What’s the one repair you couldn’t successfully overcome?
It really doesn’t matter your level of under-hood or under-body expertise: all of us gearheads find ourselves frustrated to the point that we quit on an automotive repair or project. Sometimes we take a pause for a little self-care, and successfully finish the task once our head clears. Other times we decide it’s better to let someone with more time, experience, and training get the job done for us.
If all else fails, we realize this is the moment when we give up on the vehicle entirely. That may mean one last trip to the dealership, a classified ad, or a donation to someone else. (And that someone else might be a junkyard, especially when rust repair is involved!)
I chose the ill-fated Twin Dual Cam as the photo for this story because this engine is pretty hard to work on for most folks. A timing belt change wasn’t easy like it was on a Taurus SHO four-cylinder Toyota, nor was changing the spark plugs akin to a walk in the park. So yes, it was “poorly designed” relative to other engines in the GM 60-degree family of V-6s. Perhaps, compared to older Chevrolet products, you could say the Twin Dual Cam was impossible to repair.
I suspect GM technicians from that era can regale us with even more horror stories of these engines, but I’d like to think the Twin Dual Cam’s legacy might have a happier tone in 2023. I mean, it could be worse.
You could be trying to get a VW/Audi product from the last 20-ish years into its Service Position. That singular task looks about as labor intensive as any work you need to do on a Twin Dual Cam Chevy Lumina. Even worse, obtaining proper Service Position is only the first step of many needed to accomplish a task that’d be far simpler darn near any other vehicle of the era.
Then again, I’ve never poked around a Twin Dual Cam that wasn’t in a stripped-out race car (i.e. it’s a nice upgrade to a Fiero). And I’d rather assume the position than try to put an Audi A4 into its service position. I could have this all wrong, so the question is still before us: What’s the one repair you couldn’t successfully overcome?
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I have two currently , both fuel tank vapor recovery EVAP issues triggering a check engine light , one on a 16 Silverado and a 02 Jeep Liberty
Also I’ve a 87 Chrysler Conquest that simply will not run right .
Replaced the injectors , TPS, pressure regulator , and plenty of other parts , idles rough and occasionally runs great for a day or two and then back to spitting and sputtering .
If we can’t get it figured out it’s gonna get a Toyota V-8 from a SC or LS 400
The real one that’s killing me is a Genie 34/19 towable boom lift .
Apparently Got some issue with the computer board , and replacements are simply not available .
The most legendarily difficult job I know is setting cam timing on Porsche 356 Carrera. The factory allotted two work days for a master mechanic to set up a new engine.
The two most daunting jobs I’ve passed on were replacing the shift cams on a BMW R100 motorcycle transmission because you have to heat up the case to remove the end cover. I also passed on a rear main seal and had pro do it, although I did successfully replace the clutch, working by Coleman lantern and running an impact wrench off a carry tank.
Replacing the clock on my 1958 Imperial. When this car was assembled, the first thing down the line was said clock, and the car was assembled around it. You know you are in trouble when some enthusiast in France has put together a three page website of tricks to get this done.
This is a cramped and complex panel, and the parking brake release assembly has to be removed for access. Trouble is the release control shaft extends through the IP, and there is only one, narrow odd position angle where the assembly will clear the IP, the firewall/ floorboard and steering column. That one component took a full day of trying to remove.
Add in much blood offerings due to sharp raw edges inside the IP and you have the job from hell.
I did get it done, however, I am stubborn.
Mark
Chrysler 2.7 V6 water pump replacement. I actually didn’t have a problem changing the water pump itself – it was removing and installing the timing chain. Apparently there are tools to lock the cams in place, but neither on-line video I watched made any mention of this. The plastic chain guides seemed to disintegrate while installing a new chain, and even though all timing marks appeared to correct, I could not rotate the crankshaft a full revolution by hand, and I didn’t dare attempt to crank it with the starter because I was afraid of bending valves. Car got towed to a shop that knew what to do, and it was OK after that. I got beat by that engine, but I have since learned from my mistakes, and my daily driver is now a Chrysler Sebring with a 2.7 – it’s a great engine that really only has a bad reputation because people don’t understand them.
As a retired GM master tech I assure you the author could be more wrong about the dual cam timing belts. Probably the best design ever made. The cams are set free. Replace the belt. Get the belt tensioned, Set the engine at top dead center and lock the bank 1 cams down with new bolts/locking rings. Turn the engine to top dead center on the next pass and lock down the bank 2 cams. It’s been a while so I could be off on a step or 2. The guys that had trouble were those that tried to shortcut and just slip belts on.
1973 Fiat 128. seriously the worst car I’ve ever experienced. My wife bought it new a few months before we met. Even new, it would die due to a defective oil pressure sensor interlocked with the ignition. Took me a couple of years to figure out that one. Then there was that bushing in the steering rack that wasn’t installed correctly in the first place, and caused a lot of front tire wear. The clutch that slipped to the point that the bolts holding the pressure plate lost so much temper that they couldn’t even bring the pressure plate in contact with the flywheel, no way you would torque them. Then the timing belt stripped at 50,000 miles, destroying the head.
Got rid of that POS, bought a ‘79 VW Super Beetle convertible, which we still have, and why I’m a Hagerty member.
I live in the north, and was recently looking for an older vehicle with little or no rust, which is very rare in this area. I found a one owner 1995 Monte Carlo Z34, that had never been outside in the winter, always garage kept. The engine looked scary, (3.4L DOHC V6) but I figured it couldn’t be THAT bad. Two weeks later I was driving up a steep hill, the tranny downshifted, the engine revved, and it started making this clacking sound.
Long story short, it’s been to several garages, and dealers, none of which could identify the problem. Most had no idea, and a few said to replace the engine, or rebuild it. Meanwhile I’ve driven it over 1,000 miles with no change in the sound, and it runs fine. A friend of mine likes a good challenge, so he tore the top of it down. He said the cams, lifters, idler shaft, and flywheel are all in good condition, and nothing shows any signs of a problem.
The sound is coming from the back of the engine, around the lifter valley, and is not a knocking sound. It’s kind of a clicking/clacking sound that changes with RPM, but does not go away, or get worse or better. It also does not change under load. He thinks it may be a wrist pin noise……….
I found a low mileage used engine online, with a warranty. But the price is amazingly low for such a complex engine. So I have my doubts if it’s is a reputable company, and it may be just a scam.
I’m still dealing with the problem, and at this point I think I’ll just drive it until it dies, unless I come up with a better solution. Any advice, or suggestions?