CONFUSED ON O-RING INTAKE REPAIR, THIS ONE HAS PICS

[fergup]

I AM A BIT CONFUSED. TODAY IS THE DAY I STARTED THE OIL PUMP O RING AND LOWER INTAKE. I HAVE GONE THROUGH THE FORUM ,, GOT ALL THE INSTRUCTIONS PICS AND EVERYTHING.

 

wHAT CONFUSES ME IS WHENi LOOK AT 3.4 PICS AND CROSSREFERENCE THE INSTRUCTIONS I SEE THAT YOU CAN TAKE THE TB OFF TO GET TO THE O-RING. PROBLEM IS ON MY 3.4, THE TB AND THE WHOLE INTAKE COVER ARE ONE PIECE, SEE THE PIC I ATTACHED.

 

sECONDLY, NOTICE MY WIRES, ALL THE PICS I HAVE SEEN HAVE THE COILS UPPER LEFT, MY COILS ARE UNDER THE EXHAUST MANIFORL FRON LOWER CENTER.

 

ANY HALP OR CLARIFICATION IS APPRECIATED AS THIS IS MY ALL DAY PROJECT

 

[attachment deleted by admin] Removed to free up storage space.

[Supreme Cutlass]

First off, REMOVE THE CAPS! IT DOESN'T HELP!

 

secondly, the instructoins you read were probably for a 3.1 engine, where all you have to do is remove the throttle body.

Also, the coils are supposed to be there.

[fergup]

Well I got the whole top piece off, It is obvious now that the only way to get to the O-ring is to take the intake off. The next step it seems is to disconnect the 2 lines for the fuel rail and then the coolant lines.

 

i cannot figure out how to do the fuel rail lines Any help appreciated I have a pic of my progress and the lines

 

Am I alco rorrect in saying that once you unplug the fuel electrical connections and all the intake bolts, that the entire fuel system comes off with the intake??

 

 

 

[attachment deleted by admin] Removed to free up storage space.

[fergup]

Well, I figured everything else out. Fuel lines need special tool,.got everything out and am now demoralized to find out the it is impossible to replace the o-ring on the 3.4 without taking the entire rear head out. I notice that the flange in the hea is right on top of the cover making it impossible to take the cover off. With the extent of searching I did ,I am shocked that more post have not come up that state this fact. This should reallly be in FAQ section. I guerss all the write up are for NON 3.4 engines. Bummer.

 

if anyone has any miracle suggestions or work arounds, this woud be usefull since the 1/3 of my engine is on the ground righ now

 

Thanks

[19Cutlass94]

My co-worker ( when we rebuilt his 3.4 ) told me theres really no way to get to it without removing the head. Thats why when he put it back together, he siliconed the shit out of it so it wouldnt leak. But thats what Ive been told by someone who rebuilt one...

[fergup]

I called a friend of mine who was a mechanic for years and he confirmed this.....you cannot do the o-ring on a 94 3.4 unless rear head is removed. This of course means that you get into the whole project of timing having to be set and on and on and on.

 

i think, however I may have found a work around. The lower intake bolt flange that blocks the pump actually has alot of xtra metel. i can cut off all of the xtra metel, still leaving enough for the bolt. i can then lift the pump up enough to either slip in a cut oring and then silicone, or just silicone the shit out of the rim.

 

Think this may work

[patgizz]

one guy on here claims he lifted the oil pump drive up some, used a pick to get the old oring off, brake-kleened the piss out of it, oiled up a new oring and gently worked it over the top of the drive, and bolted it back down.

[stockgp]

i seem to remember maybe on 60degree that someone ground down the head a bit so they could get the drive out.

[Psych0matt]

i seem to remember maybe on 60degree that someone ground down the head a bit so they could get the drive out.

 

That's what I was thinking about, too. also, didnt Chris (I think) say that he split it and then just used some rtv to make sure it was sealed

[fergup]

I ground down the flange.lost a bolt hole but I cut off the old seal and stretched the new one around,, then sealed the sh@@t out of the intake and drive

 

Should work

 

PEF

[z34Phoenix]

i think these posts cover it:

 

http://mymonte.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?t=11922&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=40

 

http://www.midtekcars.com/engine_fix01.htm

 

i've done the fix.... i didnt even cut anything... just lifted it up and cleaned it really well with carb and brake cleaner then applyed a good coating of red RTV while turning the plug so it would be drawn down into the shaft some... and filled the gap the was there let it dry for a few hours and then tightend it. then gave it a full 24 hours to dry and started her up! no probs since!

[patgizz]

you ground on the head to the point that you lost the lower intake bolt hole?

[White93z34]

search, this was just recently brought up.

[fergup]

Yes, the only way to get the old o-ring off, which was a hard as a rock, was to grind down the flange far enough to lift up the pump far enough to be able to cut the old ring off. in doing this I lost the lower intake bolt hole. I was able to stretch te new oring over the top. I used the high temp red gasket seal real heavy on the intake. obviouisly not the best way but thats all I could do to make it work.

 

Guess we'll see what happens

[White93z34]

you have to be kidding me? theres so many better ways to go about fixing that then hacking a piece of the head off.

 

a search here for something like "3.4 oil leak" or even "o ring" woulda brought fourth plenty of results. for your sake i hope your oil leak isan't now replaced with a coolant leak from that lower intake mount that you hacked off.

[RJansen658]

ROFL

 

Yes, the only way to get the old o-ring off, which was a hard as a rock, was to grind down the flange far enough to lift up the pump far enough to be able to cut the old ring off. in doing this I lost the lower intake bolt hole. I was able to stretch te new oring over the top. I used the high temp red gasket seal real heavy on the intake. obviouisly not the best way but thats all I could do to make it work.

 

Guess we'll see what happens

 

...

 

you have to be kidding me? theres so many better ways to go about fixing that then hacking a piece of the head off.

 

a search here for something like "3.4 oil leak" or even "o ring" woulda brought fourth plenty of results. for your sake i hope your oil leak isan't now replaced with a coolant leak from that lower intake mount that you hacked off.

 

you have to be kidding me? theres so many better ways to go about fixing that then hacking a piece of the head off.

 

Classic. Going to make a comic strip to go with those quotes.....

 

But to contribute, I believe I saw an article somewhere that suggested grinding down the top of the drive itself, lifting up the drive just high enough to fit two of the older chevy small block style fiber/paper gaskets that are cut onto the drive shaft just below the flange, silicone it good, and make sure you put the cuts in the gaskets 180 degrees from each other. With that method you just leave the o-ring alone, I don't think it even comes up high enough to see the entire o-ring, just high enough for the fiber gaskets and silicone.

[White93z34]

comic strip? what?

 

anyhow the method you just described is exactly what i wrote not even a month ago in a similar thread. with that method you are able to see at most 1/4" of the shaft. but its all thats needed.

[White93z34]

i know theres an easy way to get the fuel rail off, without undoing the quick connects, its been a long time but i think there ought to be a bolt in between the fuel lines going into the fuel rail near the FPR, that you ought to be able to remove and pull the fuel rails off like that

 

however, every time i do this job when i'm NOT swaping the rails/injectors for whatever reason, i just unbolt the fuel rail from the lower intake, pull it off, and set it off to the side with the lines stil connected. just be VERY sure to put some motor oil on the rubber injector o rings before trying to reinstall the injectors/rail into the lower intake

 

once all that is off i'll clean the head mating surfaces good, and tape over them, next comes out a small grinder, grind part of the lip off the oil pump drive shaft rotate it (with the retainer off obviously) and you will have an extra 1/8" clearance to work with. then like i think you mentioned in the other thread get some distributer gaskets for like a 88' camaro with a 2.8 cut them 180* from eachother and silicone it good, and let it set up over night.

[Andrew]

i just unbolt the fuel rail from the lower intake, pull it off, and set it off to the side with the lines stil connected.

this way is much easier. its how i did it too.

as i remember, with the fuel rail kinda flipped to the side, then the injectors pop out and you can then remove the lower intake. oh and i think there was a vac line or 2 over it, make sure to make a mental note of them before you pull them off.

 

if you were in the area i could help you. a few months after i replaced my lower intakes on my old Z, i had to replace my injectors, so i got to do most of the process all over again!!

 

btw if you want/need to replace your spark plugs, now would be the time. its soooo much easier with the upper plenum off.

[fergup]

Got everything back together and it all worked out fine. Have driven 100 miles or so and no issues, and no oil leakage to speak of.

 

What a project!!

[dohc v6]

there is no reason to cut the head up. If you do so your an idiot. The way of doing it is getting 3 or so o0rings from gm just incase you brake them, they are 2$ a piece. Anyways, take the bolt out of the drive and lift it up. Should pop up about 5-7mm or so. make sure its nice and loose(lifts up and down easily). Take the new o-ring and soak it in oil and put it in the sun. Then put some ice on the drive. Then take the heater o-ring and slip it over the drive carfully, don't use any sharpe tools at all, i.e screwdiver,plyers,nothing just your hands. Get it under the drive and bolt it back down. this is how they do it at the dealer. Now if you want to do it the right way or have the motor out by all means then replace it the correct way.

[Crazy K]

chris.. talking about the paper gaskets? I find one by looking up a 78 chevy (belair, i think) with a v6. yes chris seems to have the best idea I've heard on the 3.4. I know som people have ground off the edge of the ehad fro clearance too.

[fergup]

Project finished.. wow what a chore. Went ahead and did all gaskets and seals while I was in there.

 

So far, not a drop of oil.

[fergup]

Well, there are plenty of threads , or other web sites that reference shaving the head down. I just came across or got responces a biy late in the game. Whatever the case , this is what I did because my drive cover could only be lifted up, at most, the width of a large paperclip. Every car has varying tolerences, so I had to shave down the head.

 

At any rate its all back together as previously stated and running perfect,, not a drop of oil/fluid. With new gaskets and red RTV, I should be good for a long long time.