jbodyperformance.com

[zmods]

You guys ever look on J body performance.com they have killer parts for 3.1 liter engines.The site is mostly for cavaliers,sunbirds,etc but you can find some great performance parts there.

[slick]

I've seen that new crankshaft that they have. It's pretty damn nice, but is it worth all that money. Plus, our stock cranks can hold a ton of power anyways.

[RareGMFan]

I think that was the company selling a set of used MSD coils on eBay. Had the equivalent to 5,000 miles on them. Problem is, opening bid was $84 with another $25 for shipping! A bit much, considering a brand new set is $120 shipped from Jegs. They had a link to their website on the auction where I found several over priced parts. Naturally, it didn't sell. I thought about offering them something for it after the auction, but I figured anyone that charges $25 for shipping something like that is out to gouge and get way more than they deserve for the part, so I let it be. They would have to have come down severely in price to make it worth getting used ones vs. new ones for a bit more.

[RareGMFan]

Yeah, by set I mean all 3 required for our motors. I've found several places that sell them for $40 a piece. The full retail price in the US is only about $50 each. I think I saw that auction you won yours off of. I don't remember why or how. You may have either been bidding on something of mine or something I wanted on eBay, but I distinctly remember he didn't have any part number up. Just said he took a couple "goodies" off the car before he sold it to some older couple who wouldn't miss the performance.

[zmods]

Yeah that crank is pretty sweet but from what Ive heard noone has ever seen a stock 3.1 crank break,have you guys ever seen one break? They say our stock crank will hold up to about anything, but that crank form jbodyperformance is nice. Their prices are pretty high but they are Canadian prices about 25% more than Americain dollars (I think). I will be buying a lot of stuff from them this coming spring. I have to trust anyone who specializes in the 3.1 motors there are not many parts on the shelf for the 3.1 but they make about anything you want and need.

[slick]

Thats the thing, they kinda say our crank is weak, but in all reality, it will hold some serious power. The only cool thing about it is that you can get a larger stroke out of it, and advance the timing a few degrees. But, unless your gonna be building a serious race engine, or if for some odd reason, your crank decides to go, then its worth gettting.

[Jeff M]

Well aside from detonation, oil flow loss or hydraulicing, the way these TGP 981 casting number cranks are weak is like any crank, when it’s over-revved/too high in rpms. Adding power via compressive loads such as a power adder like turbo charging, or raising the compression ratio is nothing as compared to the reciprocal loads of over-revving the engine/crank. Like other engines, you can over-rev your crank and not immediately know the damage or excess wear you are causing, up to a major failure, but its there. Some professional partners I have heard from that ran the 3.1L block to its limits (the sure way to find out) found the stock crank would not hold for a long time running past 6,000 to 6,500 rpms, and after running a steel or billet crank, found the limits to the block’s main webbing was 8,500 rpms, and 350 hp (BUT with a short stroke crank/read below). So, why would anyone want to rev past 6,000, that would be those doing all-motor hp the old fashion/not thought so old school today with 10 second all-motor Hondas, or running big turbo and big motor mods (aggressive cams, very high-flowing heads). Most times professionals will also go the route of a shorter stroke crank when running higher rpm hp engines, nothing new as most Ferraris and such exotics go this route very successfully, these don’t show much low rpm torque but the power band up high is full of enough tire twisting power to compete with low revving big block engines like the Viper 8 liter motor. A shorter stroke is much easier on the crank and block when pushing some high rpm power and bigger power, and with less stroke, revs very fast! There is also using a turbo, as they are already used, to make an engine breath more than it’s displacement (2.8 or 3.1L stock, short strokes 2.5 to 2.7L), long as there is a low compression piston installed, there is no sacrifice to short stroking an engine, once again it’s a way to extend the high rpm hp range along with the turbo’s ability to help there as well at lower rpms for more torque. YES, stokers are all the rage, but those are mainly normally aspirated engines looking for all they can get, and is one way to get more power out of many ways.

 

As for the jbodyperf web site goodies, I have not physically seen their cranks so cannot say but it all depends on the true build of their cranks, considering custom steel cranks can run easily over $1,000, and billet around $2,000, $995 Canadian is not too much money, especially when converted to US dollars, but I believe jbody does not actually manufacture these, this level of work is done out of shop and typically at company like Moldex, Callies and such, that is when the price gets to those higher numbers. In California there are (many great things to do with cars!!!) companies more than capable of building custom cranks, California Cranks is one I know of, used by many pro racers for years, there are others around the country as well just as competent.

 

I know this may start a debate on what someone prefers, or has heard, and that there may be more to add here, some corrections too but remember, no one-way is wrong as referred to above, or supported in replies, it’s all in the way you want to do it.

Jeff M