Is 98/02 LH 3.5 same as 93/97 LH 3.5?

It seems that after testing the cooling system, my 96 Eagle Vision TSI need
a new head gasket.

Since I don't have the $1000 or so to pay for it, a "grease monkey" friend
of mine said he can do it.

(he said that he did the same on his 90 Olds)

To help him work on a real (LOL) car I was able to get ahold of the 1998 -
2002 2nd generation LH service manual.

What I want to know is the instructions to remove the 3.5L cylinder head as
show in the manual the same is the same for the 1st generation LH/3.5L cars.

Or was any changes so radical that the engines are not same and the
instruction for one won't work on the other?

Thanks for any help.

 

The changes were pretty radical. The change was one of those kinda odd
ones in the industry where they kept most of the internal engine parts
(crank, rods, pistons, etc.) almost unchanged, but encased them in an
ENTIRELY new block. The later engine is an aluminum block, the older one
iron. IIRC, the heads will phyically interchange, but not functionally
because the bosses for fuel rails, injectors, etc. are different. The
process for removing the heads is the same in general, but very
different in detail (the later engine has a completely different intake
plenum, different fuel injectors, different ignition system- and all
those have to be removed).

Most importantly- the torque specifications may be very different
because on the later engine you're clamping an aluminum head to an
aluminum block, and on the early one the block is cast iron. The head
bolts thread into the block, so that is a very critical spec.


I would get the correct manual.

 

Sounds like correct advice to me.

An alternative is to pay $25 for a www.alldata.com subscription. I have
a 2nd gen ('99) subscription, and it covers the head
removal/installation procedure. I would assume a '96 subscription would
include the equivalent 1st gen. procedure. AllData does not always
include every single procedure in the subscription, but it appears they
cover the major ones, and what they do include is right out of the FSM
(not re-written, uses same figures).

I do not advise getting any aftermarket manual (such as Haynes) in spite
of what may appear to be a bargain price. The quality of the
information can be bad, and even absolutely wrong such that the
resulting mistakes can be expensive (BTDT).

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

I'm with Bill on this. Accept no substitute for a factory shop manual.

 

First, let me thank you for the answers, I am now in the process of getting
the correct manual for my 96 Eagle Vision TSI and its 3.5L Engine.

Secondly, as they say in football, "apon further review" it was not the head
gasket that was causing my coolent problems. It was a bad Thermostat (the
3ed in 5 years), combined with a weak radiator cap, that was the blame for
it all.

After they were replaced, and a deep flush and fill, the Vison is now a
"sight to behold." LOL

However, as with any 13 model year old car there are still some issues.

But that's for another post.

Again, thanks.

 

Good. I'll take a bad thermostat over a head gasket any day.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

I started to say something to the effect that 3.5s very rarely blow head
gaskets... but it is possible.

I continue to be amazed at just how few issues my wife's 1993 model of
the same car has, despite pushing ever closer to 250,000 miles.