95 3.4L DOHC Monte Carlo Crazy Idle Issue

[tincherb]

OK for you guru's...Will a 3.1 cam from a 95 work for the 3.4? This may be a stupid question. The local yard here has a 95 3.1 and he might just sell me the cam. For future reference what would work for that car on the intake cam...only '94-95 3.4l?

[bszopi]

The only cams that will work in a 3.4DOHC are 3.4DOHC cams. The 3.1 is a cam-in-block engine, so it is COMPLETELY different that what you need. This goes for any pushrod engine (2.8, 3.1, 3.4, 3100, 3400, 3500). Sorry...

[tincherb]

So what your saying is the 3.4l is the only DOHC motor?

[SappySE107]

Camaro is pushrod. Only the Grand Prix, Lumina, and Cutlass had the 3.4 DOHC.

I have the cam you need but it is still in the motor and the motor is somewhat buried. Ill see what I can do this weekend to get the carrier off the head.

[tincherb]

Much obliged. There is still a chance the local guy has one. I should know in an hour or so. I'll be sure to post something this evening one way or the other. How much you want for that part? Thanks.

[tincherb]

My local guy only had a motor out of a 96. From what I've learned on here, that one will not work. For future reference, what is the reason?

I finally got the gear off the broke cam. Something is not right with these gears. I think that the last belt job that was done, the person over torqed the cam gear bolts. Combine that with rust in the taper and they just won't move. I'm might have to try heat. I'm not even going to attempt to remove the back cam gears.

[pocket-rocket]

For the record, what method did you use to try to remove the cam gear? I've never heard of a DOHC cam breaking either. That really really sucks, man

[tincherb]

I really tried everything before it broke. I used a lot of PB Blaster over the 2 days I was trying. I tried to wedge out the tapered ring with a chisel/screwdriver, used a puller with some hammer taps to the back side. When it broke I was hitting the backside. It started to mov'n right before it broke as I could see the gear sliding on the back side. I thought I was in the clear. The tapered ring never came out. It broke right at the edge of the machining for the cam sensor pickup where a likely stress riser would be.

To get the other one off, I put channel locks on the tapered ring an sqeezed them as tight as I could get them. Then, I carefully!, tap'd the back side of the gear and the ring easily fell out. IMO, this worked the best! HA! These things were rusted (may or may not be normal) on the shaft. Anyway, its off. I got a nice paperweight in the process!

[pocket-rocket]

Now I'm kind of dreading having to do mine. The engine in the 92 already has that style gear from the PO, and the engine I have on a stand that I would like to put in the 92 has those same style gears since it's a 95... I might take the gears off and put a light film of anti-seize on the shaft this spring...

[SappySE107]

I got the cam carrier off, but managed to round the bolt head for the intake cam. got the exhaust cam out. I will see if the local machine shop can get it off, as I do not have a good tool for it. I should have left the carrier on the motor for doing the cam bolt.

[tincherb]

I got the cam carrier off, but managed to round the bolt head for the intake cam. got the exhaust cam out. I will see if the local machine shop can get it off, as I do not have a good tool for it. I should have left the carrier on the motor for doing the cam bolt.

Send the whole cam carrie!>!>!> I'd throw that whole sucker on if got here.

[SappySE107]

You really should have them all loose to properly set the timing. You at least need the rear cam gears loose for the tensioner to do its job once you release it. I can send it as is but I feel that is almost a waste of time and money when I can probably get it taken care of at the machine shop for a good price and then you can do the job right. May as well try to bust those rears loose, cause i know I can do them on this motor. I don't want much for them, I just want you do to it right. Shipping is the expensive part on a full setup.

[SappySE107]

$50 shipped priority sound ok? I have the cam by itself in a box within a box. If you want the carrier and the cam let me know. They will just increase the shipping costs.

[tincherb]

Sounds good to me. I really appreciate you doing this for me...I know it was a pain. Let me know how to go about paying for it. By the way how many miles is on this engine.

[tincherb]

You really should have them all loose to properly set the timing. You at least need the rear cam gears loose for the tensioner to do its job once you release it. I can send it as is but I feel that is almost a waste of time and money when I can probably get it taken care of at the machine shop for a good price and then you can do the job right. May as well try to bust those rears loose, cause i know I can do them on this motor. I don't want much for them, I just want you do to it right. Shipping is the expensive part on a full setup.

In an attempt to do this the right way I went out and tried to get those gears off. It took all I had to get the bolts out of the cam gear on the intake of the rear head and to this point can't get the exhaust loose! I've decided to spend some time trying to get the cam gear off and am having the same progress I had on the front head. What gives! I have first hand experience in where these cams break and I'm getting dangerously close. I don't konw if the risk is worth the effort. When I put the timing belt on and set the rear cams as they are suppose to be, and put load on the belt to simulate the tensioner, the cams are set right. I don't know why I have to loose'n those gears as long as they are in time with each other when the drive belt load is applied and the tensioner is in action.

I'm convinced the rust and over torqueing has caused this problem. Otherwise there would be a lot more posts like this one.