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So, I went and got me a 3.4 on Sunday. Got a long block with a 30 day, I think was like 227. at lest if had been spun bearings, or a cluster f when I crack it open I could take it back. It took me around three hours to pull it. I got it open today and it looks good. There was some really hard oil gunk where the lifters were, that kinda worried me. Hard to say but I have a feeling some one has been in it before. Idk. Anyways looks like I have a winner. I'll be be building this block and I don't plan on the head swap just yet. But I am looking for tips and tricks on what you did, why you did them, and parts recommendation. Cams, pistons, rods, crank if you did one, to bearings. I have to buy EVERYTHING. So even if there are items you bought and you don't recommend for what evert reason I'd like to hear that to stay away from them. But I am looking at options too like sending a cam out to delta vs. buying one, or say what springs or if there is mods that need to be done to the head to use them. I want to stay with as much sensors as I can on the 3.4, I may use them down the road. So things like cam need to stay for use of that sensor.
Also this is going to be a boosted engine. How much am I going to try to get out of it? Idk. I don't know how much psi I might try and push though it.
Picture of the crusty beast.
So some things I am going to buy,
1 Bearings. I've used king and acl. Never had a problem with those
2. Gaskets. I want the metal head gaskets, but can't seem to find them. And I am hoping to find teflon intake gaskets. DAMN those work great in the imports! And you can reuse them.
3. Timing chain. They all look to be about the same. No adjustable or gears.
4. Head bolts. Are there any options here? Studs? I didn't see any.
Honestly, from what you said, just refresh the engine, and add a small cam a Comp cams or similar 260 would be good for what you plan to do. Any larger and it will be wasted with the iron heads. Any larger, such as the 272, or similar would be a waste with boost, or at least not gain much, if anything, more than the 260 would, all while making it (a little) more difficult to tune. The larger cam would move the power band a little and make it more peaky, but that is a loss to me, not a gain.
If you haven't picked up on it, your limiting factor here is the iron heads, even ported to the point of being not really streetable don't flow as much as a stock set of 3400 (or late 3100) heads. The intake is also much more restrictive than the 3400 intake. The turbo will help, and you can expect to have plenty of power with a turbo, a well selected cam and proper tune, but won't be near as much as using the better top end, which it sounds like you are considering at some point.
If the top end swap is a consideration for later, then I would suggest that you just go ahead with it now, so that you will waste less money and time in the ling run, as I already suggested, just refresh the stock 3.4 and add a cam. By refresh, I mean new bearings, rings, gaskets, but reuse the crank, pistons, rods, as long as they are in good shape. Replacing the cam, use a full kit that comes with lifters, or buy new lifters. (new lifters can be used on a used cam, but not the other way around).
You don't need MLS head gaskets, and if this is your first foray into building an engine, especially with turbocharging a stock type fiber head gasket is a better choice. The reason being is that it will be the weakest point, and will act like a fuse if the tune isn't right, which will save other parts, like the block, head and pistons. Also I've made plenty of power and ran lots of boost on engines with fiber gaskets and they held up just fine, only ever blowing out when there was a problem, like said they acted like a fuse at that point.
Stock replacement timing set is fine, and works well.
ARP sells head studs for the iron head 60 degree V6.
Last edited by Six_Shooter; 04-23-2019 at 05:25 PM.
Personally, any time I've gotten an engine from a junk yard it goes off to the machine shop to be magnafluxed and cleaned at a minimum. That way I know there are no cracks in the block or damage I may not be able to see. I'd have them measure the cylinders too so you don't stick a bunch of money into a rebuild only to find out one cylinder is out of round and your compression is low. Have the crank checked too. It's too much money to spend rebuilding an engine you don't know the history and condition of. Just my take on it though.
Yeah. The ride was fun. Especially on the turns. Plus the civic is a 5spd so a hand on the engine/shifter, one on the wheel. Scratched the window tint. I did that twice actually, the day before was from the ac machine I bought! That was a deal! Came with a full can of Freon.
Anyways I got it cracked open. The heads look good, and not all shot from blown gaskets like so many of these. Looks like I got a deal. Time to get the dishwasher going as my parts cleaner....
04-18-2019, 11:29 PM
