Your least favorite engines to work on

Topic: Your least favorite engines to work on (Read 4062 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #15 – January 08, 2005, 02:59:50 PM

I second the LT1's. I had to do head gaskets, plugs, wires, opti_spark, and a clutch on a '94 Z28 Camaro. The worst part were getting the exhaust manifolds off! DSMs aren't much fun to work on either.

Nick

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #16 – January 08, 2005, 04:05:29 PM

i hate the Dodge Caravans with the 3.0 L, changing plugs is a hassle.

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #17 – January 08, 2005, 04:35:41 PM

I'm sorry to say this but, if you think the mitsu 3.0L SOHC is bad you got another thing comming. Those are acutally fairly easy engines to fix. The trick to the back three plugs in those is to remove the air filter box (all snap in fasteners) and change then from above. (not below as a manuel would suggest.)

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #18 – January 08, 2005, 05:06:43 PM

my least favorite to work on is the 2.5 DOHC v-6 in those blasted mazda cougars. took almsot 2 hours to change an alternator once :shoothead

and changing the exhaust manifolds was an all day job it seemed like.

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #19 – January 08, 2005, 07:02:55 PM

I have a '88 Grand Prix with a 2.8 v6 that I drive to work. Its' a POS so I get to work on it quite often. Some very poor designs on that thing...and I hate working on most FWD vehicles. I really dislike the car but it does get almost 30mpg :)

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #20 – January 08, 2005, 07:17:52 PM

Ford/Yamaha 3.0/3.2 DOHC V6 as seen in Taurus SHO's. Remove upper intake to do the rear plugs? No thanks.

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #21 – January 08, 2005, 08:00:50 PM

The Saab/Opel/Saturn/Catera V6 is another sweetheart. It comes in 2.5 liters or 3.0 liters, and you'll never guess how they decide what block gets bored to what displacement (this info is from a GM engineer that taught us courses the engine during GM training): They inspect the raw casting, and if the bores are straight enough it gets poked to 3.0 liters. If they're too crooked, it gets a smaller bore to 2.5 liters.

It gets worse. Everyone knows that some engines are interference engines, meaning that when the timing belt or chain breaks the pistons whack the valves and pandemonium ensues. Even our basic 5.0's are interference engines. With that Opel-designed monstrosity, however, if you break a timing belt the intake and exhaust valves tangle with each other - they come off their seats and jam against each other. Then the piston comes up and whacks the lot of them. The problem is so bad that Saab offered a lifetime warranty on the timing belts. Every 30k miles you could take the car and get it done for free. I've never seen one break, but the engineer told us that should one break it's certain death for a $20,000 (CDN) engine!!!

Of course a 6.5 turbodiesel in a G-van is another nightmare (I haven't had the pleasure of working on the Isuzu diesel, so I don't know if it's any better, but my experience with gasoline Isuzu engines would indicate the Duramax is a pile of shiznit as well).

The Northstar, while one of my favourite GM engines merely because it is one of the only modern engines in the GM lineup, can be a nightmare where it's so tightly packed into that FWD chassis. I had to replace head gaskets in one once and it was not enjoyable.

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #22 – January 09, 2005, 08:15:11 AM

Anything with the distributor on the back of the engine! lol

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #23 – January 09, 2005, 04:49:11 PM

Most FWD... J-Bodies take the cake. *puke* removing the exhaust to replace the thermostat... yuck! heater core hoses??? *eeewww* belt tensioner.... why??? the only bright side is i know how to repair them blind so i'll prolly buy another. *sigh*

Then my mom's 99 Hyundia Sonata. That thing eats spark plug wires! And removing the intake just to check them (rear) is not something i'm quite fond of doing. >.<***

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #24 – January 09, 2005, 08:16:14 PM

Optispark, plugs, and wires on an LT1 Camaro. We were about 4 hours into it, and a friend suggested it would be easier to drop the engine and tranny. We looked at each other for a few seconds, and said " what the hell." Needless to say, this was the perfect opportunity to put headers and exhaust on it. So I can honestly say I helped pull an engine to replace the plugs and wires.

Re: Your least favorite engines to work on

Reply #25 – January 09, 2005, 11:12:44 PM

Of my own personal vehicles the biggest pain in the backside had to be the 3.0 & 3.2 SHOs, on customer's cars, either the late model LS1s or any big block in a Shelby cobra(real or kit)