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Top Swap'n Question

BillBoost37

BillBoost37

New member
Guys, got a buddy on another forum. TMK he doesn't frequent here much. In my experience/reading he's about to make a big mistake and I've possilbly talked him out of it.

L26 block
L67 heads (stock)
105# springs, retainers etc
ZZP SS IC
Gen 3 M90
TOG's
Injectors - stock
HPT for tuning

He's talking about running a 3.2" pulley. Personally I'm thinking that's too small. Trying to get him up to at least a 3.8" stocker to start off.

Thoughts?
 


He should be okay with a 3.2-3.3 range IF he gets injectors and a rewire. The l67's will max on a 3.4 over 105 percent IDC. Wideband will be his best friend here

FWIW I run a 3.25 on a l36 block with headers,SSIC and ported blower with larger injectors and a rewire and I have 0KR to maybe a blip of KR on a 11.8 afr with 18 WOT timing.
 




Lemme give ya a little more backstory. He pulled his trans to change a fues. Long funny story about how not to diagnose something. Anyhow he changed the converter and flex.

Blew the motor in about 4-5 months. Guy drove a car to his house, then he drove that car for a week to evaluate the motor. Pulled it and put it with his mods into his car. That motor blew in under a week. He measured runout on the flex at .030" and said it's out of spec and likely caused both motors.

I'm not really buying into that.
 
yeah, i wouldnt run a 3.2 on a topswapped motor. 3.4 should be enough with his mods and a good tune.
 


Pretty sure that the L26 and L32 rods are stronger. I have never heard of someone saying they were wanting a L36 block over a L26 block. I think in some years of the L32 and L26 they didn't have the same rods but if its a later model they do.

I was wondering why he would do the springs without anything else. I guess he could start with a 3.2 and a tuner and see if he was getting any knock. If he is smart and doesn't go WOT on the first pull.

"L26 Naturally Aspirated

The L26 is the Series III version of the 3800. It is still a 3.8 L (231 cu in) design. Compression remains at 9.4:1 as with previous L36's, but the aluminum upper intake (2004+) and stronger connecting rods (2005+) are the primary physical changes. The powdered metal connecting rods were meant to be introduced in 2004 along with the L32's, but the GM plant in Bay City, Michigan that supplies the Flint, Michigan plant could not achieve the desired production dates in time for that engine year."
 
I wouldn't worry about the rods in a s/c build, but there are multiple L26 turbo builds now that have had rods break. Never had a problem with the L36 rods, but someone has also stated the L26 rods are cheaper to purchase than L36 rods if you want to check. Why would GM want to make a stronger N/A 3.8L, they just want to make it cheaper.

Here is a very good thread on the L26 subject, however for the s/c crowd, you can't beat the price these L26's are going for these days:
ClubGP Message Forum troubleshooting
Just read all the posts about half way down on the first page, look at the bearings and the broken rod cross seciton.
 
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