The way ive heard it is that anything smaller than a 3.5 on an otherwise stock motor wont work because the SC will spool too much air to the motor, and the computer cant accommodate for that much increase so it causes the motor to run lean and ends up causing KR. (this is why you dont want it turned off)

*i know its just a more drawn out version of your quote bill* just adding so he knows... assuming my info is correct if not... ill revise it :P

3800performance, zzp, and intense all recommend having a PCM Tune, Good Intake, Good Exhaust, and a 3.4" pulley or smaller for a start on modding; however, they wont tune the PCM without those 3 things and dont recommend smaller than a 3.5 on a stock motor.

Mouse, the Ideal thing would be to get something like this if your going to mod alot and want to go smaller than a 3.2"

INTENSE-Racing.com: INTENSE™ Eaton M90 Modular Supercharger Pulley System

lets you get the 3.5 for now, and a secondary when you mod more... 3800performance.com does the same as one package

QuickSwap Modular Pulley System: 3800 Performance

just something to look into if you want the pulley ASAP

No smaller then 3.5" on a mostly stock engine. A 3.4 will move more air, cause more heat, and more pre-ignition. And that equals a damaged engine. If you have no way of scanning your engine for knock retard, don't think about a 3.4" or smaller pulley. To run a 3.2 you will need headers, a cam, a good tune, the ability to scan, and are getting in to the area of intercooling. Small pulley is not power, it'* damage.

i have researched this a little bit the last few days and you won't damage your engine buy just getting a smaller pulley unless your engine is not upgraded to the specifications of the pulley. If you get a smaller pulley you need to install an intercool that is a more efficant one and you would need to install more things that will knot give you problems. you should already have an intercooler on a 3.4 pulley, that way you don't have many problems. i know a few people that has grand prix'* that have 3.0 and one guy that has a 2.8 and they don't have any issues with KR since they have more parts on it to cool the engine. i would ask an expert about this instead of people that don't have to much experiance in these fields. send an email to like 3800 performance and ask them about this to give you more info to see what you have to have to get more performance but less KR or no KR.

That is the point of this thread. Please don't confuse people or give them info that is not accurate. There are way to many factors involved then simply saying, this person has a 2.8, and this one has a 3.0 and have no problems. The point of this thread was to provide a SAFE order to add HP. Every car is different, I've worked and many many cars and seen damage from people installing a 3.4" before they were ready. DO NOT DO IT!!! You will damage your engine, it'* not a mater of if or even when, it'* a mater of how long before you do. Dropping to a 3.4" needs rockers, intake, shift kit, and a tune at the least, and even then, 3.4" is to small. To drop below this point you need cam, headers, exhaust work,, intercooler, throttle body and MAF, injectors, and a MAJOR tune. Please do not even suggest to a member just starting out to even think about this unless they have the knowledge to do this work as well as the amount of money that will be needed. Dropping $2000 in to your engine is just enough to do more then that in damage. Small pulley is not power, small pulley is damaged engine.

i understand what your trying to say but the thing is i was not trying to say you were wrong or that it didn't need those extra parts cause it does but when you get a professional to do it you won't have problems. thats why i suggested that. i know in the long run you don't want to deal with that yourself if you think or others tell you that you will ruin your engine cause you will if you don't know what your doing, the people i know that have the smaller pulleys actually had pros do that so i would understand that it will blow your engine up if you do it yourself and not know what your doing! im not trying to put your answer down because thats what you know and have learned im just making a suggestion! i have dealt with many cars as well and i have had 2 bonnevilles that have had many issues with these things so don't try to put your experiance behind you cause even pros get things worng thats why im suggesting more than what i have found out! you will know something that is different than what i know and have learned. thats the point of a forum! dropping $2000 in it will do it from what i know if you do it right and make sure everything is running. you have to know exactly what goes wrong when putting that much work in to in and have people help you if you have a problem with a few things. im not trying to prove my point because my point is mine and thats what i go off of not others unless there is something i don't know or am having trouble with.

Agreed...

Not to mention the point on this thread is in the title... "What order should I MOD my engine"

Roughly translated meaning "I have no mods on my car, its stock, where should i start?" The proper answer is not "Lets put on the smallest pulley we can and see how quickly we can blow your head gaskets."
A simple drop from a 3.8 (stock) to a 3.6 or even a 3.5 if your going to add more mods relatively quickly is perfectly acceptable. But not to go past information from EXPERTS... people that have done this already.... repeatedly!!! The information given is the safest way to enhance the performance without compromising the integrity of the motor itself.

We LOVE other peoples opinions, and other information to aid us but we cant have someone giving out info what will harm someones vehicle, and we prefer to keep the helpful info to the forum. Not constantly referring everyone to other places for information from experts... if that was the case when you typed www.gmforum.com youd get a redirect website with listings and phone numbers to EXPERTS!!!! comeon now be a team player

yeah i know that thats why i put that your engine won't blow up unless you have your engine modified to the specifications of the pulley wich is all the stuff DATHURS said. i wasn't trying to put a point sying how he was wrong cause iif i was in the same situation wich i am from what i know and have learned, im just putting my opinion and understanding what i have learned thats what a forum is what you know so you can give advice to prople that need help, but they don't always take everyones advice. i wasn't saying that you should just put a smaller pulley without upgrades cause i know that it will ruin your engine i was just putting on what i learned sorry for the misunderstanding everyone got!

Its ok, just need to start out with baby steps... the people we usually encounter do it themselves so we start small... slightly smaller pulley, intake, exhaust, 180 thermo, and then call *so-&-so* for a tune to get the most out of what you have.... then on to the bigger stuff

for this simple starter question we skip anything below a 3.4, and telling people youll need a cam, rockers, intercooling, and things like that tend to scare people into not wanting to mod their cars for fear of having to drop $5k or more just to keep it from blowing...

baby steps, baby steps lol

lol well thats ok i know that its new people i wasn't thinking that it would be people doing there own work sorry. cause im in the same boat but i know how to do the work so i was just putting my imput so ill keep that in mind. just so you and danthurs is aware that i wasn't trying to say do it if you have no upgrades because you need upgrades in order to go lower so yeah. thanks for that info though.

baby steps to the out of the office baby steps down the hall way... lol