V6 Ecotec rebuild/freshen up?

[bedford]

V6 Ecotec with 378,000k on it.

What should I be looking at doing to freshen it up?

Not really interested in rebuilding it to it's pristine original condition.
Just a freshen up to ensure reliability more than anything.

I'm guessing replacing all the gaskets is a good place to start.

What internals should I look at replacing?

[acarmody]

Replace all bearing, also get piston rings done. When I did my engine it was some $270~ for just rings, and only an extra $100 for pistons and rings.

Go ACL Race products, good quality and quite cheap.

[slayer208]

IMO ACL race gaskets aren't generally much better than standard ACL or any other brand of gaskets. It's the ACL Race head gasket that you will find superior to most other brands of head gaskets. They're more solid with a much better seal. Also, IMO I wouldn't necessarily go for ACL race pisons and rings. Ask a truly professional engine rebuilder about a piston/ring combination for low bore wear"which is what you should really be after". If he's any good, he will put you on to hypers "hypereutectic". Hypereutectic pistons are designed for very low bore wear over time as they are a high silicone/alloy blend. They are also a lot lighter than typical cast or forged pistons, can run on a much tigher engine bore "due to much less expansion" and can handle higher amounts of power output over the ACL race pistons. So with running hypers, if you get your bore work done by a good engine builder/machinist, you will be able to have a tighter bore which will give you longer engine life and also a higher engine output for longer!. Price-wise, it'll probably be about the same if not cheaper than the ACL race ones. IMO it's long term engine life that I would be looking for over the top of anything. Also, for connecting rod and mains bearings try going for Precision International ones. They have a much closer tollerence/bearing gap. Having the closer gap is also good for your bore as it will help reduce coning of the cylinder bore. In any rebuild ALWAYS! replace your hydraulic lifters with brand new ones. These old ones may seem fine, but chances are they're probably not. Also, get a set of roller rockers. This will help in a couple of ways. This will reduce the wear on your valve stem guides in your cylinder head which will give you longer life there, and will also substantially reduce oil temperature which will overall be better for all the reciprocating components. If you get roller rockers, go for high lift ones as this will be equivalent to getting a bigger camshaft without paying the full price of one. Engine oil. Whatever engine oil you use over the lifetime of the engine will discern how long your engine will last. DO NOT trust stuff like shell engine oils. I've pulled down motors that have run on this stuff and they don't last anywhere near as long as engines ran on valvoline. If you get some oil and put it between your thumb and finger and rub it and it starts heating up, then it's no good. Heat from friction is a big killer. Also with a rebuild, it pays to try and boost that compression a little.

Cheers!

[acarmody]

Yeah normal ACL pistons are fine, nothing wrong with them, I went with the ACL Race becasue they have a higher compression, but then you need to tune your car and that can be expensive. In another thread a few people recommended Precision International pistons, and the price seems quite cheap, maybe hit them up.

Basically this is what I would change for maximum reliability, keeping in mind that this is assuming nothing has been changed.
Pistons and rings,
Cam, crank, and small end bearings,
All gaskets,
Lifers,
Water pump,
Change the crank angle sensor, its probably getting on in life and will be a bitch once the engine is back together, it is only a $50 sensor, but fitting is usually a couple of hundred dollars, but if the engine is already apart......
Engine mounts,
Of course heads will need to be reco'd

And of course check the following and replace if necessary,
Harmonic balancer,
Cam
Crank and Rods,
Valve Springs
Oil pump

Thats all I can think of for now.

[hako]

Seeing as you say you don't want to rebuild, first thing I'd do is ascertain if and where the motor is worn - do an oil pressure test hot and cold....same with engine compression with/without oil. If the oil pressure and cylinders pressures are within tolerances, and the engines uses little/no oil, the plugs are clean and it uses no coolant, I'd just fit new plugs/leads/all filters and change all oils and the coolant. Gaskets will not need replacing unless they are leaking. Get the car detailed by professionals as well - it will be the best $200 you will ever spend and you'll think you are in a new car. Sounds like your motor has been looked after. Good Luck.