97 Monte Carlo 3.4 timing belt

[Dozer]

Im looking at buying a 97 Monte which the owner says has a striped timing belt. Is this an interference engine? How bad of a job is the replacment?

[Big Buck Buster]

Not fun to do, and special tools are needed to do the job.

[Dozer]

What tools? If the belt is broken have the valves hit the pistions? Lost cause?

[Big Buck Buster]

I can't remember of the top of my head if it is an interference motor.

The special tool that is needed is the cam holder tool. Both valve covers have to be removed to gain access to put the cam tool in place for the belt installation procedure. All cam gears need to be loose with the cam holders in place. When the bolts on the end of the cam are loosened the gears can spin free. With the crank gear mark at top dead, the timing belt is put on all the gears, then with one of the cam holders in place and the cam gear bolts loose(I can't remember which head is first), the engine is rotated 180 degs. and the other cam gears are then tightened back up. I don't have my t-belt book in front of me, and this info may not be 100% correct, so take it for what it's worth.

[Jeremy airjer W]

the tools lock the cams in place. You have to have the tools, you'll have to get them from a tool dealer like mac/snap-on. Once you have the plenum off and both valve covers the tools hold the cames in place so you can loosen the sprockets and install the belt. once the belt is installed and the tensioner is released the right hand cam bolts are tightened and the right hand cam tools are removed and the engine is rotated 36o degrees. The left hand sprockets are then tightened down and the left hand cam trools are removed.

Since the engine is rotated 360 degrees with the left hand cams locked in place I can't imagine that it is an interference engine other wise you would think there would be clearance issues with the left hand valves and pistons when the engine is rotated.

These are not a DIY friendly engine! Everybody cringes when they show up in the shop.....Except for Tom he loves working on them especially replacing the alternators!!!!! (Tom just said "oooh yeah" in the most sarcastic tone!!)

[1968]

Those alt's aren't much worse than an older Accord. But yeah, not friendly to anyone that has to work on it. I had to put one back together that the whole top half of the engine was in the trunk! At least I had one under my belt before that puzzle was thrown at me.

I would run away from that car at any price. If you want a "hot rod" FWD Gm product, go with something that has a supercharged 3800. Way more fun and reliable than a 3.4X engine.

Even if it hasn't smacked the valves the rear head likely needs to come off to replace the oil pump drive o-ring that usually leaks.