Question about the infamous 3400 LIMGs

[KingVee]

Hey guys,

I have my eyes on a 2003 GAGT coupe, with the 3400 of course, and I was wondering this:

How much mileage can the engine go through before the LIMGs start to go in normal driving conditions?

The one I am looking at has 93,000 kilometers which is roughly 57,800 miles.


Thanks for your answers in advance.

[Superdave]

my '04 GAGT had 85K on it, original gaskets and never had a problem.

[KingVee]

my '04 GAGT had 85K on it, original gaskets and never had a problem.

WOW, that's convincing! That's about 2 years of mileage for me (to get to 85K), right now.

Although, weren't the gaskets improved starting 04 but would still fail? I think I read that over here, actually. Could be wrong though.

[robertisaar]

AFAIK: the GM gaksets still suck, the fel-pro full metal ones are the way to go.

BTW: my 3100 has 186XXX miles, original LIMG...

[Superdave]

a friend of mine has a 96 Lumina, it had ~150K and It blew a headgasket last year.. he put on new headgaskets but re-used the old LIM gaskets. They held for another few thousand miles and would probably still be working fine but the engine spun a rod bearing. lol

It now has a 94 3100 in it from a Corsica, 140K+ miles and looks to be un-touched.


of course, both cars had regular green coolant in them.

[robertisaar]

of course, both cars had regular green coolant in them.

same here..... except now that i think about it...... i don't think its been changed for 5+ years

[MidnightriderZ24]

AFAIK: the GM gaksets still suck, the fel-pro full metal ones are the way to go.

BTW: my 3100 has 186XXX miles, original LIMG...

um... so you're contradicting yourself.

[robertisaar]

i seem to be in the VERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRY small minority....

supposedly, the coolant is to blame for eating gaskets along with other factors, but i have at LEAST 5 year old coolant in it. the old green stuff, not the dexcool.

[MidnightriderZ24]

i was just sayin

[robertisaar]

i was just sayin

i'm sure, but i'm probably one of the only members on here that still has the original gasket at this mileage/age. and no signs of it leaking yet either.

[Jake91]

my moms 99 ga had a set a 49K and it hasnt had any since and its at 110K now. also between 1999-2002 the limg was made out of a plastic type material. in 2003 the changed it to a metal material so the hold up way longer. correct me if im wrong thats just what i read on a ga forum

[robertisaar]

i was told that even on the 3500s GM was still using shitty ones....

[mfewtrail]

Most 3X00's I've worked on have had the gaskets start to fail around 80K miles. Last one I did LIMG's on had about 94,000 on it since the gaskets were changed(last person that worked on it replaced w/ the cheap fel-pro kit instead of the more expensive "problem solver" kit).

[pocket-rocket]

i was told that even on the 3500s GM was still using shitty ones....

IIRC the 3500 doesn't have coolant going through the LIM. I could be wrong though.

[SappySE107]

It does. Only the VVT 3500 and 3900 got the revised coolant routing. The plastic gaskets will last a while if installed properly but the plastic will not last as long as the metal/rubber. We have been through this discussion though. Its all about averages, not extremes.