It finally runs, but...

[Danspeed1]

Hello,

After a year of working on my 95 Z34 Monte, I finally got it running yesterday. I am sure I did everything correctly as per what i read on the forum and what the manual told me to do. Still, I am slightly disappointed in the performance of the vehicle.

I did a timing belt installation. I lined up everything correctly,... spun the engine around a few times and everything still lined up.

This is the situation... Car runs and idles around 900RPM consistently. The rpm does not fluctuate on the gauge, its steady. Yet the car sounds like every once in a while its missing slightly during idle. From the rear, it almost sounds like a 350 with a very mild cam. Also the powerband. It drives normally as it did before, but when you hammer it from a dead stop it feels slugish... somewhere around 4000RPM the engine really starts to kick in and you can fell it pull hard but before 4000RPM it seems like its kind of struggling at WOT. Is this normal performance for this engine or am I missing something....

Dan

[A_Manke]

Mine as never idled really smoth, same as yours. But mine doesnt feel slughish at all, hammer mine from a dead stop and it jumps, nice smoth power all the way up. Maybe you got some old gas in it cumming things up try the usual suspects, fuel filter, fuel Injection cleaner, maybe even blast some carb cleaner in it, spark plugs, plug wires. It could be the timing still but if you are sure its right them move on to other things and see if any of it helps out.
Sorry not much help, still learning on this wierd motors myself.

[Danspeed1]

I won't discount the fact that it could use a tune up.... it has been sitting for a year now, outside. But it pulls hard up top, the low end is just slugish which is why i am wondering what the deal is.

DG

[A_Manke]

Hmmm Well maybe i would look at the timing again, have looked at the vaccum lines,EGR valve, PCV valve, of you had it pulged in to check for codes? Just trying sum ideas here.

[OldSkoolGP]

No, you timed it right. All 3.4s I have ever seen have what sounds like a occasional miss at idle when you do stock timing. It's just somethine inherent to the cams. The only way I've seen to get a smoother idle is to do the 6/6 timing. That's what I run on mine and I've never heard a smoother 3.4 idle.

[Danspeed1]

No, you timed it right. All 3.4s I have ever seen have what sounds like a occasional miss at idle when you do stock timing. It's just somethine inherent to the cams. The only way I've seen to get a smoother idle is to do the 6/6 timing. That's what I run on mine and I've never heard a smoother 3.4 idle.

Sea Foamed it today,... changed the oil, filled the tank with 93 Octane (I only had 1/4 of a tank before), and let it run in the driveway for about a 1/2 hour. After a half hour the idle finally smooth out and it accelerates more smoothly, but it still has no balls under 4000 RPM. Whatever, at least its running good.

As for the 6/6 Timing, I read up on it a little but I think for now I am just going to drive the car, I don't want to push my luck.

DG