jsimpson

I'm getting an Olds Silhouette for my daughter. It's no Vette, but it will carry seven people. Know anything about the Chevy-based 3.4 V-6? :confused:

Paul L

I have that engine in my 2001 Impala. Specs below. Aluminum heads on an iron 60-degree block. Rated at 180hp. After 14 months of use I am very happy with it. Others prefer the 3.8L engine and the 20+hp but that comes with a host of other options that did not suit me; e.g. On-Star, alloy wheels, etc.

It is a low-tech engine using pushrods, in-block cam, two valves per cylinder. It has a long history tracing back to the 2.8L and 3.1L versions. I take some comfort in that: the major bugs have long been worked out.

Power is modest but adequate. The only long trip I have taken with the Impala was last August south to Virginia, about 2,200miles round-trip. At a steady 75mph with A/C on I averaged 37mpg. And that is bang-on with what GM advertises. There were occasions in the steep hills of Pennsylvania where the transmission would downshift to get back into the torque band but I did not find that troublesome. The engine is very smooth, even in the absence of balance shafts. In fact so smooth that GM has put an ignition cutout on the starter circuit so that people do not turn the key when the engine is running.

This is one of the nicest cars I have owned.
http://www.gm.com/automotive/gmpower...er/34_main.htm




[Modified by paul79, 1:04 PM 2/5/2002]

Jester69Stingray

I had one in my 95 camaro. It wasnt a bad engine at all it had fairly good tourqe and decent power. It never gave me any problems and it still ran strong with 110k miles on it. :)

Andrew

Just make sure that it is not 3.4 DOHC. I will no longer purchase a Pontiac due to that engine!!!!

Paul L

That is a completely different engine. Was used in the Lumina also and quietly retired a couple of years ago. The Impala is the successor to the Lumina. Interestingly GM went back to pushrods. The more things change...the more they stay the same.