I hate to be a complainer but i cant help but point out this stupid move of GM. WHY? WHY? WHY? would they make a hatch motor with a moving plastic piece inside? "PLASTIC" AND "MOTOR" DON'T GO TOGETHER!!! can you imagine an 350 with cheap plastic pistons in it? does anyone sell aftermarket Metal gears?

 

Yes, but in my opinion, the absolute worst part of the design is the plastic gear housing. This housing absorbs most of the load when a trunk is accidently slammed. The screws that thread themselves into the housing simply break out and the whole motor is now in sloppy contact with the plastic gears.

 

The also used plastic for the gears and bearings in the headlight motors for firebirds.

Weight savings! heh

 

I can go you one better (not a third gen, well maybe not the eights) on my moms bonneville 3.8 we had an engine coolent line blow appart. Guess why....the connection to the block which was plastic had ripped apart. Can you believe that a part the actually comes in contact with the block is plastic, not only that i carries hot coolent under pressure to the block. Real smooth gm.

 

Isn't someone on the Thirdgen boards making a reinforced kit? Might want to do a search.

 

Let me guess was it the one that goes into the front of the manifold? My grandpas cracked and when i went ot fit it i was like WTF? so i cut it out and now GM sells a steel one.

 

Yup. Thats the one. I would love to know what the hell they were smokeing because common sense would say that plastic on a high pressure high heat coolant line going into a metal block would be a not so great idea for longevity (i think the car had about 50,000 miles on it at the time).

 

my gramps had 51,000 on it.

 

Mine has 73,000 miles on it, no problems here
-Mark

 

If you think GM is bad, put a magnet on a mid 90's Ford 4.6l intake manifold and watch it slide right off. They even used plastic timing gears and chains.

I even heard they are using plastic engine parts on Explorer's and Expeditions.

 

Edit: magnets don't work on aluminum, just tap your finger on it.