[mobileaudio219]

Note: topics surpose to say 96 monte carlo (rebuild kit) I guess I was in a hurry!
I just bought the car (96 monte, 3.1) with a blown intake gasket. I wasnt sure on how long it was driven with water in the oil, so I decided pull the engine and rebuild it (though other than the miss, the engine sounded fine!)

I going to take the bare block and crank to the machine shop, hoping to just have the crank polished, cyl honed, and new cam bearings and freeze plugs installed. I'm going to have the heads redone as well...

What I need is:

Main/rod/cam bearings, rings, oil pump, timing chain, and complete gasket set.

I'm going to reuse the rods/pistons, lifters, pushrods, rock arms, ect... Providing they check out ok...

If nothing else I'd like to try and find a gasket set with the good lower intake gasket...

I'm going to price the parts at the local parts store and through the machine shop, but I'm sure online is going to be cheapest...

Also, do you guys recommend anything else?

Note: my uncle bought an 96 achieva with the 3100 with a blown head gasket and had heads redone and replaced the head/intake gaskets, then drove it 10 miles and it spun a bearing (crank or rod)... So thats why I didnt just want to replace the intake gasket, rather do it once, and do it right...

[95Grand-Am]

I have rebuilt a few of these. Your plan sounds good, They arn't realy that expensive to rebuild. If I remeber right the gasket are the most expensive part. Last time I tried I could not get a complete gasket set, I had to order a conversion set, an intake set, exhuast manifold set, and a head gasket set. Don't forget to get new head bolts. Depending on the mileage and how long you want to last you might just want to have the heads surfaced and cleaned. The heads that I have seen, seem to hold up realy well even with over 100,000 miles on them.

[mobileaudio219]

Originally Posted by 95Grand-Am

I have rebuilt a few of these. Your plan sounds good, They arn't realy that expensive to rebuild. If I remeber right the gasket are the most expensive part. Last time I tried I could not get a complete gasket set, I had to order a conversion set, an intake set, exhuast manifold set, and a head gasket set. Don't forget to get new head bolts. Depending on the mileage and how long you want to last you might just want to have the heads surfaced and cleaned. The heads that I have seen, seem to hold up realy well even with over 100,000 miles on them.

I tore the engine down today, turns out it had a blown head gasket, the lower intake gasket looked like it was already replaced...

I'm hopefully going to be dropping off the crank and bare block off to the machine shop. I'm hoping to just have the crank polished, cyls honed, cam bearings pressed in, and new freeze plugs pushed in... The heads are getting redone as well...

I paid 200 bucks for the car and its pretty nice, and I'm hoping to only have about 800 into the engine rebuilt...

[pocket-rocket]

I think for $200 cops should be knocking down your door for theft. You got a good deal despite the engine needing work. I've always thought you could get a head gasket set for that engine which would come with (from my experience with head gasket sets) head gaskets, intake gaskets, exhaust mani gaskets, and all other gaskets from the TB to the cylinders, including injector o-rings. Then you would need a conversion gasket set for the bottom end (I have no idea why they are called conversion gasket sets).

Conversion gasket set (bottom end) - $32.99

Head gasket set; 1st Design; w/Ball & Pivot rocker arms; w/o Push rod guides on int. gskt. - $164.99

Head gasket set; 2nd Design; w/Roller rocker arms; w/Push rod guides on int. gskt. - $164.99

Rear main seal - $19.99

Cam bearings - $18.99

Rod bearing set - $14.99

Main bearing set - $33.99

Timing chain set - $39.99

Head bolt set - $32.99

And in case you wanted new rings:

Piston rings - $121.99

Someone on this board (3400modified?) had checked into SBC cam bearings, but I don't know of those would benefit you in a stock rebuild type application. Maybe he will chime in on that option.

[mobileaudio219]

Thanks!

I talked to the machine shop this afternoon, I might get the parts through him..

I'm taking the block in monday to get it cleaned, honed, new cam bearings and freeze plugs installed...

The crank is getting polished, and the heads are getting down...

I didnt get out there until about 5pm, so he's going to call monday and give me a price on the pieces I need, he said he can probably beat the part stores by about 20%...

I might go ahead and have him assemble the short block and put the heads on if its not going to cost a whole bunch extra...

[mobileaudio219]

Ok, so I got some prices...

Machine work: Blocked cleaned, new freeze plugs, new cam bearings, crank polished, heads redone.

Parts: Rod/Main/Cam bearings, oil pump, rings, timing chain, complete gaskets set (all seals/gaskets), head bolts, ect.

The rest of the parts (rods, pistons, wrist pins, rockers, push rods, cam) will all be checked to make sure they dont need replaced (doubtful.)

It's going to cost right around 800 bucks for everything... The rings are expensive, I forgot exactly how much, but over 100 bucks, but while I'm there...

I'll probably go ahead and go this route, if I do (rather than getting a used engine) I'm going to keep the car for a very long time..

When the car is back together I'll probably have right around 1,100 into the car when its done (including the price of the car itself.)