3.4 DOHC rebuild for z34

[hypedz34]

What exactly would i have to do for the rebuild?What exactly do i have to get.i kno u have to get gaskets and things like thgis but do you have to get whole new pistons also like i'v been hearing lately??Also do they sell a rebuild kit for my engine and if they do where at??Any help is greatley appreciated!!

[HayesPerformance]

With all honesty, ANY Engine build, requires ALOT of time, tools needed and unless your careful it can cost a good chunk of change.

I thought I'd mention this to you so you realize what your getting into.

You would be much cheaper and save a ton on time just getting a used, low km engine...

[HayesPerformance]

OR a crate engine.....

[hypedz34]

ok thank you,but im not trying to build a whole new engine i would just like to rebuild mine though.is their any way to just do that or does what you said apply to this too?i kno its not going to be cheap also

[HayesPerformance]

What problems are you having with your old engine? Or Why are you wanting to rebuid it?

[hypedz34]

im not really having any major problems with it i just want to rebuild it to restore the little bit of horsepower i lost from all the miles it has on it.it has about 158xxx miles on it.i would like to rebuild it for dependability and i would like to hook up some nitrous later on down the road along with other mods.other than that theirs nothing wrong with the engine it still runs pretty strong.only problems is that it has an oil leak and according to my teacher it needs an oil pan gasket and an transmission gasket or something like that.

[jmgtp]

Probably not the oil pan leaking. With those kind of miles it is more likely the distributor plug o-ring leaking and the oil is just dripping down the engine so it looks like the oil pan gasket. At 120k mine wasn't leaking but I replaced it when I had the heads off and it had hardened to the point of a brittle plastic and crumbled apart when I tried to remove it.

[HayesPerformance]

Clean all the oil off your engine with a good degreaser and pressure washer and see where you get fresh oil leaking from.

With all honesty, you will have oil leaks from more then one location and will have oil sweating out from some of the seals/gaskets.

Not to say the engine will be bad.

I have myself a 3.4 DOHC that was babied since it was new, ALWAY had the maintaince regularly done and with over 300 MILES on it and I COULD NOT BELIEVE how excellent it ran. But that is the case with many engines/vehicles WHEN they are properly taken care of.

If that engine has been taken care of, it will probably be in good shape inside....

[hypedz34]

ok thank you.nut how would i go about cleaning the engine with the degreaser?i just spray it on top of the engine and then pressure wash it off?

[jmgtp]

That's the general idea but keep in mind these cars are getting old and the weather-proof connectors may not all be so weather proof anymore. I'd take care to cover up electronics. You won't be able to see the distributor plug drive without at least pulling the plenum off. To get a clear view the lower intake might need to come off too. To REPLACE the o-ring would require pulling the rear head but others have used sealants and such to stop the bleeding without pulling the head. Expect to get water down the spark plug 'tubes' as well which can cause misfiring until it steams off.

I avoid using engine degreasers/pressurized water to clean the motor since it can potentially cause more harm than good. Most people probably use it without a problem though. I prefer simple green and a rag but if you have oil spray everywhere that won't help you identify a leak.

Your oil pan gasket could certainly be bad and the source of your leak - BUT the dist plug o-ring is a common leak on these engines and many mechanics will confuse the source of the leak as a rear main seal or oil pan gasket.

[hypedz34]

thanx for the help.i'll do this as soon as possible.do i do it to the bottom of the engine s well or just the top?

[hypedz34]

Ok thanx but how would i go about rebuilding the engine??

[jmgtp]

Ok thanx but how would i go about rebuilding the engine??

Don't take this the wrong way, but if you're asking that question you should go about a rebuild by by taking it to an experienced mechanic and shelling out a ton of cash for him to do it. Again, don't take this the wrong way - just being honest with you - but reading your posts it seems like you are new at this without much experience and a rebuild is very much outside of your skill range.

[HayesPerformance]

The tools, parts and time WILL cost a lot...

Rebuilding a engine isn't the where you want to be starting if you don't know a lot about auto mechanics.

Start with much smaller jobs on your grand prix.

[hypedz34]

Thanx but actually I'm surrounded by mechanics also I'm taking an automotive class now.I know a good little bit about cars but still learning and trying to find out as much as I can learn.also I have mechanics that can do and at the same time teach me how to rebuild the engine.so in a way I have a guide lol.but yea ithats why I was wondering how I would go about rebuilding it.tools time and experiance is not an issue.just need to know how to go about rebuilding.like if they make a rebuild kit for the engine