I love the video, but GM did not purposely design the engine to be noisy like that. There is definetely a problem. GM would put a quiet less durable engine way before a noisy one that lasted forever. My mothers car makes similar noise with here 3100. It only has 60,000 miles on it. I have noticed coolant in the oil a little from the crappy intake gaskets. I believe the noise is from the lifters.
I got 185k plus on my 3.4 and now just having to put new valves in.Think I will go ahead and put a new chain and thermostat in as well ! Funny thing , oh yea the head gasket looks great? Huh? Whats up with that. And to make matters worse, I used Dex-cool from day 1!
GM has updated pistons to fix that problem, you replace piston 1-4. I have replaced many pistons for this problem and have never had a come back. These engines should NOT have that load of a noise, only some light push rod tick.
This 3.1 is actually a 2.8 block.... I can't remember if it's longer stroke, or bigger bore to make it a 3.1, but it is a 2.8 block, infact, right under the exhaust manifold cross over pipe, theres a silver round cover in the block, it's a cap blocking the original design of the 2.8 distributor shaft.
I read that you replaced intake gasket at 60M.The ticking you hear was caused from coolent getting in the oil and causing wear in the rod bearings.The leaking intake gskt. is to blame for the ticking noise.
This is an EXTREMELY well maintained car, by my self. Oil is changed every 3k miles, tranny flushed every 30k, and pan dropped every 60k. In this vid, you hear a mix of piston slap and lifter tick. When I replaced the lower intake gasket, I should of replaced all 12 lifters as well, as recommended, but I didn't. That's all it is.
I've had these engines for years and use super unleaded, oil change every 5K and add Krex graphite lubricant from the Cadillac dealer, change coolant ever 50K, these engines have never made this noise for me and I drove each one to 200K before I sold them.
duh your lifter is fucked it has nothing to do with any insulation in the block take care of your car better only thing bad on these motors is steel block and aluminum heads thats why i done alot of head gaskets on 3.1 3.4 an the 3.8 do a lifter job you wont hear it anymore
I hear more lifter in this case myself. Piston slap is not very common in my opinion on 3.1,3.8,.3.4,. However Jeeps do have a bit of issue with slap. GM cars are so easy to work on a complete idiot can work on them. I have had problems such as Head Gaskets,Lower Intake Gaskets but i have yet to work on one with piston slap. Good Luck
i had a 2003 chev malibu with the 3.1 litre v6 it would make only one noise and that sounded like a leaking vaccume pump i could never find out what it was plus it had the fuel consumption of a zz572 chev for some reason. i thought it was a lemon so i got rid of it and bought a 1989 cadillac fleetwood sedan that car is 10 times better on gas with a 4.5 litre v8 than the chev 3.1 v6
@89cadillacfleetwood There is no vacuum "pump" on these. Theres stuff run off the vacuum lines, like brake bosster, egr, fuel pressure regulator, etc etc. You probably had a vacuum leak or bad egr. Both would cause shitty mileage.
ill tell you what this guys lifters obviously are fucked so its really noisy. All 3.1L's are a little noisy on cold starts but once at operating temperature and the oil has circulated they are very quite and efficient. My 97 has nearly 410,000 miles on it and my buddy has a 98 with over 350000 miles so if you maintain them they are great and can last. Mazdas are small little women cars, they sound gay, look gay, etc. Fuck you kidcarter314 bitch mazda blows the japanese dicks hard and always will
ill tell you what everything you say is bull shit these motor are garbage, its a knocking, slow, none fuel efficient piece of shit, they barely last 100,000 miles the intake gaskets and the coolant system sucks also once they knock its no good....my mazda has 230,000 miles and it don't do that shit GM is shit
@KidCarter314 My Cavalier Z24 has a 3.1 with over 250K on it. I even beat the shit outta it since before 200K miles and it just now started knocking. I've redlined it time after time after time. Spanked V8 camaro's and many many shitbox ricers. Don't be talkin shit bout something you know nothing about.
Mr hondaelsinore1974 I just dusted a Honda accord with my 94 Jeep cherokee.
BTW.....You want rice with that Jap Crap!
This guy is a typicial angry rice burner owner. Of course he hates USA cars. lol
Look "hondaelsinore1974" You can tell all of your honda buddies, its the CORN in you gas that clogs those injectors and causes the slow take offs......(:.......Jeeps!.
I've always known "knocking" and "ticking" to be two separate things. Knocking would be bad because your piston head is making contact with the valves. Ticking would be a sign of a need to change the oil, add oil, normal valve chatter, and various other things. I have a Chevy Colorado 05 with a 3.5L I5 engine. It has ticked from day one, but I've never had any problems.
I have this same engine. It had cylinder pressure loss so I had it rebuilt. I had driven it for about 50 miles. I was stupid enough one morning to take my bro to work and push my car. I hit about 80 miles/hour going up a hill. I noticed that the thermostat never fluctuated when I pushed it but when I got home it was making a knocking sound and now it always make that sound once I start it. any suggestions?
@bonderman2007 Appreciate the reply dude. I will have to get a compression gauge as I am not a mechanic but I know someone from whom I can get one. And It knocks during Idle and with Throttle. Thanks
@nickzambrano Don't mean to be the bringer of bad news, but if it knocks during idle and acceleration, it's really possible that it's a spun/worn bearing or piston pin. Does it miss at all?
@bonderman2007 I guess it was to much stress on a freshly rebuilt engine ha. Its cool I'll just get it rebuilt again but treat it more carefully. Nope it runs smooth just has a knock. Appreciate the info.
So I guess I am the only one that has a 3.4l THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL when it is cold started?
Look thats fine if you really want to be that narrow.:)
But all my fluids are A ok no leaks..and this so called " intake gaskets have failed, and coolant from the coolant ports is weeping into the engine & mixing with the engine " crap is just that.
How do you get 180k plus on an engine with that going on?
I see nothing but honey on the dip stick! No leaks..................and pure hp!
I had a '95 Buick LeSabre Ltd. (Im in Canada) and it was when I was doing around 80km on the highway when the bushings gave way and the motor literally fell to the ground and made me crash into a traffic island, however I love Buicks for the towing power and definitely the room. I now have a '01 Century that I bought off someone from thh states and it makes the tick tick clakin noise too.I brought it to dealers who poured some thick liquid solution for the lifters but it didn't do a thing.
Just a quick question for you. Did you ever eat DeCon when you were a kid? Do you still eat it? If Garbage Motors sold cars that sounded like that when new we auto parts people would not have jobs because there would be about 75% less parts sales per monthwithout GM! And if you have a 3.1 that makes 400K miles you'd better write to GM for your fucking plaque Mr. Rogers!!!!
Perhaps if this guy would just admit that he is wrong, we can all quit beating up on him? Although I've responded a lot on this topic, I'm really not enjoying this. I just can't stand it when people spread BOGUS information, as it creates a stupider world. And believe me, there's a lot of real dense people out there! Peace.
I am an ASE certified mechanic. The noise in the video IS NOT PISTON SLAP! Piston slap is a low but noticeable tick. The noise in this video was a lifter or a a loose rocker arm...This guy is a moron
@buckwheet101: Very basic, yet mostly correct assesment. The lifters aren't pumping up due to the fact that the intake gaskets have failed, and coolant from the coolant ports is weeping into the engine & mixing with the engine oil. We all know that water in the oil is never a good thing. Well, guess what's lubing the lifters? Yep, that oil/coolant mix. Thus, the improper "pumping-up" of the lifters, and the racket that you hear is the slapping of the lifters into the pushrods/camshaft lobes.
I'm a level 2 of 3 Auto mechanic apprentice with 4 years experience working in a shop, and i've been wrenching on cars since the age of 7....... need I say more?
@IDIDieselJohn: PLEASE... Say NO MORE. You are so full of shit, it's painful! Since we are throwing credentials around... I'm a 36 yr old Master Technician. Been around all types of cars, trucks, tractors, equipment since a child as well. I also have 2 college degrees, and have been a professional technician for over 17 years now. I've fixed HUNDREDS of these GM cars, and have owned and currently still OWN several of them. Hmmm, I wonder who knows more about this subject????
Piston slap? Someone needs to slap you with a piston. Tight tolerances is what keeps an engine running smooth. You need to go back to working on schwinns and leave the engines to those with half a brain which is half a brain more dan you got.
My name is Johnny Nunez. I'm 22 years old and i recently purchased a 2000 Oldmobile Intrigue with a 3.5L Twin Cam and I'm located in Los Angeles, California. Keep me posted cause this is very interesting.
This SuperTurboDiesel2 dude has looked at too much porn imo. I own a Olds with that 3400 and with 200 k miles on it I can will peel to tires on a dry start! Amsoil and GM approved COOLANT keeps this jimmy tight! This engine sounds like a diesel when started. But after a few min, you can't hear anything but the hiss of belts. Why do people like to make a complete ... of themselves? peace.
@MrTwinsrule: Why do you keep obsessing about Porn? Are you 12 years old? I ask, because that is exactly how you are acting! Like a know-nothing, smart-assed 12-year old little cocksucker. Grow up bud, and get your hands outta your pants, you little whacker doodle!
My 3400 has piston slap when it's cold but it's barely audible and goes away long before full operating temp, something is very wrong with that engine.
glad I take good care of my 95 buick century cause I only hear a light ticking when I 1st start my car after not driving it for about 8+ hours but when it's cold I need to wait till it gets to normal temps,and btw my car is at 168k
I'm not completely sure, but I recall reading something about the 60-degree V6's where that knocking noise is explained by a slightly loose piston pin...
That sounds like lifter noise to me. First of all, an engine does not need to be totally warm to operate normally. The hardest part for any engine is cold start emissions. Poor piston fitting will create blow-by in the crankcase, diluting the oil, as well as producing a rougher idle and increased cylinder wear. You neglected to realize the engine is also made of metal, which will expand as well. Your video has very little factual merit, I suggest you do some homework.
From what your saying, you haven't done any research either. Most engines, and these, the block is made of cast iron (steel), now all pistons are made of aluminum.... now, aluminum expands much more, and much quicker then iron. Witch proves my theory right. But you are right of one thing, this engine does have lifter noise witch is mostly what you hear in this, but it does have piston slap when cold only. Once warmed up, very quiet, other than a tick tick tick that sounds like a lifter or 2.
@IDIDieselJohn There was a service bulletin from GM for this one the 3100's in the late 90's. I knew of a couple people that were able to get the pistons replaced under warranty and the bulletin due to this. So it is a known problem.
@slowcivic2k NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYY BRO............... NOT A PISTON SLAP UR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LIFTER STICKING ..DROP SOME MYSTERY OIL IN DER AND UR GOOOOOOOODDDDDD
IF IT WAS A PISTON SLAP U WUD HAVE BEEN STOPPED DRIVING IT....TAKE THIS VIDEO DOWN UR MISLEADING PEOPLE
@ALWAYSJAMMIN23: You're response is kinda retarded, but at least you are mostly correct. LOL! BTW, Mystery Oil is just that, it's a MYSTERY. It's also a FARCE, aka, snake oil! Don't waste your money on that shit. Fix your car the right way.
OK he is right about letting the engine warm up most people don't do this anymore. And what the sound he has in that Engine is that one of the push rods have come loose and knocked a hole in a lifter that is what you hear banging off of the top of the engine. I had a Chevy Corsica that done just that and that is what it was. Remove the top part of the engine and either reset this part or replace it and check all of your lifters that is the culprit had it happen to me.
@IDIDieselJohn On my account, I got a video posted on my account with access via link. So I'm guessing that I may have problems with mine (2000 Pontiac Grand AM GT with 3.4L V6 with 210K miles on it). Here is the link to the video of the engine running, and it has warmed up already. When starting up, it sounds ok, without any tapping sounds.
this happened on my 97 century after replacing the lower manifold gasket turns out one of the rockers ripped out so my question is, is there a way to glue the bolt back to the head or should i just replace the head?
loose piston? really sure its not rockers and push rods a loos piston would wear some nasty groves in the cylinder walls . pistons dont expand RINGS DO
well lifter noise may b normal on a3.1 or 3.4, but in no way is this normal. piston slap has never happened to any of my 3.4s or 3.1s. i have 1 in my drive with 140,xxx. drive it every day. n have owned a shit load more. ive worked on about 10 of these motors. not 1x have i heard this "piston slap" on a healthy motor. ive heard it on a few motors, n they died about a month later lol. u can have all the paper saying u know what u doin, but this is complete garbage u telling.
1.5 mil on 1994 lumina van with 3.1 (ALL ORIGINAL) and its made that knock at 126000.and my 1995 olds wagon does that.....im not worried about the knock at all
It's one of those "quarks" particular to this design. Everybody out there thinks every car should be as quiet as a Lexus LS400. If you don't like it buy a different model already.
bro your car has problems cause i have a 2001 buick lesaber with a 3500 and mine doesnt nock when its cold. and i have a 98 lumina with a 3400 and a buick centry with 3100 and they dont tick either. so your car has a problem bro
@lHustonProductionsl you're claiming to be more knowledgeable than @MrRahimhosein because you've worked on 5 of these engines? He's a grand master tech you're a weekend mechanic. sit down and shut up.
The hydraulic lifters in my Volvo 850 do the exact same thing if I let it sit for a few days, all I have to do is drive it a little (to lubricate them), and it stops.
@lHustonProductionsl i am a 9 year gm grand master tech who has worked on alot of these engines, i work at a gm dealership, the information this person is stating is true, ask any dealer technician or call gm. you obviously are closed minded and think you know it all, go to school instead of learning everything on the internet.
@lHustonProductionsl actually you are and IDIOT sir. piston slap is normal for the engine for the first 90 seconds, any longer than that is and indicator of worn components, once the engine is warmed up the pistons expand and the components get tighter. so try going to school to be a mechanic instead of learning everything from the internet.
SuperTurboDiesel2 is very much correct. Cause of problem is that damn intake gasket. I need to replace mine before it goes bad. How do you know when it actually does go bad? Coolant level is good and I check it every week because I'm nervous of this problem!
@TheBjohnrussell: Well if it's any consolation, you usually have a little time before the ticking severity becomes a problem. Actually, if you just replace the intake gaskets well in advance, (and keep your engine oil changed regularly with 5w-30 oil as recommended) you usually will never have the problem at all. As I recall, changing the intake gaskets will take around 3 - 4 hours, and that's if you kinda know what you are doing. (It can be done faster, it can be done slower - obviously.)
@TheBjohnrussell: You know when it's bad because of 2 "early warnings". You will start hearing a "light to moderate" ticking sound coming from one or two lifters, that will be prevalent on start up and usually go away. As time progresses, the ticking will linger longer, and sometimes never go completely away while the engine is running as those lifters are getting "ruined" slowly. (Kinda like bad teeth, they don't all just rot and fall out at once, they tend to go bad one or a few at a time.)
@TheBjohnrussell: So... the other "early warning" is not really that early. Usually you have "ignored" the ticking sounds for a while (months or even years possibly) and suddenly you start noticing that your coolant level is dropping or you car may even begin to start overheating kind of out of the blue. Well, that's because the intake gasket has completely failed, and now the coolant is really getting sucked into the engine. I have a 1998 Lumina right now with exactly this problem.
@TheBjohnrussell: The Lumina continued to use coolant for about a month (at the rate of about 1/2 to 1 gallon per week of daily driving) before trashing the lifters. Now I have a big, expensive repair mess, that sounds just like this guy's Buick. It will need (at minimum) all new lifters, intake gaskets, and coolant. The parts alone are going to run around $300 bucks, because 12 lifters ain't cheap, and the gasket kit is stupid expensive as well.
@TheBjohnrussell: If I were you, I'd keep around $600 - $700 in a savings account for "insurance" for when you need the major repair done. (Most people wait too long & have the bigger bill to deal with.) If you replace the intake gaskets well in advance (prior to ANY ticking), you may be able to save about $200 - $300 in parts & labor. Minor ticking can be resolved by replacing only the suspected bad lifters, but it can be difficult to do sometimes, & you can't really afford to repair it twice.
I am a 35 year old certified mechanic with first hand experience with this issue. I don't give a rat's ass what some worthless GM bulletin said that you read in the past. The proof is in reality. The reality is that I know exactly what I'm talking about, based on real-world, first-hand experience. The ticking sounds generated by these V-6 engines are NOT caused by piston slap - PERIOD.
HOWEVER... you should also inspect your cam bearings when you do the lifters as well, to see if they have also been damaged. Typically they will be fine. But, I've seen some engines where people kept replenishing the lost coolant & kept driving for some time. Eventually, the coolant leaking into the engine oil will also ruin the cam bearings, as well as the crank/rod bearings, leading to an inevitable rebuild or replacement of the engine. With the "ticking", continued operation is destructive.
So... basic parts required to fix the issue are as follows: 1.) New hydraulic lifters. You should plan on replacing all 12 of them, because it's nearly impossible to figure out which ones are bad (noisy) and which aren't. (Besides, by the time most people get to doing the repairs, they are all shot anyhow.) 2.) An intake gasket kit. 3.) A couple of gallons of Antifreeze/Coolant. 4.) 5 qts of 5w-30 oil. 5.) A new oil filter. New lifters most likely cure all of the noise. More to follow...
Furthermore, as I said earlier, the "ticking" noise is the hydraulic lifters not pumping up and are slapping into the valves & cam lobes rather than riding smoothly on them as they should with adequate oil flow & pressure. Water (coolant) intermixed in the engine oil is most often the culprit of this issue. I know this to be a 100% fact because I have fixed literally hundreds of these engines. I also OWN 3 of them and have already fixed 2 so far and they are still going strong. More to follow...
YOU DON'T KNOW what the f*ck you are talking about! REMOVE THIS VIDEO, IMMEDIATELY as YOU ARE WRONG! The "ticking" sound is NOT normal, but it IS a commonly known issue on many of GM's V-6 engines, particularly the 3.1L and 3.4L engines. The sound is from the hydraulic LIFTERS and is NOT piston slap or any other bull-shit. What happens is that the INTAKE gaskets fail and coolant leaks into the engine oil. The result is failure of the valve lifters, leading to the ticking sound. More to follow...
Listen, all i'm taking about in this video of from what i've read on a bulletin Released by GM. I don't even find this normal my self! But hey, it's been doing this for 4 yeas now, nothing has changed, performance, power/mpg is all there, engines runs nice and smooth, doesn't shake, or doesn't vibrate when you put your hand on it. And this noise goes COMPLETELY away once warmed up! You can literally be standing next to the car and won't even realize it's running.
So quit wasting your time here, I am not removing it, I could actually cancel commenting, but LOL i'm never going to do that, it's fun to read everyone arguing on here to one another and to me.
@IDIDieselJohn: I'm not wasting my time here. I'm merely trying to prevent the people that view your video from getting stupider. I know you could cancel commenting, but because you don't, that shows that you actually are more intelligent than you originally came across, and that is a good thing. Perhaps you could make a new video where you actually FIX that car, and then show it and say... well, I'll be damned... SuperTurboDiesel2 was right, and well, the people at GM are a bunch of rats!
@IDIDieselJohn: LOL - boy, I know the feeling! I actually had today off for New Year's. Amen for that, as I sure needed a break. Back to the 'ol grind tomorrow though.
@IDIDieselJohn: Yep, and if you replace the lifters & intake gaskets, and change your engine oil regularly, you will no longer hear any ticking. The parts you will need will run you around $300+/- at your local Auto Parts store. Takes about 5-6 hrs to do the job, possibly more if you haven't done it, & less if you have. Don't believe everything you read. Just because someone releases a bulletin, doesn't mean it is factual. GM was covering-up to prevent hundreds of thousands of warranty claims.
Yeah haha, that's what I figured to, wouldn't be the first time GM, or hell even Ford has done silly things like that to cover up potential costs. I've done the gasket my self, wasn't to bad, but looking back at it, should of done the lifters as well since I was in there, oh well, it doesn't bother me. I take extremely good care of my vehicles, oil is changed every 5k km (3k miles), and front end is greased every oil change.
@IDIDieselJohn: Yeah, you'll most likely get away with the racket for quite a while. I did with my slightly "ticky" 1998 Lumina up until recently. Apparently the intake gasket finally has gotten really bad, pushing too much coolant into the oil, because most of the lifters are not pumping up like they should. The thing sounds like a box of rocks being shaken when it's running, and boy does it sound terrible! Luckily, I have another vehicle to drive, so the Lumina sits 'til I find some the time.
@SuperTurboDiesel2 let me know about your intake gasket through youtube messages, my lower one just started fucking up and i took the car in yesterday. it's leaking out all of the coolant that i put in it. so let me know if you find anything out
@bloodynuggets: That's because it's NOT piston slap. Read my comments and I go into detail as to what it REALLY is. The guy that posted this video doesn't have a clue what the hell he is talking about.
@stydel311 The reason they have piston slap when cold, at least in the later models, is GM changing from cast to alloy pistons for the newer model years. They run A LOT more spark advance to up the power and economy, so cast pistons wouldnt cut it any more due to the increased potential for detonation. They also have smaller skirts for reduced weight. To prevent issues, the best thing to do is to take it easy on the engine when its cold, and give it time to come up to operating temp.
the 3.1 is a really good engine, ive had 94 95 and 96 cars with this engine and never heard a noise at all from the engine. my brother just bought a 96 oldsmobile cutlass supreme with 193,000 miles with the 3.1 and has no sounds what so ever.
Boo Hoo you bunch of pussies. Whoa 3100s are a little loud when you start them up but once at operating temperature theyre prime as it gets. I get 30 mpg on the highway with my lumina and its definitely one of the fastest cars on the road at nearly 15 years old. This week I just rolled past 330 000 miles on my original 3100 sfi engine. My car has never had a problem or failing component despite having been in two highway collisions. Learn how to drive and do preventative maintenance bitches
I have a 96 Olds Cutlass supreme. It makes this sound when it starts up cold and stops after a minute or so....soon as oil circulates/warms up. My understanding is that it is related to Piston wrist pins, perfectly normal for these and has no afftect on performance and efficiency. Excellent fast runner, Love it! "180,000 MILES"
From what i know piston slap is NOT good at all..... and does wonders on cylinder walls .... either way im not gonna argue ..... all i have to say is that the 3.1L is a P.O.S motor. My moms has it in her 96 grand prix and I've touched everything on the motor im currently in the process of rebuilding it because it snapped the camshaft in half ... I've never seen anything like it but it happened
IDIDieselJohn. did you drink GM's Bailout laced coolaid and eat the brownies?
Any sound of rapping or ticking means that GM F%$ked everyone and got away with it. Ever wonder why this engine is no longer built? Try 6 years ago were the last ones...
@lHustonProductionsl I know that these 3100's are prone to that piston slap sound due to its design. My grand prix is a 1 owner car, with 83k and the car was babied its entire life, the few facts he brought upo in his video were very valuable to people who are not like you and I that have experience with engines and cars. If I didnt know any better id say that 3100 is shot.. once it warms up sound goes away engine always runs great... Great info video
@lHustonProductionsl YOUR WRONG...If you Payed attention to what he said " THIS ENGINE APPLIES TO the 3100 and select GM engines...Hes right, My 3100 in my grand prix does the same thing...
Guess all other car makers never figured this out but they still get just as much life out of their motors. Oh, and they are quiet all the time. A brilliant design to engineer the piston smaller than the cylinder to allow for temp. expansion? Well if it is any other way the engine will seize.
I have a '98 Monte Carlo with the 3.1L engine......and I've never heard the pistons slap...ever. Actually it has nearly 100k miles on the odometer and the engine idles as smoothly as it did when new.
I own a GM vehicle with a 3.4L engine. I have put all 218k miles on this car and have had only one problem with it. The intake gaskets blew around 100k, and apparently is common because of poor quality OEM gasket. I replaced it with an aftermarket FelPro gasket. The problems you are talking about are normally caused by people who do not maintain their vehicles properly.
had a 3.8 same problem in the morning, got rid of it by using oil additives(Marvel) and changing the oil regurlaly..it's been 6 months and no noise+ Fx@k gm never again too many problems with the POS
@Robearwgl: A 3.4L mated to a rwd? I don't believe so. Why would you want one anyhow? A 4.3L RWD would be a much better choice anyhow, and there are lots and lots of those around. Blazers/Jimmys, etc.
I have question for you guys. I have a 2003 Malibu with that same engine in it. If it is piston slapping, how do the rings keep compression? I don't get this whole theory at all. BTW My wife overheated the damn thing and both head gaskets are blown, now I have fix that.........yeah, fun for me.
I love the video, but GM did not purposely design the engine to be noisy like that. There is definetely a problem. GM would put a quiet less durable engine way before a noisy one that lasted forever. My mothers car makes similar noise with here 3100. It only has 60,000 miles on it. I have noticed coolant in the oil a little from the crappy intake gaskets. I believe the noise is from the lifters.
beauchot78 1 day ago
okay seriously, is the noise in this video the valve train or the pistons?
beauchot78 1 day ago
I got 185k plus on my 3.4 and now just having to put new valves in.Think I will go ahead and put a new chain and thermostat in as well ! Funny thing , oh yea the head gasket looks great? Huh? Whats up with that. And to make matters worse, I used Dex-cool from day 1!
MrTwinsrule 5 days ago
GM has updated pistons to fix that problem, you replace piston 1-4. I have replaced many pistons for this problem and have never had a come back. These engines should NOT have that load of a noise, only some light push rod tick.
stsid1 5 days ago
No good Engines Gm.
bendecido78 2 weeks ago
i have a 96 buick regal and i have the 3.1... mine never does that...
simplepersons123 2 weeks ago
these engines are bulletproof if maintained great improvment from the gm 2.8l
RedResurrections 3 weeks ago
This 3.1 is actually a 2.8 block.... I can't remember if it's longer stroke, or bigger bore to make it a 3.1, but it is a 2.8 block, infact, right under the exhaust manifold cross over pipe, theres a silver round cover in the block, it's a cap blocking the original design of the 2.8 distributor shaft.
IDIDieselJohn 3 weeks ago
Comment removed
mrdestoryit 1 month ago
When did they change Engine to Ingine???
Okanagan48 1 month ago
Wow, very true! Mine is a 93', the noise is not that bad, but its there when car is cold.Thanks for sharing!
flunaorange 1 month ago
I read that you replaced intake gasket at 60M.The ticking you hear was caused from coolent getting in the oil and causing wear in the rod bearings.The leaking intake gskt. is to blame for the ticking noise.
MrBeeradb1 1 month ago
It's probably just the video sound but all I hear is lifters... the piston slap, if present can't really be heard on my speakers.
jeffpicks 1 month ago
i have chevy malibu year 2000.it has 210000 miles good runs. japanese car is junk.
jagga5100 1 month ago
loli have an 02 grand am gt and ive got 200k on it and it does not sound like that ever not even in witer what you see here is poor maintenance !!!!!
cobravince 1 month ago
This is an EXTREMELY well maintained car, by my self. Oil is changed every 3k miles, tranny flushed every 30k, and pan dropped every 60k. In this vid, you hear a mix of piston slap and lifter tick. When I replaced the lower intake gasket, I should of replaced all 12 lifters as well, as recommended, but I didn't. That's all it is.
IDIDieselJohn 1 month ago
my 3100 190,000 no leaks runs great
cemetery76 1 month ago
My brother has a 95 olds 3.1l with 408k miles original engine and transmission . If it ever lays down he's gonna donate it to the Smithsonian lol
sprman1976 1 month ago
So you wanna ship me you intake and heads cause my 3.4 doesnt knock slap spit or shit it just flows like shit
prdanny1142 1 month ago
I've never heard this before.
goofeewalden1 1 month ago
I've had these engines for years and use super unleaded, oil change every 5K and add Krex graphite lubricant from the Cadillac dealer, change coolant ever 50K, these engines have never made this noise for me and I drove each one to 200K before I sold them.
billyzcruzin69 1 month ago
my grand am doesn't sound like that
Professor5164 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
duh your lifter is fucked it has nothing to do with any insulation in the block take care of your car better only thing bad on these motors is steel block and aluminum heads thats why i done alot of head gaskets on 3.1 3.4 an the 3.8 do a lifter job you wont hear it anymore
webeeus 1 month ago
realy my grand am has 195,347 miles and i dont hear that...
jayman6322 1 month ago
steel and aluminum dont mix
a5kylar 1 month ago
yep this is normal ..I always let a car warm up and get the oil circulating before driving off
xadam2dudex 1 month ago
heh. My 1992 Pontiac Grand Prix does not make that noise.
bandittweintraub 1 month ago in playlist repairs
@bandittweintraub There is a difference between a 3.1 and the 3100/3400 which you see in this video. Completely different motor.
bonderman2007 1 month ago
I hear more lifter in this case myself. Piston slap is not very common in my opinion on 3.1,3.8,.3.4,. However Jeeps do have a bit of issue with slap. GM cars are so easy to work on a complete idiot can work on them. I have had problems such as Head Gaskets,Lower Intake Gaskets but i have yet to work on one with piston slap. Good Luck
jungledrum123 1 month ago
i had a 2003 chev malibu with the 3.1 litre v6 it would make only one noise and that sounded like a leaking vaccume pump i could never find out what it was plus it had the fuel consumption of a zz572 chev for some reason. i thought it was a lemon so i got rid of it and bought a 1989 cadillac fleetwood sedan that car is 10 times better on gas with a 4.5 litre v8 than the chev 3.1 v6
89cadillacfleetwood 1 month ago
@89cadillacfleetwood There is no vacuum "pump" on these. Theres stuff run off the vacuum lines, like brake bosster, egr, fuel pressure regulator, etc etc. You probably had a vacuum leak or bad egr. Both would cause shitty mileage.
bonderman2007 1 month ago
"''''''''''none fuel efficient piece of "''''''''
Well any car that burns the corn gas will lack mpg's........Thats Why I do not use gasohol,
I use what theGM recommends! Straight 89 oct UNLEADED with NO RICE OR CORN added!
MrTwinsrule 1 month ago
"''they barely last 100,000 miles "
I have 188k on mine. I just smoked a Honda mini van ...............lol.
Just because you abused your car and engine , does not mean the GM products are bad.
After 5 yrs you should replace the Dex-cool and the motor oil..........lol
MrTwinsrule 1 month ago
ill tell you what this guys lifters obviously are fucked so its really noisy. All 3.1L's are a little noisy on cold starts but once at operating temperature and the oil has circulated they are very quite and efficient. My 97 has nearly 410,000 miles on it and my buddy has a 98 with over 350000 miles so if you maintain them they are great and can last. Mazdas are small little women cars, they sound gay, look gay, etc. Fuck you kidcarter314 bitch mazda blows the japanese dicks hard and always will
highsmokedope420 1 month ago 5
ill tell you what everything you say is bull shit these motor are garbage, its a knocking, slow, none fuel efficient piece of shit, they barely last 100,000 miles the intake gaskets and the coolant system sucks also once they knock its no good....my mazda has 230,000 miles and it don't do that shit GM is shit
KidCarter314 1 month ago
@KidCarter314 My Cavalier Z24 has a 3.1 with over 250K on it. I even beat the shit outta it since before 200K miles and it just now started knocking. I've redlined it time after time after time. Spanked V8 camaro's and many many shitbox ricers. Don't be talkin shit bout something you know nothing about.
bonderman2007 1 month ago
My Malibu likes to chatter in the morning too. Thanks for posting this.
MasterYoung972 1 month ago 2
"crappy design"
Yea that GM "crappy design" is pushing over 200k with no leaks or fluid loss? And it will peel a strip with no back fires..............lol
If I had over a 100 k on a rice burner....I would have been through 2 timing belts by now!
Yea rice burners rule.................lol
Piece
MrTwinsrule 1 month ago 5
Mr hondaelsinore1974 I just dusted a Honda accord with my 94 Jeep cherokee.
BTW.....You want rice with that Jap Crap!
This guy is a typicial angry rice burner owner. Of course he hates USA cars. lol
Look "hondaelsinore1974" You can tell all of your honda buddies, its the CORN in you gas that clogs those injectors and causes the slow take offs......(:.......Jeeps!.
MrTwinsrule 1 month ago
I've always known "knocking" and "ticking" to be two separate things. Knocking would be bad because your piston head is making contact with the valves. Ticking would be a sign of a need to change the oil, add oil, normal valve chatter, and various other things. I have a Chevy Colorado 05 with a 3.5L I5 engine. It has ticked from day one, but I've never had any problems.
discofishing 1 month ago
@discofishing Knocking can also be a spun or bad bearing.
bonderman2007 1 month ago
I have this same engine. It had cylinder pressure loss so I had it rebuilt. I had driven it for about 50 miles. I was stupid enough one morning to take my bro to work and push my car. I hit about 80 miles/hour going up a hill. I noticed that the thermostat never fluctuated when I pushed it but when I got home it was making a knocking sound and now it always make that sound once I start it. any suggestions?
nickzambrano 1 month ago
@nickzambrano Do a compression test on it. Does it knock only at idle or with throttle?
bonderman2007 1 month ago
@bonderman2007 Appreciate the reply dude. I will have to get a compression gauge as I am not a mechanic but I know someone from whom I can get one. And It knocks during Idle and with Throttle. Thanks
nickzambrano 1 month ago
@nickzambrano Don't mean to be the bringer of bad news, but if it knocks during idle and acceleration, it's really possible that it's a spun/worn bearing or piston pin. Does it miss at all?
bonderman2007 1 month ago
@bonderman2007 I guess it was to much stress on a freshly rebuilt engine ha. Its cool I'll just get it rebuilt again but treat it more carefully. Nope it runs smooth just has a knock. Appreciate the info.
nickzambrano 1 month ago
that is one dirty engine...
MasterNeko 1 month ago
I know AMC made Jeep 6 cyl.......lol
My bad.
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
@MrTwinsrule those amc 6 cyl are damn good engines.
mr19932001 1 week ago
One more thing..................I will get over 300 k on this engine because I keep Amsoil in the crank and AC Delco DEX COOL in the rad!
This is the best GM motor I ever owned. OK.....l besides my Jeep in line 6.
btw....GM owners manual are in the glove box.
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
So I guess I am the only one that has a 3.4l THAT SOUNDS LIKE A DIESEL when it is cold started?
Look thats fine if you really want to be that narrow.:)
But all my fluids are A ok no leaks..and this so called " intake gaskets have failed, and coolant from the coolant ports is weeping into the engine & mixing with the engine " crap is just that.
How do you get 180k plus on an engine with that going on?
I see nothing but honey on the dip stick! No leaks..................and pure hp!
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
Also my Buick has 85K miles on it but before the bushings gave way on my previous one and I had it crushed it had 403,000 kms'.
Gramps2010 2 months ago
Thx for the upload as well..
Gramps2010 2 months ago
I had a '95 Buick LeSabre Ltd. (Im in Canada) and it was when I was doing around 80km on the highway when the bushings gave way and the motor literally fell to the ground and made me crash into a traffic island, however I love Buicks for the towing power and definitely the room. I now have a '01 Century that I bought off someone from thh states and it makes the tick tick clakin noise too.I brought it to dealers who poured some thick liquid solution for the lifters but it didn't do a thing.
Gramps2010 2 months ago
Just a quick question for you. Did you ever eat DeCon when you were a kid? Do you still eat it? If Garbage Motors sold cars that sounded like that when new we auto parts people would not have jobs because there would be about 75% less parts sales per monthwithout GM! And if you have a 3.1 that makes 400K miles you'd better write to GM for your fucking plaque Mr. Rogers!!!!
hondaelsinore1974 2 months ago
@hondaelsinore1974 get back to your sales job loser
sexmonkey8372 1 month ago
@sexmonkey8372 Hey, sexmonkey! Did you know male monkeys fuck each other????
hondaelsinore1974 1 month ago
@hondaelsinore1974 You probably look like that thing in your profile picture too!!! LOL!!!
hondaelsinore1974 1 month ago
Perhaps if this guy would just admit that he is wrong, we can all quit beating up on him? Although I've responded a lot on this topic, I'm really not enjoying this. I just can't stand it when people spread BOGUS information, as it creates a stupider world. And believe me, there's a lot of real dense people out there! Peace.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
I am an ASE certified mechanic. The noise in the video IS NOT PISTON SLAP! Piston slap is a low but noticeable tick. The noise in this video was a lifter or a a loose rocker arm...This guy is a moron
PkerMechanic 2 months ago
@PkerMechanic: Thanks for the back-up. Finally, someone else on here that has a friggen brain! Yeay! LOL
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
My Honda with 450,000 KMs on it does not do that, and I live in Canada where cold is -35.
Canon60d 2 months ago
better check your oil. just saying. sounds like your hydraulic lifters don't have enough oil to operate properly.
buckwheet101 2 months ago
@buckwheet101: Very basic, yet mostly correct assesment. The lifters aren't pumping up due to the fact that the intake gaskets have failed, and coolant from the coolant ports is weeping into the engine & mixing with the engine oil. We all know that water in the oil is never a good thing. Well, guess what's lubing the lifters? Yep, that oil/coolant mix. Thus, the improper "pumping-up" of the lifters, and the racket that you hear is the slapping of the lifters into the pushrods/camshaft lobes.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
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jbossnack 2 months ago
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jbossnack 2 months ago
I'm a level 2 of 3 Auto mechanic apprentice with 4 years experience working in a shop, and i've been wrenching on cars since the age of 7....... need I say more?
IDIDieselJohn 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: TIme to go back to school there bro... Good grief.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: PLEASE... Say NO MORE. You are so full of shit, it's painful! Since we are throwing credentials around... I'm a 36 yr old Master Technician. Been around all types of cars, trucks, tractors, equipment since a child as well. I also have 2 college degrees, and have been a professional technician for over 17 years now. I've fixed HUNDREDS of these GM cars, and have owned and currently still OWN several of them. Hmmm, I wonder who knows more about this subject????
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
Piston slap? Someone needs to slap you with a piston. Tight tolerances is what keeps an engine running smooth. You need to go back to working on schwinns and leave the engines to those with half a brain which is half a brain more dan you got.
az2wyo 2 months ago
@az2wyo: LOL! I couldn't agree more.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
My name is Johnny Nunez. I'm 22 years old and i recently purchased a 2000 Oldmobile Intrigue with a 3.5L Twin Cam and I'm located in Los Angeles, California. Keep me posted cause this is very interesting.
310Cowboys 2 months ago
Sorry my bad...): ... I can peel 2 tires with this motor on dry pavement!
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
SuperTurboDiesel2 Do you know what syn oil is? lol too easy .... btw its not 'ky" oil dude.
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
This SuperTurboDiesel2 dude has looked at too much porn imo. I own a Olds with that 3400 and with 200 k miles on it I can will peel to tires on a dry start! Amsoil and GM approved COOLANT keeps this jimmy tight! This engine sounds like a diesel when started. But after a few min, you can't hear anything but the hiss of belts. Why do people like to make a complete ... of themselves? peace.
MrTwinsrule 2 months ago
@MrTwinsrule: Why do you keep obsessing about Porn? Are you 12 years old? I ask, because that is exactly how you are acting! Like a know-nothing, smart-assed 12-year old little cocksucker. Grow up bud, and get your hands outta your pants, you little whacker doodle!
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
My 3400 has piston slap when it's cold but it's barely audible and goes away long before full operating temp, something is very wrong with that engine.
Darkherooftheday 2 months ago
glad I take good care of my 95 buick century cause I only hear a light ticking when I 1st start my car after not driving it for about 8+ hours but when it's cold I need to wait till it gets to normal temps,and btw my car is at 168k
JonnyBoy241 2 months ago
I had a 3.1 it had a lil tap at start up but nrver that bad. Dont beat ur car n change ur oil
macus1305 3 months ago
I'm not completely sure, but I recall reading something about the 60-degree V6's where that knocking noise is explained by a slightly loose piston pin...
KNTRIDER 3 months ago
That sounds like lifter noise to me. First of all, an engine does not need to be totally warm to operate normally. The hardest part for any engine is cold start emissions. Poor piston fitting will create blow-by in the crankcase, diluting the oil, as well as producing a rougher idle and increased cylinder wear. You neglected to realize the engine is also made of metal, which will expand as well. Your video has very little factual merit, I suggest you do some homework.
slowcivic2k 3 months ago
From what your saying, you haven't done any research either. Most engines, and these, the block is made of cast iron (steel), now all pistons are made of aluminum.... now, aluminum expands much more, and much quicker then iron. Witch proves my theory right. But you are right of one thing, this engine does have lifter noise witch is mostly what you hear in this, but it does have piston slap when cold only. Once warmed up, very quiet, other than a tick tick tick that sounds like a lifter or 2.
IDIDieselJohn 3 months ago 8
@IDIDieselJohn There was a service bulletin from GM for this one the 3100's in the late 90's. I knew of a couple people that were able to get the pistons replaced under warranty and the bulletin due to this. So it is a known problem.
SomeAssemReq 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn actually the block is aluminum as well
alexzanderpickel 2 months ago
@slowcivic2k
stop talking bra
SheepYears 3 months ago
@slowcivic2k NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYY BRO............... NOT A PISTON SLAP UR CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LIFTER STICKING ..DROP SOME MYSTERY OIL IN DER AND UR GOOOOOOOODDDDDD
IF IT WAS A PISTON SLAP U WUD HAVE BEEN STOPPED DRIVING IT....TAKE THIS VIDEO DOWN UR MISLEADING PEOPLE
ALWAYSJAMMIN23 2 months ago
@ALWAYSJAMMIN23: You're response is kinda retarded, but at least you are mostly correct. LOL! BTW, Mystery Oil is just that, it's a MYSTERY. It's also a FARCE, aka, snake oil! Don't waste your money on that shit. Fix your car the right way.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
@SuperTurboDiesel2 IF IT AINT SHIT TO FIX .....GREASE IT UP LOL IT NEVER FAILED ME
ALWAYSJAMMIN23 1 month ago
@slowcivic2k
OK he is right about letting the engine warm up most people don't do this anymore. And what the sound he has in that Engine is that one of the push rods have come loose and knocked a hole in a lifter that is what you hear banging off of the top of the engine. I had a Chevy Corsica that done just that and that is what it was. Remove the top part of the engine and either reset this part or replace it and check all of your lifters that is the culprit had it happen to me.
Musicmantrapper 2 months ago
Does this apply for gm 2.2L engines? i have a 96 chevy corsica that does the same exact thing as the engine you demonstrated with in your video.
th3juic3man 3 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn On my account, I got a video posted on my account with access via link. So I'm guessing that I may have problems with mine (2000 Pontiac Grand AM GT with 3.4L V6 with 210K miles on it). Here is the link to the video of the engine running, and it has warmed up already. When starting up, it sounds ok, without any tapping sounds.
nny84 3 months ago
this happened on my 97 century after replacing the lower manifold gasket turns out one of the rockers ripped out so my question is, is there a way to glue the bolt back to the head or should i just replace the head?
jrodny89 4 months ago
loose piston? really sure its not rockers and push rods a loos piston would wear some nasty groves in the cylinder walls . pistons dont expand RINGS DO
TATTOOTRAINING 4 months ago
I have never heard that kind of noise on a properly built engine.
maniacmekanik 4 months ago
what is mile on your buick ?mine does make sound but nothing like your car mine look's like injector sound .
johntaheri 4 months ago
This one has 184,500km (115k miles) as of now. Can't remember how much it had in this vid.
IDIDieselJohn 4 months ago
well lifter noise may b normal on a3.1 or 3.4, but in no way is this normal. piston slap has never happened to any of my 3.4s or 3.1s. i have 1 in my drive with 140,xxx. drive it every day. n have owned a shit load more. ive worked on about 10 of these motors. not 1x have i heard this "piston slap" on a healthy motor. ive heard it on a few motors, n they died about a month later lol. u can have all the paper saying u know what u doin, but this is complete garbage u telling.
1995bronco302 4 months ago
1.5 mil on 1994 lumina van with 3.1 (ALL ORIGINAL) and its made that knock at 126000.and my 1995 olds wagon does that.....im not worried about the knock at all
weasel884 4 months ago
U are dumb
Spider8486 4 months ago
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GMisurdaddy 4 months ago
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GMisurdaddy 4 months ago
It's one of those "quarks" particular to this design. Everybody out there thinks every car should be as quiet as a Lexus LS400. If you don't like it buy a different model already.
smithraymond09029 4 months ago
IN the factory manual says should not last past 1 minute
WWBZT1 4 months ago
bro your car has problems cause i have a 2001 buick lesaber with a 3500 and mine doesnt nock when its cold. and i have a 98 lumina with a 3400 and a buick centry with 3100 and they dont tick either. so your car has a problem bro
slipknot5567 4 months ago
My Chevy Lumina's has that sound when the intake manifold gasket was broken, but it stop ticking when I take a first acceleration.
Now I have new intake manifold gasket and I don't have that problem anymore :)
Even -33 degrees celcius, the engine works fine ;)
Sorry my bad english... :(
hupajuu 4 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl you're claiming to be more knowledgeable than @MrRahimhosein because you've worked on 5 of these engines? He's a grand master tech you're a weekend mechanic. sit down and shut up.
stevenr21 5 months ago
The hydraulic lifters in my Volvo 850 do the exact same thing if I let it sit for a few days, all I have to do is drive it a little (to lubricate them), and it stops.
ActiveWorldsLunitic 5 months ago
@ActiveWorldsLunitic it sounds like lifter tap
ron2ocean 5 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl i am a 9 year gm grand master tech who has worked on alot of these engines, i work at a gm dealership, the information this person is stating is true, ask any dealer technician or call gm. you obviously are closed minded and think you know it all, go to school instead of learning everything on the internet.
MrRahimhosein 5 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl actually you are and IDIOT sir. piston slap is normal for the engine for the first 90 seconds, any longer than that is and indicator of worn components, once the engine is warmed up the pistons expand and the components get tighter. so try going to school to be a mechanic instead of learning everything from the internet.
90 seconds of piston slapping is normal.
gm engineers have a spec for a reason.
MrRahimhosein 5 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl I agree with you. Thats what makes it funny. This guy was a complete idiot lol
mill888888 5 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl lol
mill888888 5 months ago
SuperTurboDiesel2 is very much correct. Cause of problem is that damn intake gasket. I need to replace mine before it goes bad. How do you know when it actually does go bad? Coolant level is good and I check it every week because I'm nervous of this problem!
TheBjohnrussell 5 months ago
@TheBjohnrussell: Well if it's any consolation, you usually have a little time before the ticking severity becomes a problem. Actually, if you just replace the intake gaskets well in advance, (and keep your engine oil changed regularly with 5w-30 oil as recommended) you usually will never have the problem at all. As I recall, changing the intake gaskets will take around 3 - 4 hours, and that's if you kinda know what you are doing. (It can be done faster, it can be done slower - obviously.)
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
@TheBjohnrussell: You know when it's bad because of 2 "early warnings". You will start hearing a "light to moderate" ticking sound coming from one or two lifters, that will be prevalent on start up and usually go away. As time progresses, the ticking will linger longer, and sometimes never go completely away while the engine is running as those lifters are getting "ruined" slowly. (Kinda like bad teeth, they don't all just rot and fall out at once, they tend to go bad one or a few at a time.)
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
@TheBjohnrussell: So... the other "early warning" is not really that early. Usually you have "ignored" the ticking sounds for a while (months or even years possibly) and suddenly you start noticing that your coolant level is dropping or you car may even begin to start overheating kind of out of the blue. Well, that's because the intake gasket has completely failed, and now the coolant is really getting sucked into the engine. I have a 1998 Lumina right now with exactly this problem.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
@TheBjohnrussell: The Lumina continued to use coolant for about a month (at the rate of about 1/2 to 1 gallon per week of daily driving) before trashing the lifters. Now I have a big, expensive repair mess, that sounds just like this guy's Buick. It will need (at minimum) all new lifters, intake gaskets, and coolant. The parts alone are going to run around $300 bucks, because 12 lifters ain't cheap, and the gasket kit is stupid expensive as well.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
@TheBjohnrussell: If I were you, I'd keep around $600 - $700 in a savings account for "insurance" for when you need the major repair done. (Most people wait too long & have the bigger bill to deal with.) If you replace the intake gaskets well in advance (prior to ANY ticking), you may be able to save about $200 - $300 in parts & labor. Minor ticking can be resolved by replacing only the suspected bad lifters, but it can be difficult to do sometimes, & you can't really afford to repair it twice.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
I am a 35 year old certified mechanic with first hand experience with this issue. I don't give a rat's ass what some worthless GM bulletin said that you read in the past. The proof is in reality. The reality is that I know exactly what I'm talking about, based on real-world, first-hand experience. The ticking sounds generated by these V-6 engines are NOT caused by piston slap - PERIOD.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
HOWEVER... you should also inspect your cam bearings when you do the lifters as well, to see if they have also been damaged. Typically they will be fine. But, I've seen some engines where people kept replenishing the lost coolant & kept driving for some time. Eventually, the coolant leaking into the engine oil will also ruin the cam bearings, as well as the crank/rod bearings, leading to an inevitable rebuild or replacement of the engine. With the "ticking", continued operation is destructive.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
So... basic parts required to fix the issue are as follows: 1.) New hydraulic lifters. You should plan on replacing all 12 of them, because it's nearly impossible to figure out which ones are bad (noisy) and which aren't. (Besides, by the time most people get to doing the repairs, they are all shot anyhow.) 2.) An intake gasket kit. 3.) A couple of gallons of Antifreeze/Coolant. 4.) 5 qts of 5w-30 oil. 5.) A new oil filter. New lifters most likely cure all of the noise. More to follow...
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
Furthermore, as I said earlier, the "ticking" noise is the hydraulic lifters not pumping up and are slapping into the valves & cam lobes rather than riding smoothly on them as they should with adequate oil flow & pressure. Water (coolant) intermixed in the engine oil is most often the culprit of this issue. I know this to be a 100% fact because I have fixed literally hundreds of these engines. I also OWN 3 of them and have already fixed 2 so far and they are still going strong. More to follow...
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
YOU DON'T KNOW what the f*ck you are talking about! REMOVE THIS VIDEO, IMMEDIATELY as YOU ARE WRONG! The "ticking" sound is NOT normal, but it IS a commonly known issue on many of GM's V-6 engines, particularly the 3.1L and 3.4L engines. The sound is from the hydraulic LIFTERS and is NOT piston slap or any other bull-shit. What happens is that the INTAKE gaskets fail and coolant leaks into the engine oil. The result is failure of the valve lifters, leading to the ticking sound. More to follow...
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago 6
@SuperTurboDiesel2
Well I spose you know it more than me...I don't know a whole lot of advanced issues, let alone GM engines... Thanks for the info.
bloodynuggets 5 months ago
Listen, all i'm taking about in this video of from what i've read on a bulletin Released by GM. I don't even find this normal my self! But hey, it's been doing this for 4 yeas now, nothing has changed, performance, power/mpg is all there, engines runs nice and smooth, doesn't shake, or doesn't vibrate when you put your hand on it. And this noise goes COMPLETELY away once warmed up! You can literally be standing next to the car and won't even realize it's running.
IDIDieselJohn 2 months ago
So quit wasting your time here, I am not removing it, I could actually cancel commenting, but LOL i'm never going to do that, it's fun to read everyone arguing on here to one another and to me.
IDIDieselJohn 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: I'm not wasting my time here. I'm merely trying to prevent the people that view your video from getting stupider. I know you could cancel commenting, but because you don't, that shows that you actually are more intelligent than you originally came across, and that is a good thing. Perhaps you could make a new video where you actually FIX that car, and then show it and say... well, I'll be damned... SuperTurboDiesel2 was right, and well, the people at GM are a bunch of rats!
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
I guess I should be re-doing this video with new info, but I just don't have the time right now, working full time 7 days a week.
IDIDieselJohn 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: LOL - boy, I know the feeling! I actually had today off for New Year's. Amen for that, as I sure needed a break. Back to the 'ol grind tomorrow though.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: Yep, and if you replace the lifters & intake gaskets, and change your engine oil regularly, you will no longer hear any ticking. The parts you will need will run you around $300+/- at your local Auto Parts store. Takes about 5-6 hrs to do the job, possibly more if you haven't done it, & less if you have. Don't believe everything you read. Just because someone releases a bulletin, doesn't mean it is factual. GM was covering-up to prevent hundreds of thousands of warranty claims.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
Yeah haha, that's what I figured to, wouldn't be the first time GM, or hell even Ford has done silly things like that to cover up potential costs. I've done the gasket my self, wasn't to bad, but looking back at it, should of done the lifters as well since I was in there, oh well, it doesn't bother me. I take extremely good care of my vehicles, oil is changed every 5k km (3k miles), and front end is greased every oil change.
IDIDieselJohn 2 months ago
@IDIDieselJohn: Yeah, you'll most likely get away with the racket for quite a while. I did with my slightly "ticky" 1998 Lumina up until recently. Apparently the intake gasket finally has gotten really bad, pushing too much coolant into the oil, because most of the lifters are not pumping up like they should. The thing sounds like a box of rocks being shaken when it's running, and boy does it sound terrible! Luckily, I have another vehicle to drive, so the Lumina sits 'til I find some the time.
SuperTurboDiesel2 2 months ago
@SuperTurboDiesel2 let me know about your intake gasket through youtube messages, my lower one just started fucking up and i took the car in yesterday. it's leaking out all of the coolant that i put in it. so let me know if you find anything out
nik1O9 2 months ago
hahahaha! "these engines have the potential to go 400,000 miles"....my ass!
CSRAProductions 6 months ago
Wow that is the worst piston slap I've ever heard!
bloodynuggets 6 months ago
@bloodynuggets: That's because it's NOT piston slap. Read my comments and I go into detail as to what it REALLY is. The guy that posted this video doesn't have a clue what the hell he is talking about.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
My Olds Cutlass Supreme with that same motor in it dont do that and its got 150,000 miles on it.
MSNIMSM 6 months ago
change the damn oil in it more and use better oil and you wouldent have pistion slap at all
fuzznutz74 6 months ago
could this still be happening in my 2005 malibu 3.5l LS? or have they changed too much since then
stydel311 6 months ago
@stydel311 The reason they have piston slap when cold, at least in the later models, is GM changing from cast to alloy pistons for the newer model years. They run A LOT more spark advance to up the power and economy, so cast pistons wouldnt cut it any more due to the increased potential for detonation. They also have smaller skirts for reduced weight. To prevent issues, the best thing to do is to take it easy on the engine when its cold, and give it time to come up to operating temp.
mysock351W 5 months ago
personally i like these engines, the 3.1 and the 3.4, they are soo easy to work on
92sonoma 6 months ago
the 3.1 is a really good engine, ive had 94 95 and 96 cars with this engine and never heard a noise at all from the engine. my brother just bought a 96 oldsmobile cutlass supreme with 193,000 miles with the 3.1 and has no sounds what so ever.
92sonoma 6 months ago
mine sounds fine. Is that because I change the oil, normally?
F22Rapter2468 7 months ago
Boo Hoo you bunch of pussies. Whoa 3100s are a little loud when you start them up but once at operating temperature theyre prime as it gets. I get 30 mpg on the highway with my lumina and its definitely one of the fastest cars on the road at nearly 15 years old. This week I just rolled past 330 000 miles on my original 3100 sfi engine. My car has never had a problem or failing component despite having been in two highway collisions. Learn how to drive and do preventative maintenance bitches
ls3100sfi 7 months ago
I have a 96 Olds Cutlass supreme. It makes this sound when it starts up cold and stops after a minute or so....soon as oil circulates/warms up. My understanding is that it is related to Piston wrist pins, perfectly normal for these and has no afftect on performance and efficiency. Excellent fast runner, Love it! "180,000 MILES"
jonolds92 7 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl I think he is partially right, and do you own a G.M 3100 ? How would you know.
jonolds92 7 months ago
sounds like a diesel!!!
KingstonTransit 7 months ago
GM=JUNK
ltd4all 7 months ago
From what i know piston slap is NOT good at all..... and does wonders on cylinder walls .... either way im not gonna argue ..... all i have to say is that the 3.1L is a P.O.S motor. My moms has it in her 96 grand prix and I've touched everything on the motor im currently in the process of rebuilding it because it snapped the camshaft in half ... I've never seen anything like it but it happened
LopezDR10 7 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl
You did, read your own post. damn!!
caddop22 8 months ago
IDIDieselJohn. did you drink GM's Bailout laced coolaid and eat the brownies?
Any sound of rapping or ticking means that GM F%$ked everyone and got away with it. Ever wonder why this engine is no longer built? Try 6 years ago were the last ones...
VitaminC440 8 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl
That is not a piston period
caddop22 8 months ago
Comment removed
caddop22 8 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl I know that these 3100's are prone to that piston slap sound due to its design. My grand prix is a 1 owner car, with 83k and the car was babied its entire life, the few facts he brought upo in his video were very valuable to people who are not like you and I that have experience with engines and cars. If I didnt know any better id say that 3100 is shot.. once it warms up sound goes away engine always runs great... Great info video
905speedgta 8 months ago
@lHustonProductionsl YOUR WRONG...If you Payed attention to what he said " THIS ENGINE APPLIES TO the 3100 and select GM engines...Hes right, My 3100 in my grand prix does the same thing...
905speedgta 8 months ago
Guess all other car makers never figured this out but they still get just as much life out of their motors. Oh, and they are quiet all the time. A brilliant design to engineer the piston smaller than the cylinder to allow for temp. expansion? Well if it is any other way the engine will seize.
brandeniski 8 months ago
I have a '98 Monte Carlo with the 3.1L engine......and I've never heard the pistons slap...ever. Actually it has nearly 100k miles on the odometer and the engine idles as smoothly as it did when new.
optio4 8 months ago
thats a buick
georgethe09 8 months ago
I own a GM vehicle with a 3.4L engine. I have put all 218k miles on this car and have had only one problem with it. The intake gaskets blew around 100k, and apparently is common because of poor quality OEM gasket. I replaced it with an aftermarket FelPro gasket. The problems you are talking about are normally caused by people who do not maintain their vehicles properly.
orionsune1 8 months ago
had a 3.8 same problem in the morning, got rid of it by using oil additives(Marvel) and changing the oil regurlaly..it's been 6 months and no noise+ Fx@k gm never again too many problems with the POS
blackvenin 9 months ago
What a moron...
fjsa0625 9 months ago
do these 3.4L engines come in a rear wheel drive car anywhere?
Robearwgl 9 months ago 4
@Robearwgl on the firebird/ camaro
muck0nator 9 months ago
@Robearwgl the older camaros, not certain what years and firebird alike i think that may be it. i believe they were around it the 80s to mid 90s
universalcarguy 6 months ago
@Robearwgl: A 3.4L mated to a rwd? I don't believe so. Why would you want one anyhow? A 4.3L RWD would be a much better choice anyhow, and there are lots and lots of those around. Blazers/Jimmys, etc.
SuperTurboDiesel2 5 months ago
@Robearwgl camaros
cotedoug1988 5 months ago
what are you talking aboot?
Robearwgl 9 months ago
I have question for you guys. I have a 2003 Malibu with that same engine in it. If it is piston slapping, how do the rings keep compression? I don't get this whole theory at all. BTW My wife overheated the damn thing and both head gaskets are blown, now I have fix that.........yeah, fun for me.
Thanks for any help with the question.
caddop22 9 months ago