Low Mileage GM 3.4 intake gaskets Redos

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  • Witsend
    Banned
    • Nov 2012
    • 2942

    Low Mileage GM 3.4 intake gaskets Redos

    Intake gaskets on a 2003 Grand Am were replaced on a 3.4 motor only 2 or 3 yrs ago at about 63 K , used brand name made in USA gaskets, now intake gaskets are leaking again with just 85K with coolant in oil. Everything was torqued to spec in sequence and specified thread sealant used. It compression checked ok , then I put air in all the cylinders with the rockers arms removed , pinched off air bleed hoses to top of degas bottle and no rise in coolant level or air bubbles seen in the the cooling system. I am doing the timing cover gasket this time around.
    I did these on a Buick Century 3.1 that was fine for several months until the hollow cam shaft cracked at the rear 2 cylinders and ran on 4 cylinders without oil pressure. I think GM used the 3.1 that got a bad reputation, bored it out to a 3.4 and presented it as a different engine. SSDD Same Sh@t Different Displacement, now I think its a 3.5 covered with plastic to hide any resemblance to it's predecessors .Do I need to relieve myself of my MGD into an empty GL5 bottle and bring the coolant up to Farfiggnuegen Spec or what, what's with these things?
    Update, Well I got a complete Dorman intake manifold gasket set this time around that I'm going to try with the later style steel and rubber composite construction, including new lower intake bolts precoated with thread locker sealant.The gaskets being replaced are thick plastic and rubber construction and same style as the original ones albiet they did have a steel compression limiting insert on each end. Intake manifold surface and head ports checked ok with straight edge.
    Last edited by Witsend; 11-12-2014, 01:21 PM.
  • greasybob
    Senior Member
    • May 2008
    • 1590

    #2
    Not sure about the Dorman gaskets but the Felpro metal gaskets are better than the plastic ones from Victor

    Comment

    • Crusty
      Senior Member
      • Dec 2007
      • 2450

      #3
      Originally posted by greasybob
      Not sure about the Dorman gaskets but the Felpro metal gaskets are better than the plastic ones from Victor
      AMEN TO THAT-!!!!

      Nothing but grief from Victor even though they have been in the market for years.

      FELPRO haven't let me down, ever, (yet-!! now I'm jinxed-!! LOL)

      Dorman gaskets-??..... Hey witsend, you've said your a "bottom feeder" (ROFLMAO) but I think your rolling dice with that selection.....

      Just my 3-cents (inflation and the beaver buck y'know.....)

      Comment

      • sbreland73
        Senior Member
        • Jan 2009
        • 1076

        #4
        I have had trouble with those door-man pre-coated bolts, too hard to get started into the heads. I feel it affects torque readings. I am not a fan of that brand in any capacity.
        S. Breland

        Comment

        • Witsend
          Banned
          • Nov 2012
          • 2942

          #5
          When did GM start using BioDegradable wire insulation?

          I had no problem starting the Dorman coated bolts, just had to tighten the 4 vertical bolts to the first torque step to bring the lower intake down a little before you can expect to start the diagonal ones on the ends without risk of cross threading.
          I did nipped a possible CEL code P0340 in the bud because I caught the CMP sensor connector wires insulation under the power steering pump area was crumbling away off the wiring and wires fused together. Rather than cutting the wires and buying a new connector with leads and butt connectors , I just extracted the terminals from connector one at a time and slid 1/8" Harbor Freight Store house marine shrink tubing over the bare wire sections after I removed the crumbling insulation and shrunk it over the bare wires with my BBQ Flatulaighter .
          Attached Files

          Comment

          • Witsend
            Banned
            • Nov 2012
            • 2942

            #6
            Decided to do timing cover and oil pan gaskets

            I've seen more than my share of timing cover gasket leak issues with 3.1 and 3.4s that I like to do them at the same time as the intake gaskets, because it saves redundant labor.
            Well I noticed how much snotty sludge build up i had to clean off everything so I figured why not just pull the damn oil pan off for an extra $100, clean everything out good and change the gasket . Boy did I ever Turd myself .Looked like by jacking up rear of trans would raise engine and give me sufficient room that it would be easy . I was wrong . Forgot about those Six side bolts in tight quarters . I disconnected lower RF strut to knuckle bolts and separated outer tie rod from and remove RF axle from knuckle , then removed trans mount bolts at rear of cradle to jack engine up as high as possible on the right side . Got the pan out but figured I needed an extra inch or two of clearance not to booger up the new gasket trying to get pan back in .
            Sub frame bolts are supposed to come out on right side and be loosened on driver side to give you necessary room .Right Rear cradle bolt frozen requiring strategic torch heating , but lower control arm bushing sleeve is seized to bolt and twisted the rubber part out of the lower control arm bushing ruining an otherwise good control arm. The other side I figure Penetrant, tighten a quarter turn to stretch bolt and then loosen in hopes of freeing seized bolt from the bushing collar but the head just snapped off. Luckily I still had the 2 smaller bolts holding the cradle up.
            New bolt for rear of front engine cradle 11518122 only available from GM so far and lists about $42 each ( Come on Dorman your slacking, I'm Saggin and my Azz still burns , lets fill these holes here)
            Attached Files

            Comment

            • Trindaddy
              Senior Member
              • Jan 2010
              • 339

              #7
              Wow, you got lots of will Witsy. Looking at that recovery tank and knowing that motor well makes we worry about the head gaskets or a head crack. I've seen it on these sooo many times. Too late now, but I won't touch these without doing some testing for combustion gases. The 3.4 and the Northstar are at the top of my sh!t list. I wish you luck and love your creative engine hoist.

              Comment

              • Witsend
                Banned
                • Nov 2012
                • 2942

                #8
                Wow, you got lots of will Witsy. Looking at that recovery tank and knowing that motor well makes we worry about the head gaskets or a head crack. I've seen it on these sooo many times. Too late now, but I won't touch these without doing some testing for combustion gases. The 3.4 and the Northstar are at the top of my sh!t list. I wish you luck and love your creative engine hoist.
                After cool down Customer topped off coolant after it ran low and overheated, I didn't smell anything acrid or unusual in the degas bottle, the coolant was still full after he drove over and was blowing good heat. After checking compression was good, I pulled all the rocker arms and put about 120psi of air in all the cylinders, pinched off the vent hoses and didn't get any rise in coolant level or bubbles, so no obvious combustion leaks, so I think head gaskets are ok . I did replace the ECT and T-stat because of a code for insufficient cooling temp , and I verified low and hi speed fan operation with scanner. I think I'm going to get a new degas bottle pressure cap because if not real careful ,they tend to cross thread on the bottle and not really get seated down correctly. Hoping no crack in head (lol)
                Last edited by Witsend; 11-15-2014, 06:58 PM.

                Comment

                • Witsend
                  Banned
                  • Nov 2012
                  • 2942

                  #9
                  Removing broken Cradle bolt on rear left side of cradle

                  I was able to remove the RF bolt off cradle with no problem and just wrestled the RR bolt to the end of it's travel in the captive nut with the rubber crontrol arm bushing rotating inside the bushing sleeve and got the cradle to drop and give me enough clearance to get the pan back on without damage to the new gasket and rtv beads at the four corners. My next problem to overcome was to get the broken bolt and captive nut out of the recess without removing rack and dropping the whole cradle down . I took my air hammer with flat punch and drove the broken bolt with captive nut up about an inch. I removed the outer tie rod, jam nut and rack bellows to gain some working room . Reciprocating Saw and 3 inch cutoff wheel tool would not get in there. It looked like I would have to use the torch and risk fire and brimstone, but I dug out the old Snap On carbide deburring kit put one in the die grinder , took my time letting the bit cool short periods and not get it too hot and burn it up and it eventually worked through the 14mm bolt. After captive nut was off with piece of bolt , drove it out the rest of the way with a punch from the bottom out the top, the Funny thing was is the captive nut untheaded from the broken bolt by hand . Guess just the right side bolt rusted and was seized up in the control arm bushing sleeve and I assumed the left side would be the same where I would break the rubber control arm bushing bond, so I tried to just tighten it a quarter turn before loosening it and ended up snapping the head right off . What a PITA
                  Attached Files

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                  • Witsend
                    Banned
                    • Nov 2012
                    • 2942

                    #10
                    03 Grand Am back with a dead miss

                    Engine Sounds a little more labored then just your typical ignition miss . Pulled a p0300 code, no power balance feature but able to pull up misfire history as a ton of misfires on cylinder #2 . Pulled #2 plug and it appears to have a carbon crack on the ceramic, so I put another plug in it and it still has a dead miss. Spark checks good but since I did the intake gaskets less then a year ago , figured I pull the left valve cover and see if a rocker bolt loosened up. Sure enough the rocker for the intake valve on #2 came out and pulled the aluminum threads of the head out with the bolt. Heli coiled repaired the hole and hopefully fix lasts another 100k. POS , you would think GM make the rocker mounting bolts thread deeper or be at least 10mm in diameter if mounting rockers into to aluminum.
                    Attached Files

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