m30 2800 block up to 3.0?

30csl

30csl

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Hi all - happy new year! Hope people had a good break.

Does anyone know if a 2800 block can be bored out to use as for a 3.0 engine build up?

Thanks all,

Rohan
 
Are 3-liter blocks in short supply across the pond? Never thought that would happen anywhere.

May you want the "originality" of a correct VIN but also to sneak in a few more cc's....?
 
I have a very good 3.0 block that I will separate from the head if you would be interested in it. The question here is whether the water ways are different on a B28 versus B30 and sadly can't answer that. At a guess I would expect that this should be possible though but expect there will be others better informed.
 
Hi Wiseguy - I am in the UK so shipping is prohibitive but thank you. I think it should work too but wondered if anyone had tried it before. Honolulu - a block from the early 70's is harder to find than it was as cars get restored and are not parted.

Thanks,

Rohan
 
Hi Rohan,
It should be OK.
Early race engines until March 1971 were 2800 blocks bored to 89,2mm (2998ccm).
Marc
 
Thanks Marc! I guess there is just more meat in the cylinder jacket then - hopefully they would go first oversize too then.
 
I'm interested in this also. I want to keep my matching motor. It's not a high priority effort as my motor runs fine but the body and interior needs TLC. I'm keeping the piano top pistons from my CSI with the hope that I can drop them in my 2.8 if they are still good.

I asked Don the same question a few weeks ago. He said "swap in a bigger motor". :D
 
Markos said:
I'm interested in this also. I want to keep my matching motor. It's not a high priority effort as my motor runs fine but the body and interior needs TLC. I'm keeping the piano top pistons from my CSI with the hope that I can drop them in my 2.8 if they are still good.

I asked Don the same question a few weeks ago. He said "swap in a bigger motor". :D
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Well, a guy I spoke to who had some carbs for sale on the LA Craigslist told me those 2800s will make more power than a 3 or 3.5 (which are best suited for automatics anyway). He then told me how terrible our cars are after another brief lecture about how he's a professional. No need to swap anything Markos!
 
James said:
Well, a guy I spoke to who had some carbs for sale on the LA Craigslist told me those 2800s will make more power than a 3 or 3.5 (which are best suited for automatics anyway). He then told me how terrible our cars are after another brief lecture about how he's a professional. No need to swap anything Markos!
Click to expand...

Haha! That explains why the factory went with a 3.5L in both racing and production.
 
To quote the last line from the Petrolicious video: "if you don't understand, well, have a nice life"

James said:
He then told me how terrible our cars are after another brief lecture about how he's a professional.
Click to expand...
 
30csl said:
Hi all - happy new year! Hope people had a good break.

Does anyone know if a 2800 block can be bored out to use as for a 3.0 engine build up?

Thanks all,

Rohan
Click to expand...

Hi Rohan,

I called Carl at La Jolla to ask him today. Not much love for the early 2.8. He said "There is no redeeming value to the 2800 block". According to Carl, the liners are too thin to bore out to 89mm. I also asked about the 88.4mm crank in the E3 3.3L (which is uber rare). I may have found one and was hoping that due to it's age, it would fit in the 2800 block. He confirmed my suspicions that this was the first motor to have the reliefs added to the block to accommodate the longer stroke. I couldn't imagine how this wasn't the case but I wanted to confirm.

Lastly, he reiterated Don's mention to me that my CSI pistons are probably worn out. I'm still going to pull them from the CSI block because they are rare and special, and just might be good. Since I can't use them, somebody might find them useful. Maybe hang one from the rear view mirror.
 
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30csl said:
Hi Wiseguy - I am in the UK so shipping is prohibitive but thank you. I think it should work too but wondered if anyone had tried it before. Honolulu - a block from the early 70's is harder to find than it was as cars get restored and are not parted.

Thanks,

Rohan
Click to expand...

@30csl
i have a 3.0 spare block ready for assembly, machined to 1st oversize +0,25
i guess shipping to you would be around 200 euro probably
 
Thanks Markos, I'm surprised but thanks for the info! Such a great forum and Carl is a great help too.
 
jmackro said:
A professional what?
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All I could say is that he is a professional jackass with a shop and "works on these terrible cars for a living".
Funny how people speak to potential customers sometimes. I'm no professional, but I'm well versed enough in these cars that I really didn't appreciate being belittled and lectured by some high-horsed jerk that seemed to have sucked all the potential fun, excitement, and adventure out of these cars. I was calling to purchase a fairly expensive item, and while I don't live in the area, my little brother does and could use a good e9/e3 mechanic in his phone. I looked up the number from which he called, but unfortunately it was a cell. The whole thing was upsetting enough that I almost started a thread on it.
 
Well it turns out that the 3.3 crank that I located was from an early B32. It had a dual row timing chain which ended in 1978 according to a forum member, and 1981 according to Carl Nelson. This is an 86mm stroke, not the 88.4mm or 84mm that I was hoping for. For future reference the casting number on the early B32 crank is: 1259479. I found zero references on the forum to this casting number, but a few out on the interweb.

There are a few people stroking the 3.0 by carving reliefs in the block. There is an old post that covers this with dead photobucket images. More recently a Seattle member is doing this now. Currently untested.
 
James- sorry you had a bad experience.

Carl has been a true pillar of our community for many years.

My guess is he had a bad day?
 
sfdon said:
James- sorry you had a bad experience.

Carl has been a true pillar of our community for many years.

My guess is he had a bad day?
Click to expand...

I don't think James was referring to Carl, unless he is the guy in LA selling carbs on CL.
 
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