95DropTop Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 How's this for luck!!! I get my new Convertible and drive it for 2 weeks. Intake leak causing high/erratic idle. Take it to shop, 400.00 to replace the gaskets. Dealership covers the remaining 200.00. Get it back and it is down a quart of oil in 2 days...just thought they forgot to top it off. down another quart in 3 days! Take it in and NOW I have the dreaded distriubtor oil leak. I am so pissed. Mechanic says he cannot just fit an o-ring under the head, so I am stuck pulling the head. Dealership is going to pay another $200 and I am stuck with the remaining $400.00 again! But, I figure that is not too bad a price for having to pull the head and he is going to replace timing belt at no labor, just parts, so I figure another c-note for a belt? does that sound about right for a timing belt? Anyhow, if I had just gotten the oil leak the week before, I would have saved the cost of replacing the lower intake gasket since it would have had to come off anyway with the oil leak. That is the story of my luck! Compared to prices I have read here close to 1200 and 1000.00 for the oil leak, I figure I am coming out about there with the timing belt and both teardowns. Oh well, at least it is a Convertible with only 78k!!! I have many more miles of repairs to pay for ahead. Looking forward. Glad I found this site to help me vent. Oh, and for those who say just squeeze in the o-ring..he charged the same amount when he did just the intake gasket, which he has already done again, so I would still have to pay a few hundred even if I just tried that fix...and if it did not work, pay again. Going to get it done right the second time (since GM screwed it up the first time!!!!) I will let you know how it turns out. Thanks for letting me vent a little. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supreme_style21 Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Welcome to the 3.4 V6. To tabulate labor/replacement costs, take the value of the job for an 'average' car. Multiply it by 26. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian89gp Posted April 22, 2004 Report Share Posted April 22, 2004 Reason #1 why if you own this engine you should work on it yourself (or be rich). Intake gaskets cost $20, the O-ring is $1. If he is replacing the timing belt have him do the idler pulleys and tensioner assembly along with it. And please be sure that the guy times the cams right, the GM instructions are wrong, the banks should be 180* opposed to each other. Also be sure that the head gasket and head bolts are replaced, a lot of places have a nasty habit of re-using that stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95DropTop Posted April 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 yeah, the guy who works at this independent shop was a dealer mech for 3 years....knows the ins and outs of this engine...my luck?!! He and I have talked in detail about what I have learned on this site and he is on the money with what you guys have said. His tool of choice for the cam flats is made of wood with a screw, not 3/4" square tube like mentioned here, but he knows how to use it. So you're saying that he should rotate the engine only 180 instead of 360 while the cams are locked? I will mention that to make sure he knows. Again, this board is by far the greatest asset to owners of our cars! Thanks to all. Thomas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian89gp Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 No, cams turn at half crank speed so 360* crank will give the cams 180*. You do one bank, rotate the engine 360* and then do the second bank. The GM instructions has a typo that says to do both banks at once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93GTP Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 Do the mag-lite o-ring fix. Jeez doesnt anyone improvise anymore? Heh, come to think of it I didn't, I pulled my heads... Ended up actually being a head gasket oil leak too, weird... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
93CutlassSupreme Posted April 23, 2004 Report Share Posted April 23, 2004 sometimes i wish i had the 3.4 for obvious performance reasons, but every time i read a post like this i learn to appreciate my 3.1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White93z34 Posted April 26, 2004 Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 yep, the 3.4 is definately an "enthusist engine". i sorta feel bad for my brother he had to pay out the ass for brakes alone (i woulda done it for him but i was out of town) now his intake gasket is leaky, i'm doin that for him. gona check his timeing belt when i'm down there hopefully its good yet. i love the 3.4, but all i can say is mr. craftsman will become your best friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian89gp Posted April 26, 2004 Report Share Posted April 26, 2004 And Mr. bloody knuckle will be your 2nd best friend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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