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From: keb@tellab1.UUCP (Kenn Burk)
Newsgroups: net.auto
Subject: Re: V6 Fiero!!
Message-ID: <318@tellab1.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Jul-84 14:25:42 EDT
Article-I.D.: tellab1.318
Posted: Mon Jul 16 14:25:42 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 17-Jul-84 01:48:18 EDT
References: <158@tellab2.UUCP>
Organization: Tellabs, Inc., Lisle, Ill.
Lines: 61

(one for the line-eater)
I've read this article in the Tribune...and the one that preceded it
that explained that Chevvy intended to punch the current 2.8L V6 out
to 3.0L. That same article also mentioned (though, not in the same
breath) that Chevvy had changed the oil recommendations for the 2.8L
from 10W30 or 10W40 to 5W30 or 10W30.

Well...

After owning a 1982 Citation with the X-11 package that includes the
2.8L HO V6 and following Chevvy's *old* oil recommendations, all I
can say about the 'new' 3.0L engine is *watch out for oil problems*...

I am dumping the X-11 because of numerous problems, many of which
are peculiar to the X-body cars and have no bearing on this discussion.

However, the straw that broke the camel's back and *DOES* relate to
this discussion is this:

	I, thinking that Chevvy knew what it was doing,
	followed the old recommendations and used 10W40
	because of its heavier-duty capabilities and
	ended up pounding out a rod bearing (#3 cylinder).

In an attempt to get it fixed, I talked to 3 independent mechanics
who, **UNIVERSALLY**, stated that, yes, this is a fairly common
problem with the Chev 2.8L V6 AND the 3.2L V6 used by Pontiac and
Buick. Pontiac and Buick had, according to the mechs, released
a service bulletin that deleted the 10W40 oil recs AND had extended
the warranty to 30,000 mi. because of numerous failures of
connecting rod bearings. When I contacted Chevvy, no one was
aware of a Chev bulletin that addressed the problem. When pressed,
someone 'vaguely remembered' that 10W40 was now verboten but
didn't know why and didn't know anything about an extended warranty.

To make a long tale of woe a little shorter, the car was fun to
drive but unreliable -- ergo, yeahbye. If anyone in netland is
contemplating *ANY* incarnation of the 2.8L V6 or the 'new' 3.0L
version, be kinda keerful you don't get saddled with Chevvy's
Vega fiasco for the 80's...BTW, the 2.8L has the smallest journals
of ANY V6 ever in production...Chev claims small journals reduce
friction :-)
(of course, small journals = a crankshaft that's a little "bendy" :-( )

So, while the Fiero (pron. Fire-O ?) is , at least, actually built
by Pontiac rather than the GMAD monkeys (General Motors Assembly
Division), watch out for Chevvy's light-duty 'Hi Performance'
almost-completely-engineered motors.

PS: This year is the last chance for an Oldsmobile actually built
by Oldsmobile...they're tearin' down the Olds Lansing, MI plant
assembly lines and converting them to build the new C-body cars.

Goodbye to pride in assembly, hello GMAD (grrrrrrr....)


					Ask the man who owns one
					...and wishes he didn't
						Ken Burk