that are decrepit,so,sniff around to get a whiff of bad gas.
Old tanks are filled with rust and may leak,the injection system will not tolerate dirty fuel.
Before you start,coat the tank,re+re injector system,replace the lines with SS pieces.
Old flat fours with rusted cylinders will crap out and cost time and money.
An internal inspection before a start attempt is the cheaper way to make Porsche ponys.
Plugs out and a look inside the cylinders,use the borescope you bought for the purpose.
Drop the valve covers,inspect the valvestem clearance by releasing an exhaust valve spring,if it wiggles,nfg,pull the heads.
If they're ok,then set the rocker clearances cold,inspect the distributor,set the timing,check for the correct vacuum circuit.
Drain the old oil,replace the filter,crank the engine for a full leakdown.
Be real gentle with the exhaust headers,the headstuds will break if you tweak them.
Use rustbuster,(acetone 50/50 transfluid),on the rusted studs and nuts as a preliminary application.
The electrical harness is a vulnerable system to moisture and corrosion and must be checked before voltage is applied.
An installed safety disconnect for the battery is a good move.
Have a fire extinguisher nearby when you install the battery,you did check the groundstrap.
With a new fuel system,a good electric circuit and an ok set of cylinders and valves,
the TFour will fire right up and idle when the heads heat up.
Any question you might have will have an answer here,even the wild ideas.

and :wttc

Indeed...

Hopefully a real one, 1st thing that pops in my head is cheap kit car seeing Fiero in the title!


Yes, that V6 engine as installed in a Fiero has been done and with an automatic transmission, the guy installed the motor and transmission from the Fiero into his 914. Located in San Jose last time I saw it, pretty blue car with white interior. Lots of cutting and he made a slick sub-frame to mount it all.

It's really not a Fiero engine, it's a 60° V6 used in many GM applications, I've always liked that motor, a few books written on how to make them better.

But like mentioned already, there are tons of better choices these days. Unless dirt poor and you can make all the parts needed to adapt it I see no reason to keep it. You can buy a low mileage Honda all aluminum 60° V6 for $300 that will run circles around the small Chevy V6.

Heck even the more modern V6 used in the Cadillac or Camaro would be a decent choice.

The trans was the Turbo-Hydramatic 125 3 speed transversely mounted (woooooo) so no good for the 914. BTW the V6 was rated at 140hp. Tons of LS and 3.8 swaps out there but not sure if you could (or want to) use the auto trans. I drove an '88 Formula with a manual 5 speed in the '80's once. It was surprisingly quick for the time. Very plasticky car.

If I was considering a GM swap, of anything less than a V8, I'd look at the 4 cylinder Ecotec to see if it fits.
-Number one reason is it's all aluminum block and heads weighing 250lbs dry.
-adapter kit on the shelf at KEP, VW baja bug guys love this swap.
-lots of hop up parts, turbo, 300hp easy.
-cheap, lots of core engines, crate engines, performance engines at more than half the price of a comparable T4.
-With a WC possibility of adding a heater core for heat.

That said I'm a diehard T4 or /6 guy.

I've seen at least one 914 with a 3.1 (as stated, same as 2.8, 3.4 - non DOHC) and another with a 4.3.

You really butcher up a 914, add a bunch of weight etc. It's not worth it.

Attached picture (yes, after 8 years I still have this thing), the 2.8 is so worthless, I pulled it and tossed in a 4.5 Alum block FI V8. It weighs 45lbs less than the 2.8.

I believe the 3.4 OHC motor was a cut down Northstar Block. It wasn't a great motor (as opposed to the Northstar) Probably way to tall.

I'd love to find one of the all aluminum V-8 blocks Buick used then Rover for a while. I think they have been long gone from salvage yards and are put to use. I was working on a transplant into an 83 SAAB 900 Coupe back in my auto cross days, but kid #3 came along ;-)

I cant think of many GM motors that would be a good transplant option for the 914, with the exception of maybe a Turbo ECOTECH.

Yah, no...
Don't want to go sideways....it would throw off the balance....

Just thought if it was easy.....

The Fiero was designed as a small, lightweight sports car. It had a Buick Grand National motor coupled to a 5 speed transverse mounted transmission. The front suspension was custom made double wishbone suspension with big brakes and big tires.

One day, a Pontiac executive showed up at the test facility, and insisted he was going to drive the prototype. He quite literally scared the out of himself. He proclaimed as he walked away "That car is too fast. You are not building it!" So the engineers pulled the Grand National engine and put in the Pontiac Iron Duke 4 cylinder, smaller brakes, smaller fuel efficient tires, and sold it to management as a "commuter car".

Then the bean counters got a hold of it and it got front suspension parts from a Chevette, and the transmission and brakes from a Citation. And that is what they sold to the public.

And in typical GM Fashion..... you know the company that killed Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Saturn and Saab - the FINAL year of the Fiero model run was finally a pretty refined package. Then they cancelled it............. I dont know if that is why they did what they did, but it was ridiculous. I think they used the whole Citation FRONT suspension and used it in the rear with a few modifications. The last GM car I will ever own is my 1986 442

I have been working on my Diablo for about 4 years now. Parts are very hard to come by. It is about 85% done. It is a beast. I had to customize the interior so I could fit. These cars aren't made for 6'4" guys.

The GNX is one of my top 5 favorites. The Grand National is a right up there.

Here I go posting another picture of my Fiero on the 914world site

There not bad cars, I found this one in a field back in 2008. The 2.8 was dead and I sourced a 4.5 from some late 80's something (Cadillac I think?). It's been running the V8-5spd ever since. I've put more than 75k miles on it.

This one is an 88' with the better (vented) rotors and updated suspension.

Sort of like the 914, they don't get the respect they deserve and there are too many incorrect myths surrounding the model.

I had an '88 (last year) put over 100k miles on it,a Little fun car I used the same layout and design for the cooling system in my 914 that the Fiero used

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Yeah,so,like,the Lamborghini Miura was drawn and designed in 1963 and introduced in '65,a mid-engine transverse V12,with perfect weight distribution.
This one is Sir Rod Stewart's '71 SV,and is available.

https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...pd+transmission
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...verse+transaxle
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...verse+transaxle
https://www.google.ca/webhp?sourceid=chrome...verse+transaxle
https://www.google.ca/search?q=lamborghini+...Vg7CpEQ_AUIBigB
https://www.google.ca/search?q=fiero+chassi...boEjmMXaPFiM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=transverse+m...M-YLpY67BbuM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=lamborghini+...XniayPViS8BM%3A
https://www.google.ca/search?q=lancia+strat...VToS2fmCmuwM%3A
A transverse mid-engine does have advantages,get some soon.

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