Bought a $50 '95 GP

[68grandprix]

Last week I bought a '95 Grand Prix SE (BYP unfortunately). It has 120,000mi, nice interior, and the body is nice except for a smashed DS fender and front of door, and some minor dents. The kid I bought it from said it leaked coolant into the engine and overheated so he stopped driving it. I figured it was probably intake gaskets (he said his mechanic said cracked head or blown head gasket). Anyway, I started it and drove it down the block, and the engine sounded a little funny (as in kind of bad).I pulled the dipstick and the oil looked bad and it was way over full, because of all the coolant in the oil.

I went back today with the plan of changing the oil and attempting to drive the thing home. I started draining the oil and a ton of coolant came out, then a ton of oil that was the color and consistency of watery mud. While it was draining I decided to add some coolant. I started pouring some in and looked underneath and the coolant came pouring right out the oilpan drain. So this probably points to an intake gasket, right(since it would be pouring into the valley)? I'm hoping I can tow this thing home and fix the topend leak, and it will run like a champ, but I'm worried the bearings or rings are junk, from the look of that oil. So I'd do all that work and end up needing a new engine anyway. Any suggestions? If I had to get a new engine I'd just get a 3400 (but I'm a broke bastard, so it'd be a while). At least my '89 GP runs. Jimmy

[Crazy K]

3400 swap forget it the 3100 probably will have lower end damage.

 

and a bit of advice. get the expensive Fel-pro perma-dry gaskets for the 3400 when you swap it in. It shall never fail again!

[OSVHURST/OLDS]

3400 swap forget it the 3100 probably will have lower end damage.

 

x2

 

forget about the 3100, talking from experience that motor aint going to live that long. it just a matter of time before the engine blows. it happened to my old CS vert. replaced the intake gaskets and head gaskets and 3 months later the engine blew. bottom end gave out. just replace it with the 3400 and be done with it.

[68grandprix]

I already bought some cheap oil (good old SuperTech) so I think I'm just going to drain all the coolant, fill'er up with oil and run it for a bit to see how it drives. If it drives around and doesn't make any bad noises, then I fix the 3100 and deal with a blown motor if it happens(it'd be the 3rd time I blew an engine#1-68 Grand Prix 400, #2-89 Sunbird 2.0). If it has no power (like the rings are fried) or it sounds like the motor's shot, then I'll start looking for a 3400. Jimmy

[rockfangd]

yeah you might as well save the hssle and do the 3400 swap and save yourself time and money

[Crazy K]

I already bought some cheap oil (good old SuperTech) so I think I'm just going to drain all the coolant, fill'er up with oil and run it for a bit to see how it drives. If it drives around and doesn't make any bad noises, then I fix the 3100 and deal with a blown motor if it happens(it'd be the 3rd time I blew an engine#1-68 Grand Prix 400, #2-89 Sunbird 2.0). If it has no power (like the rings are fried) or it sounds like the motor's shot, then I'll start looking for a 3400. Jimmy

 

what you don;t know yet.... is you will probably have overheat/worn/scored rod journals... and an engine itching to spin a bearing..... much more so than any ring damage/loss of compression you might notice.

 

if you are lucky you'll hear it knocking.... before you invest any more money into a bad motor.

[jeremy]

swap in a new motor

[Andrew]

3400 swap is best. buying brand new 3100 costs around $2000. heres the cars you can grab a 3400 from.

 

* 1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV/Pontiac Trans Sport/Oldsmobile Silhouette

* 1997-2004 Chevrolet Venture/Pontiac Montana/Oldsmobile Silhouette

* 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero GL/GLS

* 1999-2005 Pontiac Grand Am SE/GT

* 2002-2005 Pontiac Aztek/Buick Rendezvous

* 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala

* 2000-2005 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

 

hey Ken, you grabbed a 3400 from a van right? what did it cost you?

 

[68grandprix]

Well yesterday I finally flat-towed the Gp to my house (it sucks driving 30mph for two hours). I drained the coolant and rest of the old oil and refilled the motor with new oil. It started up and clattered for a second until the oil reached the topend, then it sounded pretty good! My friend and I went for a ride, and 200yds down the road the car died. Stopped, put it in park, turned the key-Click, Click. Towed the car back to the house and tried to turn the crank, haha, the motor's stuck. Guess I'll start shopping around for a 3400. Jimmy

[Q-Ball]

Hows the starter on it? Thats what my 92 did. I got a new starter and new battery terminal bolts. Bang fires up everytime now.

[68grandprix]

The engine's siezed. I tried turning it by putting a socket on the crankshaft bolt. Jimmy

[Euro]

* 1996 Chevrolet Lumina APV/Pontiac Trans Sport/Oldsmobile Silhouette

 

 

those came with the 3400? i thought the 3400 started in 97 when the Venture came out

[OSVHURST/OLDS]

I hate to say this but told ya so

[digitaloutsider]

1996 was the first year for the 3400 in the U-vans.

[1BadPrix]

I bought a 3400 out of a minivan with low mileage for 150 bucks complete.

 

 

William

[Crazy K]

hey Ken, you grabbed a 3400 from a van right? what did it cost you?

 

I grabbed the intakes, thottle body, egr tube, alternator 'strut' brackets, map sensor bracket, 3400 U-van engine cover, oil cap extender, 3400 only PCV tube, and the roller rockers only. they were bad motors. GOT TWO INTAKE SETS! $35 for the first one, and $30 for the second; it was missing a few peripherals. both came from 97 ventures