'92 Lumina Z34 5 Speed

I just picked up this 92 Z34,It has the twin dual overhead cam 3400 with 5 speed and have fallen in love with it, I'm not familar with this engine and what I'm looking for is some knowledgeable opinion"s on this engine's reputation and what exactly the Z34 stands for. I'm thinking on sinking some money into the mechanicals of the car, Is the 3400 as good as the 3800. I've had 3800's in the past and they have all been dependable worry free engines. Well anyway would appriciate any advice.

hey buddie
these motors are strong as an ox, last you 700,xxxkm+ if you treat here right.
only problem l'v ever had with any of my 3.1's and 3.4's
would be the 3.4 WATCH YOUR TIMMING BELT!!!!
CHANGE OIL EVERY 3,xxxmiles l'v seen somepeople do 10,miles and screw these things bad any engine dosent like old oil.
And FUEL PUMPS,FUEL INJECTORS,COMPUTER(ECU),SHORTS aka,lower frame harness
you gota stick correct? watch out for grinding in Reverse This means ur release bearing for reverse is war out,
if you have disk all round(like i do) you will find out fast why there mosters for brakes, AKA REAR CALIPERS
l found a bare brake performace kit for theses cars for the same cost of replacing with stock package.

sounds you got a good car man, no worryes from what l said theses were from cars people dident take care, But the brake situation will hont you.

need help any time PM me

taker easy
Brad

Commong Lumina 3.4 Problems. This also includes the Z34, the Z is just the Z series for chevrolet, their "Performance" series. the 34 is for the engine 3.4

as far as it goes the Z34's main problems are the Alternator, and the Timing chains. and i think it was 1993 they had the Random stalling problem that had a GM Tech bulliten posted for it, was a free fix :)

your transmission is a HM-Getrag 284, also known as a Muncie :)

yea you heard me a Muncie!

be careful though on tuning that car, do not put more than 240 HP unless you rebuild and beef that tranny up. the HM-Getrag 284 only handles about 245 horses. Throw on a Cold air intake, Hypertech chip, and redo your exhaust is your best bet.

the other problem with all GM W-body cars from 1990 to 1994 would have to be the rear brakes, if you do not set your parking break always, and take care of your rotors and pads like you should. you will have a lot of problems and will deal with lots in repairs. The rear calipers are spiral type, the pads are real small too. but make sure to set that parking brake.!!!!

like to see ya on the road sometime :) Z34's happen to be my favorite

Actually the tranny IS an actual Getrag aka the same company that builds trannies for BMW and the like. I know, I have a 91 and 92 Z34, both black w/ the 5 speed. 92 came stock that way, 91 was swapped in from a 92 Gran Prix GTP. Both say Getrag on the side. And they don't grind going into reverse, 1st and reverse are synchronized meaning they can be put in reverse at low forward speeds (I wouldn't do it going over 5 mph). The engine is not actually a 3400, the 3400 is a pushrod, and these beasts are quad overhead cams. Also watch out for intake gaskets (dead give away being high idle when cold, and normal idle when warm as the gaskets swell up and seal). If you have your own set of tools, alternators aren't really that bad on these cars if you don't mind taking off the passenger side tire, splash guards, and removing the hub & axle as one peice :D Yes, the rear brakes can be a major pain, then again, so can the fronts. On the 91 I usually go through a set of fronts a season, and rears every 2, but then again, I made sure I got the lifetime warranty calipers and pads :biggrin: Before they came out with the fancy pads, I used Performance Frictions all the way around and noticed improved brake performance, but from what I hear, they have better pads out now. Oh yeah, be easy on the synchros in that tranny, if they blow, and you want it rebuilt, I hope you have a deep pocket. The tranny will need to be sent to Getrag in Detroit to be rebuilt due to GM making Getrag sign a contract not allowing the sale of any internals to anyone, including tranny shops. From what I have heard over the years, the labor is at the tune of $3k, plus parts...