1991 Lumina Z34

[Skeptical]

My POS Fiero will probably get a 3.9 after I smoke the 3.5 that's in it. I don't think the mount works on a 4T80, but I cannot confirm that.

Quotes like that ensure that your 3.5 will never break now.

Also, I stumbled across this gem from one of my engine building textbooks from college in the 90s. My best friends son was asking about books to read to learn about how to fix cars so i went digging through some of my old books.

[Skeptical]

how are you going to post these super cool pictures without a link to said microscope?

Ask and you shall receive brotha. Usually these china things are all the same or damn close so I buy the cheapest one I can find. I fire up VLC on Ubuntu to take the pics or video with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[ejs262]

That's a nice bracket. Pretty much how I would have attempted that too. I wonder if something similar would work on the 4t80. I like that style of mountig better than Furches oil pan mount. Both cool though.

The TDC is an interesting one for sure. I'm going to stash it away for.... Well I don't really have a reason since I will not put it in anything I own. Maybe I'll make it a museum piece one day.

I do like the GM 60 degree motors. The Lumina was originally going to get the 3.9 and a turbo until I noticed the LS4's starting to litter the junk yards for the same price.

My POS Fiero will probably get a 3.9 after I smoke the 3.5 that's in it. I don't think the mount works on a 4T80, but I cannot confirm that.

[ejs262]

how are you going to post these super cool pictures without a link to said microscope?

[Skeptical]

The chamber looks really porous. How does it look with out the microscope?

Pretty crazy right? I was a little weirded out by it. The casting itself isn't porous, Its more of the texture from the sand casting process I think. The carbon might be playing games with making it look that way too. The piston one creeps me out the most. Looks like something laid eggs in it.

Here's some pics with a regular phone camera and some added shots of a different head. I usually smooth an rough areas in the chambers and round off any sharp edges.










And here is a Quad 4/ Twin cam head with a close up shot of the combustion chamber with the microscope.



Similar texture in this head as well.

[Russell]

The chamber looks really porous. How does it look with out the microscope?

[Skeptical]

Ground the valves and took some pics with a cheap microscope. Some are really interesting.

Before


After


Before closeup


After closeup

Intake Valve wear up close. Doesn't look that bad without the microscope.


This is what the combustion chamber looks like.


Exhaust valve seat


Piston with chunk of spark plug ceramic in it


Gasket surface on head from head gasket surrounding the cylinder. According to the GM service bulletin, this doesn't need to be resurfaced. I can feel it with my finger tip but not my fingernail. I'll put an indicator on it and see how much of an indentation it is.


Ground valve tip

[Skeptical]

Here's a quick clip of the 3.4 Running before shutting it down for no oil pressure.

[Skeptical]

Fieroguru performance makes a simple, clean starter adapter to allow the use of the F40 with the LS4,

http://fieroguruperformance.com/?page_id=1558

The TDC you removed is a neat engine, but boy are they heavy...

That's a nice bracket. Pretty much how I would have attempted that too. I wonder if something similar would work on the 4t80. I like that style of mountig better than Furches oil pan mount. Both cool though.

The TDC is an interesting one for sure. I'm going to stash it away for.... Well I don't really have a reason since I will not put it in anything I own. Maybe I'll make it a museum piece one day.

I do like the GM 60 degree motors. The Lumina was originally going to get the 3.9 and a turbo until I noticed the LS4's starting to litter the junk yards for the same price.

[ejs262]

So let me throw another swap idea that would be pretty cool. How about the F40 6spd in the Lumina? The fiero guys are bolting that one up to their ls4 swap cars. That trans in "brand new old stock" form right now is cheap. That would be a fun driver!

Fieroguru performance makes a simple, clean starter adapter to allow the use of the F40 with the LS4,

http://fieroguruperformance.com/?page_id=1558

The TDC you removed is a neat engine, but boy are they heavy...

[SuperBuickGuy]

Having lived in Florida my whole life, I don't really think about the humidity until someone brings it up. I've never had a problem with it. There is a plus side though. The ladies outfits shrink the more hot and humid it gets. You'd be amazed at how many out of state guys all of the sudden no longer have a problem with it.

here in the north, we use alcohol for that purpose.

[Skeptical]

I can't believe anyone would have a sense of humor living in that humidity.... good on you for it ;)

Having lived in Florida my whole life, I don't really think about the humidity until someone brings it up. I've never had a problem with it. There is a plus side though. The ladies outfits shrink the more hot and humid it gets. You'd be amazed at how many out of state guys all of the sudden no longer have a problem with it.

[SuperBuickGuy]

I can't believe anyone would have a sense of humor living in that humidity.... good on you for it ;)

[cstmwgn]

It's the medium sized area between the two cities on the coast that get a lot of rain and have palm trees. It's actually the excessively wet coast right now.

Got to love the "Summer Time" pattern and sea breezes

[Skeptical]

So I have to ask - exactly where is the "moist coast" of Florida?
I don't recall finding a dry one in my travels.

It's the medium sized area between the two cities on the coast that get a lot of rain and have palm trees. It's actually the excessively wet coast right now.