Woes, Found Some Things

"Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness" (long-voyager-2nd-edition) 06/24/2019 at 17:15 • Filed to: woes, Mopar, Voyager, Engine Swaps

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So as most of you know, I’ve been having “lack of power” issues since my new engine went in.

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I’ve been doing some research and questioning since.

1. From what MM’s dad told me, the engine was a 1992. Low and behold the 1992s were the lowest power/torque 3.3 produced, topping at 150hp/180ft-lbs. The 1994 engine had 162hp/194ft-lbs, due to a better intake design.

2. I also found out from a fellow Mopar nut that the 3.3 ran a different ecm than the 3.8. He was quite surprised my van was even running right now, in theory the 3.3 shouldn’t even run on the 3.8 ecm.

3. I also have to look into the injectors. From what I know the 1992 under older engines ran low impedance injectors, while 1993+ ran high impedance, so in theory, I have no fucking idea how this is even actually running.

So these findings have given me more hope for this engine and some direction to follow. I plan on pulling a 3.3L ecm this weekend, and pulling the better intake/injector off my old engine to install on the 3.3L. Hopefully between those3 things, I should get my power back up to/slightly above ( thanks to more porting/shaving ) what my 3.8 was making. It’ll still be down roughly 20 ft-lbs of torque, but it should be WAY WAY closer to what I’m used to.

That means gone will be my pretty intake manifold, but I can make that sacrifice to have my power back.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:15

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at some point im going to have to fly over and learn from you... err i mean help you get the cars sorted :p

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/24/2019 at 16:17

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Always willing to teach, errr, accept help working on things. ;)

M.T. Blake > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:18

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Add an eBay turbo while you’re at it and turn it into the ‘ Caravan from Hell’!!!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:19

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lol i know how to hold a wrench and actually enjoy heavy lifting... im usefull

but yeah im no where near your skill set

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:19

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Can I come too? :D

My Accent could use some cool custom touches! :P

RacinBob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:22

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Do the ECM first and then decide if you want to do the intake. Sometimes the low HP intakes were optimized for low torque and hence weak peak numbers. You might was well wait until the engine is running at it’s best before changing the IM. 

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 16:22

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This is a fun development.

I still want a supercharger on it though :)

PartyPooper2012 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/24/2019 at 16:24

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Oppo meet? You host? Oppos wrench? You delegate? Someone provides beer and pizza. 

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > PartyPooper2012 06/24/2019 at 16:26

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im in the netherlands mate.... always happy to provide beer and pizza tho

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > M.T. Blake 06/24/2019 at 17:06

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Honestly, I’ll be more than happy to get it back to 3.8 power levels. It was plenty quick for me at that level. I go any further and it’ll start down a dark road.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 17:08

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Can’t you make the other intake pretty? Those details add horsepowers.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/24/2019 at 17:08

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I just found something I enjoyed working on, started small, then worked into bigger things. Now there’s nothing that scares me on these.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/24/2019 at 17:08

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I suppose ;)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > RacinBob 06/24/2019 at 17:10

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The 94-95 intake is a 12 hp improvement, plus it gains 14 ft-lbs of torque. Even running it’s best, it will still be down on power, so I will just swap it all and be done with it.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/24/2019 at 17:12

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I can, actually it’s already painted up nice, just needs a cleaning.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 06/24/2019 at 17:13

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It would be quite fun. At this point in the game, I’m valuing reliable more than big power. If these things get it back to 3.8 power level, I’ll be perfectly happy.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 17:17

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sounds like a good way of going about it

i was starting to get there with me panda... then i had to sell it..:(

if this job gives me a proper contract my next car will be something silly tho.... so ill get all the practice i need (yay for not actually needing a car)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 17:19

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Probably around + 7 horsepower.

Do all of these engines use the same exhaust manifolds? Headers might be fun, but would get expensive having them made for three different engines.

Speaking of engines, my BIL has a houseboat with an OMC 140 CID four-cylinder, the same inline four that would have been stock in a 1964 Nova. I am working on obtaining that engine, which would be fun to install in a bare-bones T-bucket. My wife thinks I’m nuts. My wife is almost always correct on almost everything. Don’t get me wrong: she is very supportive. She just doesn’t see how I will find time to build this vehicle, where I’ll park it, or when I’ll even have time to drive  the thing. I bet this song has been sung by many a husband in every key. But getting the engine out of the houseboat will probably take a literal year, so for now, it’s (largely) empty talk.

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 18:13

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should’ve swapped in a 2.2 Turbo :o)

Or maybe even a Hemi or LS1

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/24/2019 at 18:53

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....I want a Panda. :(

RacinBob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/24/2019 at 19:12

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gotcha!

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/24/2019 at 22:44

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i miss mine :(

PartyPooper2012 > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/25/2019 at 04:07

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I think in Netherlands, I would much rather have pannenkoeken with chicken but that’s just me

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/25/2019 at 05:29

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Well, the only thing for it is to buy two more and send one to me? :P

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > dogisbadob 06/25/2019 at 07:00

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The 2.2l makes less power and torque than the 3.3?

Don’t feel like doing all the work required to go RWD.

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/25/2019 at 18:44

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not with a turbo it doesn’t :o)

Didn’t the 2.2T have like 220 hp and over 200 tq as well?

Also, GM did put the LS in some FWD cars

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > dogisbadob 06/26/2019 at 06:58

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The TI motors made 142 hp/160 ft-lbs, or the same HP as a 3.0 V6 with less torque .

The TII motors made 175hp/175ft-lbs, or 10 more hp but lacking 20 ft-lbs from a 3.3.

So yes, it is less powerful than my current V6 in either common flavor. The only Turbo engine that made more power/torque is the 2.2l TIII engine, which made 224hp/217/ft-lbs. Good luck finding one that someone will part with. If I wanted the power, I’d just swap in a newer 3.8 and have 215hp/245ft-lbs instead, while doing less work and spending less money.

I will never join the LS groupies, so a Hemi would be my only option, which means RWD is the only way to get there.

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/26/2019 at 18:43

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You can always get a TI or II and give it a lil extra boost ;)

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > dogisbadob 06/27/2019 at 07:08

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Boosting the 3.3 would net me more hp and far more torque than even a cranked 2.2

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/27/2019 at 19:01

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Maybe, but that turbo-4 is still cool tho

I hate transverse V6's! I know the Mitsubishi 3.0 was available on the Caravan, so maybe a VR-4 swap might be possible

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > dogisbadob 06/28/2019 at 07:12

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I don’t understand why I’m suppose to swap the engine for an engine with less power/torque, where’s the sense in that?

The V6s in this gen van are fucking gravy to work on, there’s nothing to hate about them.

Why would I go through all the work of stuffing a DOHC engine in my engine bay when the SOHC 3.0 they came with can make the same power with more torque for much less money/work?

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/28/2019 at 19:21

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I didn’t know that about the SOHC motor.

If the Caravan V6 is easy to work on, then cool :o)

My assumption of a transverse V6 being impossible to deal with is usually accurate, but if I’m wrong in this case, then great!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > dogisbadob 07/01/2019 at 07:02

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Give you an idea how easy they are:

3 hours to get it down to the bare block, no air tools.

dogisbadob > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 07/01/2019 at 18:04

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Cool! Glad to know it’s easy to change the spark plugs and valve cover gaskets