Beginning mild rebuild of 3.4

[LakeFXGP96]

Hello everyone. I just got a Z34 with a blown motor and Im looking to build up a new one. I will have two nearly complete motors (1 with no block, 1 with no topend) to make this motor plus any usable parts from the blown motor.

I would like to try and do everything myself, with as little help from a machine shop as possible,. I will be getting an air compressor and a couple die grinders as well as a bench grinder/ polisher.

Other than a honing tool, a guage and torque wrench, What other major tools should i invest in? I have a nearly full metric and many standard nuts, sockets etc and all the other obvious necesities.

Is a really big deal to have a perfectly flat block and flat heads on this motor? or can I just grind them reasonably smooth with a disk on a die grinder and be OK? I;ve done a complete tear down and mild rebuild on a 2.2l and gotten away with using a die grinder on it but this is really different from that motor. If its too risky i wont attempt it but keep in mind I am a perfectionist and wouldnt put this together if i knew i couldnt do it.

if not i've been told i can get the block flattened, the heads flattened and the cylandars honed (not bored) for not very much money, is that true?

I am also thinking I will do a gasket match on the manifolds, plenum and heads. any one do this with just a die grinder? i've heard of ppl using dremels for this purpose but that would be a nightmare IMO.

Only other major change i will do is the exhaust cam retard. Im hoping i can get about 200 WHP out of the motor at the end of this.

[TheProfessor]

RE: Beginning mild rebuild of 3.4

i would say atleast have the block and heads done at the machine shop
even if you can rebuild it yourself

[LakeFXGP96]

RE: Beginning mild rebuild of 3.4

Would you mean just have the flattened and the block honed at a shop or more than that? and what am i looking at for cost? thanks for the help.

[TheProfessor]

RE: Beginning mild rebuild of 3.4

i was talking about having the machine shop do the chekcing and machine work to get everything sqare and flat and cleaning and installing of cam bearings
ill have to look and see what the cost was when in got mine done

[LakeFXGP96]

I have another quick question.. Can anyone recommend a rebuild kit vendor for me? Whos had good luck and with who? I'm thinking I might go with this: http://www.flatlanderracing.com/rebuildkitschevy.html Im thinking the re-ring kit with mains should do the trick for me if i wont need an overbore. $289 for the 3.4 kit, this sound like a good deal and do these guys look legit?

I have two incomplete engine in addition to the blown motor. I have looked inside the blown motor yet and im leaving it alone for a while. Im having the block machined down but the heads are in beautiful condition on one of the motors I just bought, just some carbon buildup to remove on the valves and going to clean and relube the cam and lifters on the cam carriers.

The cylandar walls are a-ok on the good block. but the head surface needs to be cleaned thoroughly so im going to get them machined. cranks looks good but need to check measurements on it. Actually i have two cranks, they both look ok--just need to decide which is better

I will have to do a re-ring and remain only the way things are looking. If i need an overbore obviously i will need pistons and pins too. Probably go for .40 over while im at it., but looks like to me that a hone should do the trick and i will just use a good set of pistons of the 12 (well, 1 I now have. then of course all the gaskets.

[TheProfessor]

if your gonna reuse a crank make sure you measure the journals for taper and out of round

[SappySE107]

Have the block checked out first. You may need it bored over a little, so that will be important to know because then pistons would be required and a different ring set. You can get bearings on ebay for pretty cheap, and rings for .040 over for 37 bucks. For 289 bucks, I would make sure it comes with every gasket and seal...not just the bottom end. There is a complete gasket kit for 150 on ebay right now, lower and upper.

Definetly have a shop deck the block if needed, the heads if needed, and do any cylinder work. You could also have them verify it is a 60V6, and not a 61V6 or 59V6:P

[TheProfessor]

You could also have them verify it is a 60V6, and not a 61V6 or 59V6:P

[LakeFXGP96]

lol.

Yeah im going to plastigauge and check for out of round on everything.

I showed the block to an uncle of mine who used to work at a machine shop. He says i will just need the blocked cleaned up first to know for sure but it looks like a hone should do it for the cylandar walls.

so a gasket set for 150, rings for 31 (gmpartsdirect) and a set of bearings on ebay should do the trick, sounds like that route would be cheaper yet.



i've torn down the blown motor to the heads now to get parts i need off it and document the teardown so i know where everything goes!

[napatiger]

I have pics of my entire teardown of 95 3.4DOHC, if you are interested...
I will try to submit them to the site. I tried to take pics of all the plugs and how things went together.

[LakeFXGP96]

thats cool. I may hit you up if I run into trouble or cant figure out where something goes.

[LakeFXGP96]

Alright ive got a quick heads question if anyone want to take a shot at it. What can i use to really really clean out the intake and exhaust ports of the heads, for that matter the intake in general. Its the typical baked-on greasy EGR gunk. Carb cleaner would work to a degree but takes forever at least on the intake. Is there some sort of head-safe cleaner that should just cut right through this stuff? Im thinking about just blocking off the intake and exhaust EGR somehow. What a horrible idea EGR is.