what do u guys think i should do

[whoyourdaddy49]

well this is what i got 1992 chevy lumina with a 3.1 v6 and i finely found my coolant leak its ether coming from the head gasket or the intake but im gonna fine where its coming from tomarrow , but what ever it is im comme tear it apart this weekend and get started on it is there anything that u guys have done or anything i can do to my car while im takeing about the top end of this motor what u guys recomend me maybe bying to but in or something i can do to make it run better maybe give me som ideas cause i just hit 150,000 on it also so since im taking it apart im gonna do some plus to it and wires , so give me ur ideas i will really like that cause i wanna keep this car runing for a while thanks

[phantomFE3]

ok first of all i think this is what you should do first, find out where the leak is at before you tear your engine apart

[Robby1870]

No, its'll be easy to notice the leak once you take stuff off. If you take the intake gasket off and you can tell its leaking, then its the problem.

[whoyourdaddy49]

ok i aint stupid im gonna find the leake before i take it about but what do u guys recamend to do while im like tear apart the motor any things i should do

[GrandPrix34]

spend about $150 and replace ALL the sensors...that way you practically have a new car and wont run into pullshit problems later on.

[whoyourdaddy49]

what sensors would that be?

[GnatGoSplat]

When my head gasket blew a leak, I replaced both head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, and intake gaskets.

That's all I did. I left the sensors alone.

No problems at all.

 

I'm frugal, so I didn't think there was any reason to replace good sensors. Besides, there aren't very many that are that much easier to replace with the engine apart.

[jeremy]

When my head gasket blew a leak, I replaced both head gaskets, exhaust gaskets, and intake gaskets.

That's all I did. I left the sensors alone.

No problems at all.

 

I'm frugal, so I didn't think there was any reason to replace good sensors. Besides, there aren't very many that are that much easier to replace with the engine apart.

 

 

is there a "how to" thread anywhere on how to replace the head gasket on a 3.1/3100??

[Robby1870]

No, probably not, but I for one as well as many others could definitley walk through it with some one. I walked Musthavemusik through changing his lower intake gasket

[jeremy]

No, probably not, but I for one as well as many others could definitley walk through it with some one. I walked Musthavemusik through changing his lower intake gasket

 

that is good to know, Sunday I am picking up the '94 or '95 SE for $100 that Slick posted about in General. It supposedly has a blown headgasket, so IF i decide I want to fix it, I would want do it myself both as a learning experience and to save $.

 

..... I still haven't decided if I want to fix it and drive it, fix it and sell it or if I want to part it....

[PaPaPooh]

oil pump drive seal?

 

if it has it i would do it now and save trouble later

[J]

is this a relative of hazmatic?

[musthavemuzk]

and i thank you too Robby.

i had to replace the lower intake manifold.

first time ever tearing into a motor. was not too bad. took me quite awhile but then again i do not have a garage so i could only work on it when there was light outside.

 

the biggest advice i can give is to make sure to mark things. like where the injectors get plugged into on the harness, any vacuum lines, any other connectors. if you have to disconnect the fuel lines mark them, any other things that you might have trouble with when putting it back together.

if you have a digicam put it to use. snap pics from many angles. of course for your own use but to share and help others as well later.

 

be careful to not drop gasket parts in openings.

 

i borrowed a torque wrench from work as i do not have one yet. that helped alot. if you do not have a haynes or chiltons then get one. or mayb get to the library and get the repair manual from there. it will give you directions as well as torque specs.

 

alot had to come off of the 3.1 in my 90 cutlass to get the plenum and lower intake out.

 

hit the search engine and look for a couple three threads started my me. there should be some help there.

 

Monty