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newb here, buying a regal gs and need some input

9

93TAJC

New member
Ok so im buying a 145k regal gs with a good tranny. It may have bad head gaskets but being a mechanic i believe it is the lim gaskets. So if it is the head gaskets or if i just want to replace them for good measure can i use na head gaskets to up the compresion a bit? I was thinking of that plus arp head bolts, the alum felpro lowers and a 3.2 pulley with headers cold air, and a tune. Shoul i stick with a 3.4? do i need the arp head bolts? Any input please.
 


3.2 Is typically what you would run cammed or intercooled. With the mod list you have the 3.4 with tuning would be better. Also just get l67 Head gaskets if your that concerned. The compression comes from the piston design differences. No need to replace them honestly. There not really a weak point on these engines
 
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To run a 3.4 you need cai, 104 plugs, flashed pcm 3in dp and a plog if your gonna stick with the 3.4.

If your not gonna stick with the 3.4 then get headers

To run a 3.2 you need either high ratio rockers, cam, or intercooler
Go to how to safely mod your car thread. Its good reading
 
The man's basically got it^^

Click the link in my signature. Also...pretty sure the L36 head gaskets are different anyways than the L67 ones since the injector bosses are in the L67 heads vs. the injectors spraying into the LIM like on the L36. If your going to be replacing head gaskets...you CAN toss a cam in there if you just yank the motor and make life easy for yourself. That way with headers...you should be able to get away with a 3.2"...IMO...since your a mechanic...you probably know a good machine shop...I'd have him clean up the heads and port 'em. Then you'd be FOR SURE knock free with a cam and a 3.2" (I bet you'd be fine with a S1X or XP cam...they do require stronger valve springs though). After that though...you will need a tune for the car. All in all...its your wallet. Pulley drop is the last thing on the list though...keep in mind...a knock free car on a larger pulley will run circles around a car with too small of a pulley with knock.
 
yeah i was afraid of timing being pulled. I'll just fix it and do full bolt ons. Headers 3" dp, cai, tune, 3.4 pulley right? I'v heard you can do a tune on a switch? From zzp or something? I'll read the tuning thread after this lol. I would like to do a switchable tune with a modular pulley setup so i can switch it back to stock for long trips, do these get the same milage with the boltons? I do know a good machinest, i just dont wanna get the heads decked with if being forced induction and all. I would rather put gofst money into my build Trans am lol, but i still want it to be a sleeper.
 


I'm not talking about decking the heads guy...I'm talking about porting them...which does nothing to up your compression points. I get nearly, if not 30 mpg's on my build...and I've got a big cam, heads, headers, LS1 TB, bigger injectors, etc...its all in the tune.
 
I know you said porting, and i know what thatll do, i just dont want to spend the money on bigger valves and better springs, rockers, cam, etc, its a slippery slope lol. I was totally seperate in saying i dont wanna deck the heads.
 
also, you don't need to run headers to run a 3.4 pulley? And where can i get a tune? I'm leaning more towards doing the boltons and driving it for awhile, i dont wanna get crazy and take money away from my trans am.

So let me get this straight, i can run a 3.4 pulley with the tune, a cold air, 104's, power log, and a 3" downpipe? do you guys have good luck with the autolite xp104's
 
It is very doubtful that the head gasket is bad. Sure it's possible, but i've seen more TB's and SC gaskets leaking into the intake than I've ever seen head gaskets on these motors. Sure the LIM's are also possible.

L67/L36 head gaskets are pretty much the same, so are the LIM gaskets. Yes you can find different part numbers, but they are very interchangable to the point that I've stood at the parts counter of a dealership looking at both and coudlnt' come up with a difference.
 
Yes u can run a 3.4 pulley without headers if you run a plog, but then your stuck with that pulley. Mine as well go and spend the extra money and get the headers if your gonna mod some more
 


update: I got the car tonight, the coolant looks cleaner than iv seen most with bad lim's (iv done at least 6 customer cars) and there is a pinhole in the fuel line ontop of the blower wich i cant see helping the intake gaskets at all. It all looked good for 600, then i went to pull it up on the dolly and the tranny made a rattling sound, i have no idea what it could be since it works just fine, 4th gear is still there too. So i said it needs tranny work ontop of the engine work and that i might just pass on the deal. He then said that it would just be scraped if i dont take it, and he dient want to see me drive so far for nothing, so i offered him 300 and he went for it, he was really cool. So i'll do a comp test to rule out head gaskets, if theyr good i'll just do all the intake gaskets, fix the fuel leak, do a trans fluid and filter, and see how she goes. Wish me luck!!

What tranny fluid do you guys like using? type and brand
 
dexron 6, i should have said the whole name sorry. I just use teh blue bottle.

as for coolant, i dont like dexcool. just go with green and never again worry about it.
 
no thats not what i meant, i know its dexron, i'm asking if you guys have any luck with castorl in these trannys
 


after messing with the car for a bit and taking it for a quick drive after fixing the fuel line i realized the rattling noise i heard sound to be coming from the blower. I thought it was a tranny noise for sure because it only does it in drive sitting still, but i put the ebrake on and listened, its right in the middle if the motor. Anyone had this symptom before? I'v looked on iatn and there does not seem to be anything about it. Other than that one issue the car is totally sound, the only leak i have is of course from the pan lol, i thnk this is my millionth pan 3800 gasket replacement between my cars and customer cars. I'm going to pull the blower belt tomarrow and see if it goes away to single it out.
 
I'v heard of that and yes thats what it sounds like, but it only does it in drive. I think it may be because the r's are lower and thats where they need to be to hear the noise, but iv never had the problem myself, o I'll make sure tomorrow. That would be nice though, not bad for a 300 dollar car.
 
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