K-cars

[bgadow]

I was at a Kia dealer service department one day last year & the mechanic (who looked about 18 y.o.) was showing me an engine he was replacing on a late model. The oil hadn't been changed. He took me out back & there was a long row of trashed engines lined up along the wall. Later I visited a Hyundai dealer and, indeed, along the back of the building was a long row of trashed engines. I am very certain that the cause was not that of the typical Kia/Hyundai engine but of the typical Kia/Hyundai owner!

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

At a little over 120K the timing belt snapped and trashed the engine. It was kind of one of those round-to-its.
Had a salvage yard engine installed and that one spun a bearing a month later. The car got junked! The replacement engine probably wasn't maintained very well.

That's a shame. He'd've been way better off just doing the head and valves on his engine. At least he knew what he was gonna get, opposed to a junk yard engine with "40k miles on it." Lying junk yarders. The number they claim is ALWAYS 40k!

Originally Posted by bgadow

I am very certain that the cause was not that of the typical Kia/Hyundai engine but of the typical Kia/Hyundai owner!

Damn right. I've rarely seen much in the way of mechanical issues with Kia/Hyundai.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by MadMan

That's a shame. He'd've been way better off just doing the head and valves on his engine. At least he knew what he was gonna get, opposed to a junk yard engine with "40k miles on it." Lying junk yarders. The number they claim is ALWAYS 40k!



Damn right. I've rarely seen much in the way of mechanical issues with Kia/Hyundai.

With an interference engine, isn't there more damage to the engine than the just the head and valves? Possible damage to the piston faces or block.
BTW, salvage yard reported 88K miles on the engine.

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

With an interference engine, isn't there more damage to the engine than the just the head and valves? Possible damage to the piston faces or block.

In my experience, VERY rarely. Most typically, two or so cylinder's valves just get bent aside (effectively making them stuck open), and maybe put a tiny ding on the top of the corresponding pistons. I think I may have seen one engine that had a hole poked in the piston, out of the countless broken timing belts I've seen. Long story short, if it's a fight between a piston and a valve, the piston wins.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by MadMan

In my experience, VERY rarely. Most typically, two or so cylinder's valves just get bent aside (effectively making them stuck open), and maybe put a tiny ding on the top of the corresponding pistons. I think I may have seen one engine that had a hole poked in the piston, out of the countless broken timing belts I've seen. Long story short, if it's a fight between a piston and a valve, the piston wins.

I saw the former Kia owner Sunday, but forgot to ask him if he pulled the head to see how much damage was done to the original engine.
He pretty well knows his way around cars, but this winter seemed so long and cold, so who could blame him.

[maxhifi]

Originally Posted by MadMan

In my experience, VERY rarely. Most typically, two or so cylinder's valves just get bent aside (effectively making them stuck open), and maybe put a tiny ding on the top of the corresponding pistons. I think I may have seen one engine that had a hole poked in the piston, out of the countless broken timing belts I've seen. Long story short, if it's a fight between a piston and a valve, the piston wins.

Hmm, I've seen cars written off (by their owners) for this, when there was plenty of value left in the rest of the car. Maybe a good way to get a cheap car, if there's a little luck involved!

I guess it's becoming less relevant, with the industry moving away from timing belts. The main problem is how darn annoying front wheel drive cars are to work on.. I had the timing belt off in my RWD pickup in a few hours.

[MadMan]

Yeah, the Ultradrive aka A604 is actually a really solid little transmission. They don't even make Dexron 2 anymore, so you'd have to be a special level of incompetent to screw it up these days. And sure they have their problems, but so does literally everything else.

[bgadow]

I know of some very nice folks who somehow remain loyal to GM despite having owned a Trailblazer with a failing straight 6. I can't remember just now what fails on them but those vehicles had been pampered.

[Electronic M]

Originally Posted by bgadow

I know of some very nice folks who somehow remain loyal to GM despite having owned a Trailblazer with a failing straight 6. I can't remember just now what fails on them but those vehicles had been pampered.

Strange...My Envoy (GMC badged trailblazer) had about everything lousy except the engine, trans and airconditioning, and the previous owners CLEARLY treated it and repaired it like crap...

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by bgadow

I know of some very nice folks who somehow remain loyal to GM despite having owned a Trailblazer with a failing straight 6. I can't remember just now what fails on them but those vehicles had been pampered.

That's unfortunate. I've rarely seen any problems with those weird straight sixes (barring the occasional hoopdie). It's usually literally everything else on those cars, besides the engine itself. Maybe it's just something simple, like the ignition coils, or something. I've changed so many of those. (It's just popping in my head that it might be a dirty throttle plate. Like most electronic throttle cars, it's SUPER sensitive to that.)

And then hummer wanted to use the straight six in the h3 (I think?) but it was too big for them (too big for a hummer? lol) so they chopped off one cylinder. lol

The Trailblazer straight six is a helluva lot better than that 4.3 v6 vortec piece of ass. God I hate those so much.

[mgross0]

I hate GM with a burning passion, but their engines are usually ok. It's the rest of the package that kills them. DexCool antifreeze that turn into concrete, plastic timing belt idlers that don't like engine heat, transmissions that puke their guts out, and electrical systems that make Lucas look good. Do you know why they used to say "this isn't your fathers Oldsmobile"? Because it wasn't on fire.

[dieseljeep]

Originally Posted by MadMan

That's unfortunate. I've rarely seen any problems with those weird straight sixes (barring the occasional hoopdie). It's usually literally everything else on those cars, besides the engine itself. Maybe it's just something simple, like the ignition coils, or something. I've changed so many of those. (It's just popping in my head that it might be a dirty throttle plate. Like most electronic throttle cars, it's SUPER sensitive to that.)

And then hummer wanted to use the straight six in the h3 (I think?) but it was too big for them (too big for a hummer? lol) so they chopped off one cylinder. lol

The Trailblazer straight six is a helluva lot better than that 4.3 v6 vortec piece of ass. God I hate those so much.

I thought the Hummer had a Diesel engine. Maybe, just the real big ones do.
Another one not on my list of wants.
Seeing as I don't follow GM at all, but I never knew Chevy built an inline six that late.

[MadMan]

Originally Posted by dieseljeep

I thought the Hummer had a Diesel engine. Maybe, just the real big ones do.
Another one not on my list of wants.
Seeing as I don't follow GM at all, but I never knew Chevy built an inline six that late.

It was certainly strange. idk what possessed them to do such a thing. iirc, they borrowed a lot from their Opel division for that motor, but I don't think the actual motor is from them, because it's a big hulking mass that's really only suited for an suv. Anyone familiar with contemporary GMs will know that the straight six is an oddball. It's just... different from GM's usual fare.

The actual HMMV hummer has a diesel. The H2 is a giant box on top of a Chevy Tahoe frame, and the H3 is a pansy excuse for an suv with a straight 5 gas engine.

[mr_rye89]

Huh. I thought the 43 vortecs where alright.

I've got a c3500 box truck at work with a 454 vortec with over 200k on the clock and I can't seem to kill it, the power steering pump is on its way out though....

[dishdude]

I've had good luck with GM, I'd buy another without giving it a second thought.