starting to look like the rumors are true.....

[Toofastgtp]

DOHC engine is a POs....

Started out with water jsut pouring from the water pump area....

get new water pump..holes dont line up.....return it get a different one cool got it on....wow a bolt snapped with about one more full turn to go.....

fill it up and as soon as i add water it starts to pour out the same place bottom are of the pump ....and the bolt that broke off is on the top.......WTF....note also i get a hesitation from a dead stop then the car moves.....is there anyone in the tulsa area that wants to help before i do something crazy....

[SappySE107]

Yeah, its a piece of shit cause you fucked up a bolt.

[pepsi_coke]

[Toofastgtp]

I got the bolt out..no big deal...just had to go thru 3 different water pumpgs to get a gap to seal........and now i think my intake gasket is leaking....what else do i need to look out for with this engine

[SappySE107]

The lower intake gaskets are a problem because of the thick rubber on them. WIth age they get worn out from cold to hot and will start to fail to seal when its cold.

Other things, oil pump drive o ring under the lower intake/rear cylinder. It will leak oil quite a bit when it goes. Also, timing belt needs to be checked. Alternators are also an issue as they don't last that long, 2-3 years has been my average with the 3.1 and the DOHC has the same alternator, just a worse location. Cam timing, the belt will stretch with age and throw your timing off some.

[Anonymous]

what else do i need to look out for with this engine

Well whenever you get cocky about how fast it is, just listen for the clickity clack of a bearing going round and round.

[dbtk2]

Yeah, what Aaron said. He says that from personal experiences.

Shawn

[Anonymous]

I do

[dohcfiend]

i have never had to replace a water pump(knock on wood). but i have taken one off. it didn't seem very hard. as far as maintainence goes other than the timing belt the 3.4 DOHC is no diffrent than any other high mileage gm motor i have worked on. shit breaks dude. my advice to you is get an old datsun what a straight or slant six those things will run forever. and you can ignore maintainence for a long time. i have seen one run with a hole in the block and all i did to the guys car was pull the spark plug wire out of that cylinder. but you are going to run into shit like this on whatever car you buy unless you buy new or take it to the garage.

the top of the 91-94 engines come apart easier than most for me. other than the belt the only other thing i have done that made me curse the very car was replace a high pressure power steering hose. a water pump is nothing compared to that. i have heard the alternator is a real pain but haven't found out(knock on wood again)

i tell you what, go work on a taurus sho with the DOHC v6 and you will realize how good you had it.

[Lyle's GTP]

Agreed, I had to change the intake gaskets on my girlfriends 3100 and that fucking sucked. It was a walk in the park when I did my LQ1's gaskets. It took like 2Hrs instead of 12 and I didn't have to open the engine. Then when you get into water pumps it took me 30 min to change mine out on my front lawn. Next thing, alternators on GM cars suck, period. My alternator in my GTP lasted longer than my girlfriends Malibu. Oh, and as far as the 3800 is concerned, I've talked to guys that have had to change one a year. So, I think that over-all the LQ1 is at the top of the pack when it comes to modern GM V6 engines.

Lyle

[butchville]

trick to the alternator is to throw all the crap inside away except for whats needed like the air diverter since i did i've had the same alternator for five years they run to hot the other way an kill the diodes

[RacerX11]

Did you use a GM replacement waterpump, or some low-cost knock-off made in China from a discount aftermarket parts store? I love it when people blame GM for poorly-made aftermarket parts.

Marty

[SappySE107]

Throw what stuff on the inside away?

[Juglenaut]

Water pumps are pretty universal fit for the 2.8, 3.1, and the 3.4L DOCH.. If I am right these water pumps didn't change on the 3100 or the 3400.

I have replaced 6 or 7 of these on all the GM engines from 2.8 to the DOHC and never had any problems.

If you want a good fit get Standard Brand or Genuine GM. STD brand is made in the USA.

The is a rightway and a wrong way.

[bud36light]

rick to the alternator is to throw all the crap inside away except for whats needed like the air diverter since i did i've had the same alternator for five years they run to hot the other way an kill the diodes

You need to elaborate here dude. Plenty of people wondering here.