Piston slap

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Wivm1014
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Piston slap

Post by Wivm1014 »

My 3100 has the dreaded piston slap when it's cold. What can I do to get rid of this disease?


1996 Z26 Red, CAI, otherwise stock, 13x,xxx miles
#1 stunna
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Re: Piston slap

Post by #1 stunna »

Piston slap ? , you sure its not just a lifter sticking? Long ago I had a lumina that i thought was knocking, turns out it was just a loose heat shield on the cat. converter


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Barry
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Re: Piston slap

Post by Barry »

Cheap fix is a good set of ear plugs.

Don't waste your time/money rebuilding it. It's nothing to worry about. I had a knocking 3100 and beat the crap out of it for years and it never got worse.


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Wivm1014
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Re: Piston slap

Post by Wivm1014 »

A GM article says they have reports of a 3100 with piston slap lasting 300k so I'm not as worried but I do granny it until its completely warm


1996 Z26 Red, CAI, otherwise stock, 13x,xxx miles
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DTMAce
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Re: Piston slap

Post by DTMAce »

Mine has done that since I bought it, mostly in colder weather. Perfectly normal.


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Wivm1014
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Re: Piston slap

Post by Wivm1014 »

That's what I've heard. Thanks for the comforting info


1996 Z26 Red, CAI, otherwise stock, 13x,xxx miles
ADKBeretta
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Re: Piston slap

Post by ADKBeretta »

my 96 Beretta 3100 V6 had been subjected to the intake gasket failing and filling the crankcase with that coolanty-oily cocktail... i have no idea how long the previous owner drove the car like that. My brother and I removed almost 10 quarts of that crap when we did the intake gasket. So far, 60,000 miles and it still hasn't blown up. Although, the engine is a bit knocky on a cold start when it's been sitting for a couple of days.


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DTMAce
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Re: Piston slap

Post by DTMAce »

Surprised the bearings haven't failed on that one then. Yikes.


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1990BerettaGTZ2.3L
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Re: Piston slap

Post by 1990BerettaGTZ2.3L »

60°'s are famous for that it's nothing to worry about just make sure you replace the timing chain every 100,000 miles you put on


1990 Beretta GTZ Quad,226 cams, 3.94 W-41 trans
1990 Beretta GTZ Quad 4, 3.61 muncie 5 speed (project)
1968 Chevelle 300 deluxe 327ci 4 speed M-21, 12 bolt 4.10 posi
1978 Chevy K10 Z77 Sport 4x4
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scannerman
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Re: Piston slap

Post by scannerman »

i found running 5w-30 oil in the winter reduced or completely got rid of the noise on cold startups.


2009 Cobalt SS LNF
1995 Z26 3100 auto <--- Totalled
1989 base 2.8 auto <-- Sold
1990BerettaGTZ2.3L
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Re: Piston slap

Post by 1990BerettaGTZ2.3L »

scannerman wrote:i found running 5w-30 oil in the winter reduced or completely got rid of the noise on cold startups.
I would hope you would run that viscosity as well as everone in the winter because you gonna get a kick out of me running 15w40 and 20w50 in the winter in my truck and my chevelle but the chevelle only got started to be moved out of the way truck got driven of course


1990 Beretta GTZ Quad,226 cams, 3.94 W-41 trans
1990 Beretta GTZ Quad 4, 3.61 muncie 5 speed (project)
1968 Chevelle 300 deluxe 327ci 4 speed M-21, 12 bolt 4.10 posi
1978 Chevy K10 Z77 Sport 4x4
1977 GMC Sierra Classic 25 454 crew cab
-Ryan
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scannerman
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Re: Piston slap

Post by scannerman »

i used to run 10w-30 year round. then i switch to just running it in the summer.


2009 Cobalt SS LNF
1995 Z26 3100 auto <--- Totalled
1989 base 2.8 auto <-- Sold
1990BerettaGTZ2.3L
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Re: Piston slap

Post by 1990BerettaGTZ2.3L »

It was no wonder my motors lasted a year running that viscosity cause over a tears time my oil pressure dropped to zero as a combination of worn out cam bearings and oil pump


1990 Beretta GTZ Quad,226 cams, 3.94 W-41 trans
1990 Beretta GTZ Quad 4, 3.61 muncie 5 speed (project)
1968 Chevelle 300 deluxe 327ci 4 speed M-21, 12 bolt 4.10 posi
1978 Chevy K10 Z77 Sport 4x4
1977 GMC Sierra Classic 25 454 crew cab
-Ryan
ADKBeretta
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Re: Piston slap

Post by ADKBeretta »

I run Valvoline MaxLife 10W-40 all year round with STP Oil Treatment (blame that on my dad... in his head, it's still 1970). Oddly enough, I am surprised that the engine hasn't chucked a rod or two yet, either. I am sometimes not kind to this engine. Because of oddly the automatic is geared, it climbs hills with the rapidity of a slug. Therefore, I get pissed and mat the bastard down into ONE which winds the engine to about 5k on the tach... One of these days I am going to do that and lose the bottom end.


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