Navybass Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 It seems like everywhere I read in this forum, people are either having problems with their 3.1 or putting it down. Are they really that bad of an engine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 They are reliable as all hell, but aren't very good for performance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Not at all. It's a very reliable engine. Usually only people that are having problems complain, so it looks like everyone's complaining. Very few people are going to start posts saying, "My 3.1 runs great, no problems". People are probably putting it down because it's only 140HP. Very few 3400lb cars these days have <200HP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutlass1991 Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 People just like to bitch and complain. In my experience, and I'm sure many will agree, the 3.1 is a very hard engine to kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navybass Posted November 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 The reason I was asking was because I was thinking of getting my wife a car and it had the 3.1 in it. I also made a thread asking what the differences were between the 3.1 and 3100 engines were. My GP has the 3100 engine in it. If anyone could go to that thread and explain the differences, it would be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I love my 3.1, more so when it's getting boosted! I made a joke about blown intake askets and broken dream, the 3x00's have the problem with the intake gaskets, not the 3.1 MPFI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastbird232 Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Lemme tell you a little story about the 3.1... I bought an '89 Grand Prix from a farmer this summer. Ok, so it was a 2.8, but virtually the same thing. Anyhow, this thing had been sitting for god knows how long with a bad alternator. So I take one out of a Lumina he had sitting around, swap it out, put new plugs in it, and the damn thing fired up faster than the GTP I drove there in! A full engine tune up later, and I was pulled over for roasting the tires. It may not have had all the power of my 3.4, but I've never seen an engine be that neglected and crappy looking, and run nearly flawlessly. But yeah, no one posts on here about their engine running great. People post their problems so they can get advice from the rest of us. It's not indicative of the 2.8/3.1 population as a whole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I won't say the 3.1 will be completely maintennance free... probably far from it. A car old enough to have a 3.1 will probably need peripheral things like water pump, alternator, etc. (I mentioned in the other thread). The body and suspension will probably need some attention. The engine itself, the worst thing that will likely happen to it is if the cooling system was neglected, it could end up needing a head gasket. On my car, that happened around 168,000 miles. I replaced the head gaskets (not too difficult if you can work on cars), and now it has over 200,000. I have needed to replace alternators probably 6 times between 110,000 and 200,000, water pump once, P/S pump once, an injector, and one or two coils. That's pretty much it for the 11yrs and nearly 100,000 miles I've owned the car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pabz Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Also i think its the easiest engine to work on thats for sure, I timed myself taking it down to the intake manifold and put back together in less than 2 hrs. Everything is on top. Great engines just dont abuse them like i did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I think the video is gone now, but look at the comments in the thread below about how much a 3.1 can take. http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26181&highlight=abuse Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 3.1's run forever....i've had trouble with every part of my car becides the 3.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94CutlassSLCoupe Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I love the 2.8/3.1/3100 My first cutlass had 200k when i got rid of it because of the bad cradle bolt...The original 2.8 ran flawlessly (it would be 15 below zero outside and it would start like it was 70 degrees)...leaked like maybe 1/4 quart in 3,000 miles (regular 5w30) My car and my sister's are both 3100's. The 3100 is a good performance advantage over the MPFI engines...and as long as the intake gaskets get changed (my sister's needed it at about 80k...and mine are original at 38k), it will practially run forever. It has absolutely no trouble propelling this car for hours at a time at 90mph...it just can't accellerate very fast at WOT...I've gotten both to do 117mph...would have gone more too. The thing i really love about these is that things like changing the water pump and alternator are rediculously easy. Even the intake gasket isn't a big deal because most mechanics know how to do it, and if you are friends with them they will give you tips. The dumbest design on these things is the Oil Pump drive seal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I've gotten both to do 117mph...would have gone more too. what about the speed limiter?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Very few people are going to start posts saying, "My 3.1 runs great, no problems". ....how did I know it wouldn't take long for someone to start the pointless thread you mentioned.... http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=35645 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToroToro Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 I think the video is gone now, but look at the comments in the thread below about how much a 3.1 can take. http://www.w-body.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=26181&highlight=abuse http://dumpafile.com/item/Uu6d4Vt5 Had the vid on my computer...so I hosted it if he wants to see it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 thanks Toro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1990lumina Posted November 9, 2005 Report Share Posted November 9, 2005 Yup...my 3.1 runs fine. It has (I think) typical ticking when the engine is cold...however it's been like this forever so I doubt it will get worse. Reason I complain is because a god damn j-body w/ 2.2 can blow my car away, however it is reliable as hell! Only alternators died....and if I had a volt guage I would have noticed a drop is voltage and I wouldn't have been stranded....but like they say the 3.1 alternator is simple as hell to change... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
THe_DeTAiL3R Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 From reading the title i was like "WTF is he talking about?" 3.1s/3x00s are reliable as hell. Since a good 50%+ or the members have one of course there will be problems, and people are gonna complain when their 150000mile engine has issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94CutlassSLCoupe Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 I've gotten both to do 117mph...would have gone more too. what about the speed limiter?? speed limiter=117 what i ment is it was not out of steam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Cutlass Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 if any engine can survive my dad's abuse... it has my respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest TurboSedan Posted November 10, 2005 Report Share Posted November 10, 2005 i would have to say my never-been-rebuilt 230,000 mile 3.1 runs "good" it has a few issues that need to be worked out, but still....the oil stays clean and full and i get 20mpg/city and 31mpg/hwy. only problem i have is spinning the tires below 30mph when full boost hits. other than that, it's great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdcutty Posted November 11, 2005 Report Share Posted November 11, 2005 My beretta had ~210,000 miles on it when i bought it, along with 8 quarts of oil in it (previous owner obviously thought it was a northstar or something that needed that much ). It ran great, even after the car was crushed by a minivan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go4DaMo Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 speed limiter=117 what i ment is it was not out of steam What cars have the 117 MPH limiter? my 1st 2 1990s never hit it and I'd stomp on it for a long time! wouldn't I feel it retard fuel like my 1999 S10 @ 97ish MPH?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Go4DaMo Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 do 3100 fuel regulators fit a 3.1? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GOT2B GM Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Holy 9 year old post bump, Sam! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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