My own personal favorite 6 is GM's 4.3 V6. Basically a 350 with 2 less cylinders. It's super easy to modify, can be turbocharged. Almost every part from a 350 fits and it can be put in everything from an Astro to a Camaro.
Buick 3.8 V6 - It was the most modern and easy to modify 6 for the longuest time. Comes in both Turbo and SC variants and can fit RWD and FWD applications. Arguably the best engine swap for a J-body.
Ford 4.9 L6 - Not as easy to modify for power and will only fit in full-size trucks and vans, but it's indestructible and it's huge size is a guarantee that it'd respond well to a Turbo. An old school big block 6.
Dodge 3.9 Magnum V6 - A 318 V8 with two less cylinders. Which means that like GM's 4.3 it can be modded like crazy and a lot of V8 parts fit on it.
Dunno much about european and japanese sixes. So I'll let y'all write about em.
You're going to hear a lot about the rb and the jz engines in the skyline r series and the supra respectively. Also I think the new nissan 350z/g35 engine is pretty stout.
JimmyZ wrote:Dodge 225 slant-6. You could put sand in the crankcase of those motors and they'd still run 100K miles.
A man after my heart. My first ever car. A 1977 Plymouth Volare had that engine. I've always wanted to try modding a 1975 Feather Duster with a slant 6 by adding a Turbo and some other mods. I'm sure that I could run circles around a lot of Musclecars with a setup like that.
Knoxfire wrote:My own personal favorite 6 is GM's 4.3 V6. Basically a 350 with 2 less cylinders. It's super easy to modify, can be turbocharged. Almost every part from a 350 fits and it can be put in everything from an Astro to a Camaro.
I almost bought a Typhoon(4.3 Turbocharged
). I wish I would have haha. But I'm curious how 350 parts(and by that token - 305 parts) are gonna fit on something with 1 less cylinder per head. The parts would kinda be hanging off. The coolant passages for the heads would obviously have to be different - as well as that allowing oil to escape etc. I'd also think many things like intake manifolds(for which the 350 has a great assortment of good but cheap ones) etc - would present a problem. I can see how you could use the same rocker arms, pushrods etc, but the 350 cams obviously won't due. I could see something like headers fitting maybe(but having to block off the 2 extra ones). Really though, I'd like to know how all that would work. But I'm pretty sure that most parts aren't going to for obvious reasons.
Knoxfire wrote:Buick 3.8 V6 - It was the most modern and easy to modify 6 for the longuest time. Comes in both Turbo and SC variants and can fit RWD and FWD applications. Arguably the best engine swap for a J-body.
Are you talking about the older 3.8s, or the 3800s? They are 2 completely different engines really. There are even signifigant differences in the different 3800 serieses. They share a common displacement and bellhousing, but most parts for them aren't that interchangable I've been told. I wish they where since I have a 88 Olds Cutlas Ciera w/an older style(LG3) 3.8. I'd love to take advantage of all the parts offered for the 3800. Alas I cannot...
older "3.8" codes(only including 3.8 liter displacement engines) -
LD5
LC2(turbocharged)
LG3(SFI)
Newer "3800" codes - (only including 3.8 liter displacement engines)
LN3(pre-series 1 - compatable with later 3800 superchargers)
L27(Series 1 3800)
L36(Naturally aspirated Series 2)
L67(Superchargered Series 2)
L26(Naturally aspirated Series 3)
L32(Superchargered Series 3)
Since I cannot use 3800 parts, I'm strongly contemplating a swap for my Ciera. I've found a good L67 for $500 and a good L32 for $600 in the same local junkyard(out of wrecked GTPs). Aparantly I can swap either one in just by using 3300 motor mounts(the 3300 was available in later models of my car) and a ECM/PCM swap w/wires etc. Then maybe later I'll drop the supercharger in favor of a good turbocharger setup. These cars are light not unlike J-bodies so...
I've never heard of this "part throttle" before. Does it just bolt on?
Bastardking3000 wrote:I almost bought a Typhoon(4.3 Turbocharged). I wish I would have haha. But I'm curious how 350 parts(and by that token - 305 parts) are gonna fit on something with 1 less cylinder per head. The parts would kinda be hanging off. The coolant passages for the heads would obviously have to be different - as well as that allowing oil to escape etc. I'd also think many things like intake manifolds(for which the 350 has a great assortment of good but cheap ones) etc - would present a problem. I can see how you could use the same rocker arms, pushrods etc, but the 350 cams obviously won't due. I could see something like headers fitting maybe(but having to block off the 2 extra ones). Really though, I'd like to know how all that would work. But I'm pretty sure that most parts aren't going to for obvious reasons.
Well, I was thinking more along the lines of pistons and rods and pushrods and such. Things like the crank don't really need to be upgraded if you're not going above 300hp. Aftermarket cams can be found. As for heads and intakes, anything can fit if you bring it to a machine shop and give them revised specs for the parts. V8 heads can be cut down to V6 lengh and rewelded. Same with intakes, although I wouldn't see why, personally I'd just gut the stock intake with a dremel. As for the headers, you can build your own so that's not a problem. I just meant that all the tricks that work on a 350 will work on a 4.3.
Bastardking3000 wrote:
Since I cannot use 3800 parts, I'm strongly contemplating a swap for my Ciera. I've found a good L67 for $500 and a good L32 for $600 in the same local junkyard(out of wrecked GTPs). Aparantly I can swap either one in just by using 3300 motor mounts(the 3300 was available in later models of my car) and a ECM/PCM swap w/wires etc. Then maybe later I'll drop the supercharger in favor of a good turbocharger setup. These cars are light not unlike J-bodies so...
Sleeper!!!!!! But yeah, like the 4.3, the 3.8 requires creativity to get really revving, but because it's such a cheap engine you can play around like crazy. If I was you, I'd swap. That way you can go crazy with the 3800 and if it blows sky high you still have the 3.8 as a spare.
I'd make sure the Jeep inline six gets some props.
Best quarter mile to date - 15.750 @ 85.82
"We ride together, we die together. Bad Boys for life"
Nimbus 9, some friends of my that rock! Click and experience them for yourself
6.5 L AM general turbodiesel, found in the military HMMWV vehicles, that machine has saved my life, so it gets my vote as best 6 cylinder ever
You'll never touch God's hand
You'll never taste God's breath
Because you'll never see the second coming
Life's too short to be focused on insanity
I've seen the ways of God
I'll take the devil any day
Hail Satan
(slayer, skeleton christ, 2006)
my bad, i could have sworn it was a 6.....well its pretty compact for an 8. well then change that to a NHC-250 Cummins that i had in my 5 ton truck, that was a BAMF of an engine
You'll never touch God's hand
You'll never taste God's breath
Because you'll never see the second coming
Life's too short to be focused on insanity
I've seen the ways of God
I'll take the devil any day
Hail Satan
(slayer, skeleton christ, 2006)
I've always heard that the BMW 6 cylinder engines were tough.
So thats my vote
In germany we had a 89 325is with 320,000 kms (original motor/tranny) even passed emmisions. Also got her up to 240km easy. This is also my vote.
Wicked1 wrote:I'd make sure the Jeep inline six gets some props.
Jeep Inline 6 gets my vote.
That thing just would not die when my g/f had her Wrangler.
4.3 my vote.
maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow....... but some day
Mikedirntrulez wrote:Wicked1 wrote:I'd make sure the Jeep inline six gets some props.
Jeep Inline 6 gets my vote.
That thing just would not die when my g/f had her Wrangler.
the jeep i had at work rocked... till a fuel line burst and gas got on the manifold... and you can figure out the rest... too bad it was my day off...
i agree the slant six is by far the best of all.i had a 64 and 65 valiant.they had 170 slant sixes but i had a few mods done to the 65.ported heads 4 bbl intake switched over to electronic ignition.also had cams on the way.they can be made fairly snappy if u know what to do.i am gonna put a 225 in my 41 buick because
A-i kept all my goodies and i need to do it on a budget
b-to be different.and they are tough as nails
slant six, hands down
My car may run 18s, but I can do your taxes in 10 seconds flat.
JBO lube - they would never have enough in stock and we'd never see RodimusPrime again
slant six 225 it's mopar or no car. mess with the best and die like the rest. period. end of arguement. any discussion from this point on will be considered pointless
People say that what doesn't kill you in this life
will make you stronger. I'm not sure if that is true
or not, but i do know one thing-You have to learn from
it and it has to make you better.......it has to.......
BEEEEE EM DUBYUH! BMW's inline six's are horribly beautiful engines. Also the SHO motor needs some kind of recognition. For its time, it was one of the best v6's around. Just thinking about those secondaries opening up brings a tear to my eye.....
