First drive, 3.2 swap
 

I pulled my 2.4 CIS and swapped a 3.2 euro in it's place in my 73. I finally got everything together and took my first drive today. I hate to say that so far I'm alittle disappointed. It is defiantly smother and has more torque, but the acceleration is not what I expected. There is defiantly no neck snapping quickness.

Hopefully I just need to sort it out. Ive never driven a 3.2 carrera so I cant compare, but my 3.2 boxer is quicker.

Something isn't. Is the engine out of tune? Have you got enough fuel pressure?

Did you release the e-brake? ;)

My 3.2 equipped Carerra 3.0 eats boxsters and damn near everything else. Something's not right.

I've heard people say this before. The say the 3.2 isn't as fun to drive or feel as nice as the 3.0. They don't make the power the same way so they aren't as much fun as the 3.0's are to drive. I've driven a 3.2 and i thought it was just me feeling that. But it seems to be a popular conclusion. Some of it might just be your gearing also.

The 1st thing I'd check for is vacuum leaks.

What year is the 3.2? Is it bone stock, DME chip, exhaust, and all? Although if yours is a euro it should already have a cat bypass.

A Wong chip and free flowing exhaust really wakes up a 3.2 engine.

Don't jump to conclusions. Do a proper breakdown of all the steps you took (or will be taking)to make sure you've sorted it out. I've had both (in several variations) the 3.2 @ factory U.S. spec. settings is a formidable performer in an older narrow body (even a little more so with euro). IMO you should have noticed a decent to significant improvement. Take your time to sort it out, you'll be pleased. BTW this should feel more "visceral" than your Boxter once sorted, for sure, all day long!

The 3.2 is an 84. The injectors were stuck initially, I had to tap on them before the car would start. Now the motor starts right up, Idles fine, and as I said is very smooth. I used early heat exchangers, one side from a 69, the other 73. The plugs looked fine so I kept them in.

I pluged the brake booster and the line grouped with the oil breather lines comming out the back. There was also a small line in the back approximatly 1/4" that I also plugged.

I'll re-check everything, I dont have a guage to check the fuel pressure, but I'll get one.

It does not have the stock chip. I forgot which one was in there. Its not a Wong chip.

A 3.2 will never give you neck-snapping quickness, but it should give you plenty of torque for a lighter car. It certainly should be noticeably faster than a 2.4.

The exhaust might be a bit restrictive. Tubing diameter would be smaller on the older exhaust. If there is a dyno near I think it would be worth trying it out to see how the mixture is with the unknown chip. Cost is about $100-150 by me.

I think a 2800-2900 lb 3.2 Carrera dose 0-60 around 6.7 to 7 sec.

If you are around 2450 lb and have the lower rear diff, you sould be under a 6 sec time.

Could get it on a dyno and check the HP and air fuel ratios.

With the headers and a stock muffler should be about 220hp, with sport muffler and chip about 240hp. Adding a second tail pipe to the right side of the muffler makes is work as well as an expensive sport muffler.

Some of the 84 DME's need to be modified to take a chip as they were hard soldered I believe.

Dood, what if your throttle linkage is too short? You may not be getting full throttle. Hook up a meter set to "ohms and beep". Connect to your WOT switch, get in and press your pedal to the floor. If no beep, you're not getting all it has. You mentioned in the other thread your linkage was too short. How did you fix that?

I am VERY happy with my 3.2. I grin like a doofus EVERY time I drive it. I think I'll drag it out tonight!

Retrace your steps. You should be more excited than you are.

Btw, only 1 Boxster has passed me at the track. And that rig is seriously setup though, and the guy is a good driver.

SmileWavy

I think we have a winner. I just finished checking this out as I was thinking the same thing. First the rubber boot that goes over the rubber coupling in the back was not over the coupling and binding up. I was only getting about half throttle.

I put that back in correctly and took it for a spin, it defiantly helped. I got my wife in the car and had her floor it, motor was off. I don't know about a WOT switch, but I was not hitting the full throttle stop.

I added about an inch to the rod that came out of the rubber coupler and hooked up the the trans ball mount. I guess I need to try and adjust at the pedal end.

I know what you're talking about. I felt the same disappointment after replacing my 78 3.0 with an 86 3.2.

Not to worry, it was running too rich like most 3.2s which really kills performance. So after I dialed in the mixture to spec, she pulls like a bull from tip in to red line and runs circles around my old 3.0.

So before you start buying all these expensive band aids, I suggest you baseline your settings to spec and then see what you think.

Cheers,

Joe

74 911 w/86 3.2 stock chip, exhaust, HEI ignition cap, rotor, wires

I disagree and my 3.2 is proof, but am willing to admit that most 3.2s are dogs off the line as no one seems to really know how to tune them right.

Where would I start?

Start with the basics. Have your mixture checked and set to factory spec.

Really? I am sure a lot of the P-car mechanics on this board would be surprised to hear that. What do they all do wrong?

You have to get a wide band on them when on the dyno and or on the street to see if they are running up to spec. Setting them on an analyzer may not have it just righ through out the operating range.

Even the best chip master can not know if your car fits righ at the center of the the bell shaped curve as it applies to manufacturing variances. Add to that the effects of time and all cars can vary some.

Injectors can be dirty, fuel pressure regulator my be running a bit out of spec, Air Flow Meter spring tension and effect the rate it advances with changes in air flow, cat can be restricted, head temp sensor may read a little high or a little low, the O2 can be getting lazy...

Add to this the compromises the factory had to build in to allow for these variations and issues like smog and fuel quality issues and there is room for improvements.

SW of 911chips.com posted a summary of different combinantios some where. The following is my summary of his info of HP made at 3500 rpm and 6000 rpm that shows the potental these motors have.


HP @ 3500/HP @ 6000rpm
115/214 Stock
120/230 Chip
117/236 premuffler Chip
122/240 premuffler, sport muffler, chip
130/241 SSI (1.5”) / 2/2 sport muffler, chip
133/249 SSI / Phase 9, chip
133/250 1 5/8 & 1 ¾ headers, sport muffler, chip
133/<260 1 5/8 & 1 ¾ headers, open exhaust, race fuel, chip

However, many may not even be getting the full 200 to 214 hp they are supposed to be.

First off, P-car mechanics are not tuners in the sense that they would be familiar with the internals of an air flow meter to be able to tune it to a specific car.

Replace your air flow meter if it's out of spec? They can do that.