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Towing with a 3.4 d.o.h.c.


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Posted

Has anybody ever towed anything with their 3.4? I'm wondering if i could tow my motorcycle with mine.I know the owner's manual doesen't recommend it,But i was wondering if anyone here has actually done it.Thanks :D

Posted
you want a new tranny for that 3.4DOHC too?

 

ya, the motor will be fine.....the tranny is what you'll worry about.....I doubt even a tranny cooler would help too much....well, depending on weight and speed of travel.

Posted

I wouldn't recommend it. If the owners manual says to not tow at all with the 3.4 then I wouldn't. If that's not the case pulling a mc wouldn't be a big deal at all I would think.

 

 

You could pick up a beater to tow it with for cheap.

Posted

I just picked up the ultimate tow car (almost)... a '91 Caprice... It's almost the ultimate tow car because it's only got the peg-leg 7-1/2" ring gear 2.56:1 rear end, but it's full frame with a truck drivetrain... The police/taxi package caprices can be had for $1k-ish and are full frame with the heavy duty suspension, a 350, AND the 8-1/2" ring gear rear end, along with the aux tranny cooler and PS cooler and all that crap... Cop caprices are plentiful and cheap! You just have to look...

 

Mike

Posted
I wouldn't recommend it. If the owners manual says to not tow at all with the 3.4 then I wouldn't. If that's not the case pulling a mc wouldn't be a big deal at all I would think.

 

 

You could pick up a beater to tow it with for cheap.

Yup, it says that right inside the manual. I think it says that for 3.1 equipped vehicles too since they share the same transmission.

Posted

thought the towing capacity was 1500 lbs. If the 1500 thing is true you should be all right depending on the distance. It has the tranny cooler which helps keep the tranny cool when you are running at 5K+ rpms. Keep the revs relatively low so the heat in the tranny comes from the strain and not the transmission speed.

Posted

i could swear my brochoure for the 93' lumina said a dohc car could tow up to a 1000lb capacity but no more. i'll double check as soon as i can.

Posted

My 5 speed Z has a hitch on it. Looks like a class 1.

 

I know of a guy who lives about a mile from me, and he has an 4T60E Z34 that he uses to tow 2 snowmobiles on a trailer. :shock:

Posted

I don't see the problem...just don't race around WOT everywhere....heat the killer...if everything stays cool it should be fine IMO....that goes for brakes too

Posted

my 94 owners manual says "vehicles equipped with vin x 3.4 twin dual cam engine TOWING NOT RECOMMENDED" or something to that extent.

Posted
my 94 owners manual says "vehicles equipped with vin x 3.4 twin dual cam engine TOWING NOT RECOMMENDED" or something to that extent.

Yep!

Posted
My 5 speed Z has a hitch on it. Looks like a class 1.

 

I know of a guy who lives about a mile from me, and he has an 4T60E Z34 that he uses to tow 2 snowmobiles on a trailer. :shock:

How many transmissions has he wrecked?

Posted

Shit, IMO the 4T60E can barely handle towing itself around with a 3.4, let alone something else with it.

Posted
My 5 speed Z has a hitch on it. Looks like a class 1.

 

I know of a guy who lives about a mile from me, and he has an 4T60E Z34 that he uses to tow 2 snowmobiles on a trailer. :shock:

How many transmissions has he wrecked?

 

I dunno....the car's in nice shape tho.

Posted
My 5 speed Z has a hitch on it. Looks like a class 1.

 

I know of a guy who lives about a mile from me, and he has an 4T60E Z34 that he uses to tow 2 snowmobiles on a trailer. :shock:

How many transmissions has he wrecked?

 

I dunno....the car's in nice shape tho.

That's good at least, that he takes care of it.

Posted

the owners manual for my 94 GTP says you can tow up to 1,000 pounds at no faster than 55 MPh, also, trailer brakes are reccomended.

 

it also reccomends a sway control bar.

 

and during the first 500 miles of towing, no full throttle starts so it can wear in to the additional load.

 

but in my opinion, you're asking for a asploded tranny.

Posted

does putting two fat people in my car count as towing? they were about 600lbs together :lol:

Posted
I just picked up the ultimate tow car (almost)... a '91 Caprice... It's almost the ultimate tow car because it's only got the peg-leg 7-1/2" ring gear 2.56:1 rear end, but it's full frame with a truck drivetrain... The police/taxi package caprices can be had for $1k-ish and are full frame with the heavy duty suspension, a 350, AND the 8-1/2" ring gear rear end, along with the aux tranny cooler and PS cooler and all that crap... Cop caprices are plentiful and cheap! You just have to look...

 

Mike

 

oh ya FYI ALL 91-96 cars got the 8.5" 10 bolt regardless of package. my 91 had a 305, 700r4, 3.08 rear, i installed 9c1 springs and radiator and a class 3 hitch and towed with it for 50k miles. pulled a 78 el camino home on the highway with a tilting flatbed car hauler.

Posted

I notice my car handles like a dog with me, my g/f, our daughter, and a trunkful of baby stuff. Couldn't imagine towing something with it.

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