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3.4, love it when you drive it, hate it when you work on it


Crimson Fury Z

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to continue the discussion(w/o the vs. posts). yes, get that dyno up, chop chop! :P mine does the cold start crap, but a few seconds over 2k rpm and its good to go. i dread to work on it because of the b.s. i go through each time(gaskets, the damn egr not wanting to go back into place...)and plus, its cold! :lol: need to replace the O2 and cts(coolant temp sensor) still. i will look into the lower intake gasket. been awhile since i went balls deep into the engine(actually Ben and John to be exact). is the lower intake under the plenum, or deeper? as far as driving, it runs and accels as good as a late 180,000mi engine does, and a +1 on the kidneys post. needs 2 new tires to smooth out the ride and i still have to use the can of gm tec, now that i got the new exhaust so it won't leak all up on the inside. i have test drove 2 other 3.4s, both close to 90,000mi and they were more responsive and smoother, but the brakes weren't that much better :lol: and my engine bay is/was a whole hell of a lot cleaner! the only problem is that the radiator has a pressure leak, if the cap is tight, it'll leak from the top driverside corner(haven't located the exact location), then if its loose, the leak is no more. i think i have had an overall reliable 3.4. all the fixes and problems have been everything but the engine and tranny. i'd be dumb and probably get another 3.4 if mine took a dump. theres just something about owning a 3.4 twin dual cam.

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LIMG is not a hard task. Remove upper plenum, unbolt fuel rail from lower manifold, pop out injectors, unbolt lower intake, and wa-la. I know I'm missing a few steps in between, but not hard at all.

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aah! ok! i'll find out what those missing steps are when i run into them! does the lq1 take 2nd place in the most technicaly advanced engine to the new 3.something dohc?

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It's easier to do a lower intake manifold gasket on this car than the pushrods, FYI.....

 

These links will probably be removed because of stupid rules, but....

 

1st this: http://www.60degreev6.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=DOHC&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=16&page=1

 

Then this: http://www.60degreev6.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=DOHC&file=index&req=viewarticle&artid=17&page=1

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Prolly with the new ones having VVT and all that.

 

what?? no 1991-1997 LQ1 had VVT period.

 

i dono, everyone bitches and moans about the 3.4 being a pain in the ass to work on, personally i have no problem what so ever navigating the engine bay, i've had my intakes off probably 6 times or so for various reasons. but anymore its just a trivial task, and i rather like how the 3.4 goes together.

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Prolly with the new ones having VVT and all that.

 

what?? no 1991-1997 LQ1 had VVT period.

 

i dono, everyone bitches and moans about the 3.4 being a pain in the ass to work on, personally i have no problem what so ever navigating the engine bay, i've had my intakes off probably 6 times or so for various reasons. but anymore its just a trivial task, and i rather like how the 3.4 goes together.

 

a fuckin men. if you think an LQ1 is hard 2 work on, go do a water pump on a toyota, a distibutor on a nissan, an egr on a ford, etc etc. I love working on the LQ1 because everything is so straight foward. the big issue with them is the alternator, and I moved mine so it takes 15 minutes to do.

 

tell ya what, go do plugs on ANY 82+ camaro, takes 40 minutes to do on an LQ1/LH0 car, time yourself on a turd gen maro and see how long it takes.

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a fuckin men. if you think an LQ1 is hard 2 work on, go do a water pump on a toyota, a distibutor on a nissan, an egr on a ford, etc etc. I love working on the LQ1 because everything is so straight foward. the big issue with them is the alternator, and I moved mine so it takes 15 minutes to do.

 

tell ya what, go do plugs on ANY 82+ camaro, takes 40 minutes to do on an LQ1/LH0 car, time yourself on a turd gen maro and see how long it takes.

 

w3rd on the LQ1 vs any import motor

 

it takes me less time to change my camaro plugs (easy with special homemade tool). used to have to do one plug on each bank underneath. much rather pull the plenum. of course, my dohc you have to remove the plenum.

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I must have one of those freak engines where all I had to do was pull the weather stripping. NO pulling the plenum, NO rocking the engine forward. Just two extensions and a u-joint. Wa-la.

 

My homemade tool was a coathanger I bent into a long hook to pull the plugs out. That was really the only tricky part.

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a fuckin men. if you think an LQ1 is hard 2 work on, go do a water pump on a toyota, a distibutor on a nissan, an egr on a ford, etc etc. I love working on the LQ1 because everything is so straight foward. the big issue with them is the alternator, and I moved mine so it takes 15 minutes to do.

 

tell ya what, go do plugs on ANY 82+ camaro, takes 40 minutes to do on an LQ1/LH0 car, time yourself on a turd gen maro and see how long it takes.

 

w3rd on the LQ1 vs any import motor

 

it takes me less time to change my camaro plugs (easy with special homemade tool). used to have to do one plug on each bank underneath. much rather pull the plenum. of course, my dohc you have to remove the plenum.

I think the only exception is Honda's VTEC, you can change plugs in 6 minutes.

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a fuckin men. if you think an LQ1 is hard 2 work on, go do a water pump on a toyota, a distibutor on a nissan, an egr on a ford, etc etc. I love working on the LQ1 because everything is so straight foward. the big issue with them is the alternator, and I moved mine so it takes 15 minutes to do.

 

tell ya what, go do plugs on ANY 82+ camaro, takes 40 minutes to do on an LQ1/LH0 car, time yourself on a turd gen maro and see how long it takes.

 

w3rd on the LQ1 vs any import motor

 

it takes me less time to change my camaro plugs (easy with special homemade tool). used to have to do one plug on each bank underneath. much rather pull the plenum. of course, my dohc you have to remove the plenum.

I think the only exception is Honda's VTEC, you can change plugs in 6 minutes.

 

apples 2 apples man, iron duke is just as easy. try doin a vtec 6 cylinder, not an easy task.

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Guest TurboSedan
i dont like u joints, only reason to rock the motor foward is to avoid using them

 

U-joints for changing spark plugs usually means you are asking for a cracked plug.

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Cracked plug OK if taking out....

Heres something I've used for years. Cut the end off an old set of spark plug wires (the boot) and a small length of wire. Use that to re-thread the spark plugs and then tighten. Toyota MPV, S10's, Lumina and Transport vans, I've never had to rock and engine to change spark bolts baby. Theres always a way. Inginuity! Mechanics good little buddy!!

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thats why you ALWAYS start the plug without a ratchet. on everything except the dohc motors, hold the plug and screw it in, then put the socket on and tighten it in. on a dohc motor, slide the plug down, put down the socket with extention, spin it so it starts, the put the ratchet on to finish.

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Prolly with the new ones having VVT and all that.

 

what?? no 1991-1997 LQ1 had VVT period.

 

I think he was talking about the 3.6VVT.

 

Precisely.

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thats why you ALWAYS start the plug without a ratchet. on everything except the dohc motors, hold the plug and screw it in, then put the socket on and tighten it in. on a dohc motor, slide the plug down, put down the socket with extention, spin it so it starts, the put the ratchet on to finish.

 

OR....

 

Spend a couple bucks and buy a proper spark plug socket that holds the plug in the socket with an o ring. That way you don't have to struggle with lining up the plug with the hole, or pulling them out of the hole when removing them.

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