April/June 2011 - GM Service Insights

ServiceInsights
FOR
INDEP E N D E N T
S E RV I C E
C E NT E RS
A p r – J u n 2 0 11
> “Rusty” campaign aims to drive more customers to GMPP crate engines
> New GMPP “SuperMatic” Transmission available
> Salute to Automotive Service Professionals, June 6 – 12
> Florida performance shop “doctors” with unique blend of skills
> TechConnect insert with valuable repair info
New lower pricing covers
more than 50 engines.
MORE ON THE INSIDE.
All repriced engines are sold as standard long-blocks. For illustration purposes, engines shown here are “fully dressed.”
See your dealer for details.
CONTENTS
Genuine GM Parts
Product Update
The latest word on product
development and technologies.
4
9
The Technical Side
Discover new ways
to approach service and
repairs.
Business of Repairs
New ideas that can benefit
how your shop operates
and profits.
10
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For Profes
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Visit gen
GM ServiceInsights Online
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General Motors, Detroit, MI 48202.
© 2011 General Motors • All rights reserved.
OE quality at competitive prices.
Now, we’re making it easier than ever to get
competitive pricing on an expanding list of
Genuine GM Parts and ACDelco Powertrain
Parts your shop needs for everyday repair jobs.
OE quality at pricing you’ll like...why trust your
business—or reputation—to anything else?
QUALIFYING COMPONENTS...
> PULLEYS / TENSIONERS / BALANCERS
PULLEYS & TENSIONERS
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Often damaged from attempts to
remove without the proper puller
• Debris can cause the belt to run off
the pulley
HARMONIC BALANCERS
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Noise or vibration when out-of-balance
• Debris can cause damage to neoprene
or coatings
4WD ACTUATOR MOTORS
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Encoder sensor failure
• Wiring/Electrical failure
> 4-WHEEL DRIVE ACTUATOR MOTORS
> ENGINE OIL COOLER LINES
> INTAKE MANIFOLDS & GASKETS
> GENUINE GM PARTS ENGINE &
TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLIES
ENGINE OIL COOLER LINES
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Fitting or seal failure
• Debris contamination
INTAKE MANIFOLDS
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Coolant passage leaks
• Warpage/loss of seal
> CYLINDER HEADS
> TURBO CHARGERS & SUPERCHARGERS
> OE CLUTCH KITS
Contact your participating dealer
for a competitive quote.
INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKETS
Failure Risks/Symptoms:
• Coolant leaks
• Seal failure
Genuine GM Parts Product Update
The Road to Lower Pricing
Engine repricing
program targets
the “GM
vs. non-GM”
purchase decision.
It's now easier than ever to give your
potential engine replacement customers the
OE option. In an unprecedented initiative,
prices have been lowered on more than 50 new
and remanufactured Genuine GM Parts engine
products covering some of the most popular
four- and six-cylinder engine families.
4.3L V6 Engines
*
The list of replacement engines includes the entire 4.3L V6
family. Replacements for engines originally installed in vans
and many pickups are sold under the LB4, L35 and LU3
designations, and include new as well as reman products.
There’s a big demand for them among devoted truck owners
and commercial users who lean toward replacing the engine
rather than the vehicle.
*All repriced engines are sold as standard long-blocks. For illustration purposes, engines shown here are “fully
dressed.” See your dealer for details.
Engine: Complete 4.3L V6 (LU3) for the
GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Chevrolet
S-10 and the GMC Sonoma.
Truck: 2003 GMC Sonoma Crew Cab.
4
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
*
3.1L V6 Engines
Also on the list are engines in the 3.1L V6 family. Millions of cars
built between 1990 and 2005 are powered with this engine, and
many are still on the road. New prices on this family of engines,
sold mainly as L82 and LG8 products, could well sway owners considering repowering from an aftermarket option to Genuine GM Parts.
Engine: Complete 3.1L V6 SFI (LG8)
Engine for the Buick Century, Chevrolet
Malibu, Lumina and Pontiac Grand Prix.
Car: 2001 Chevrolet Malibu LS.
2.2L to 2.4L 4 Cylinder, 3.4L
and 3800 V6 Engines
*
The list of repriced engines also includes products in
the 2.2L LN2, 2.2L Ecotec, 2.3/2.4 Quad, 3.4L V6 and 3800
(new, not reman) families. According to Grant Powers, senior
analyst, Engines, with Customer Care & Aftersales, "As the
new pricing program launched April 1, our team was already
looking at the balance of our engine product portfolio for
similar repricing opportunities."
*All repriced engines are sold as standard long-blocks. For illustration purposes, engines shown here are “fully
dressed.” See your dealer for details.
Engine: Complete 3.4L V6 (LA1) for the
Oldsmobile Silhouette, Chevrolet Venture,
Pontiac Montana, Pontiac Aztek and
Buick Rendezvous.
Van: 2003 Chevrolet Venture.
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
5
SPECIAL INSERT
Genuine GM Parts Product Update
(cont’d.)
*
Engine: Complete Ecotec 2.2L for the
Pontiac Sunfire, Pontiac Grand AM,
Oldsmobile Alero and Chevrolet Cavalier.
Car: 2004 Pontiac Sunfire.
Engines that power a broad range of GM vehicles in
the 1987 to 2011 model years are now priced to be more
sensitive to the vehicles’ current Blue Book values. Prices
have been reduced by up to several hundred dollars on
some engines, potentially changing calculations vehicle
owners use to weigh the advantages of repowering an
aging vehicle with a Genuine GM Parts engine or a
*
competitor’s rebuilt engine. “We’ve lowered a few engine
prices before, but never anything on this large of a scale,”
said Powers. “We went through and looked at the Blue
Book value of these vehicles, and considered things like
competitor pricing, and our “overPOWER the Competition”
incentives and factored those calculations into new pricing.”
The goal, Powers says, is to use the combination of
aggressive pricing and our superior
OE
products to tip the balance in the
All of these repositioned
owner’s
mind in favor of not only
engines, which are widely
replacing
an engine, but doing so with
available through the
a Genuine GM Parts replacement
network of GM dealers, will
engine.
The affected engine families
carry the GM Powertrain
include
some
of GM’s most versatile
3-year, 100,000-mile
and
widely
installed
products that
warranty for parts and labor.
power millions of vehicles still in service.
*All repriced engines are sold as standard long-blocks. For illustration purposes, engines shown here are “fully dressed.” See your dealer for details.
Engine: Complete 3.8L V6 (L26) for the
Pontiac Grand Prix,Buick LaCrosse and
Buick Lucerne.
Car: 2005 Buick LaCrosse.
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Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
2 TECH CONNECT
3 TECH CONNECT
4 TECH CONNECT
5 TECH CONNECT
6 TECH CONNECT
7 TECH CONNECT
8 TECH CONNECT
A Bad-Engine
Neighborhood
to Avoid
“Rusty” campaign
seeks to drive more
customers to reliable
GMPP Crate Engines.
Rusty, the snarling junkyard dog, is doing his best to cast doubt
into the minds of would-be purchasers of rebuilt and reconditioned
aftermarket engines.
That’s the mission, at least, of an ongoing GM Performance Parts
(GMPP) campaign to promote its crate engine products.
In enthusiast and trade media ads featuring Rusty the dog next to
a rusting engine block, GMPP has been drawing a stark contrast between
its reliable crate engines and the potentially questionable quality of
some aftermarket engine products.
The promotion plays on the idea that “rusty” engines that find
their way into some vehicles may be full of nasty surprises. With their
origin and history unknown, some engines that are rebuilt or reconditioned
may end up costing far more than the purchase price and may not deliver
expected performance.
“You don’t know what you’re getting if you go down that route,”
says Dr. Jamie Meyer, GMPP product integration manager.
“A much better option for enthusiasts,” Dr. Meyer says, “is to purchase
a GMPP crate engine. New from top-to-bottom, and more powerful and
strongly built than aftermarket options, the engines are a known quantity.
Plus, they’re a breeze to install, and eliminate the time needed to locate
a replacement engine or tear down and rebuild an existing engine.”
“Many of the old engines popular among rebuilders are simply getting
harder to find, especially ones in good condition. With production on many
having ended a decade or more ago, the selection of quality engine cores
is dwindling,” he continued.
A good example is the popular 350-cubic-inch engine. Those were last
used in production 12-15 years ago. Many enthusiasts crave those engines,
but they’re getting harder to find. But not through GMPP. Products like
the 350-290 crate engine and the ZZ4 engine are readily available through
GM dealers, and deliver more power and performance than any small-block
built in the last 40 years.
Moreover, a GMPP 350 engine is a much more authentic product.
In the process of reconditioning and remanufacturing, engines can lose
some of their expected performance.
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
7
Genuine GM Parts Product Update
(cont’d.)
“You tear it apart, buy a new piston and rings
set, rebuild it and put it back together, spending
months of time and effort, and you still have a
used engine you can’t be sure of,” Dr. Meyer says.
That’s not the case with a GMPP engine.
With all-new cylinder blocks, rotating assembly
components and cylinder heads, and four-bolt
main bearing caps, they’re ahead of the game
at the outset. And they’re priced competitively;
an entry-level 350-290 can be purchased for
less than $2,000. Add in a 2-year, 50,000-mile
warranty, and the choice is obvious.
“People are looking for four-bolt main, highperformance blocks that have a more stable
structure on the bottom end,” Meyer says.
“That’s what these blocks offer. They’re not
overbored, and they start as a high-performance
block that we build up.”
Indeed, as the GMPP “Rusty” campaign
continues, don’t be surprised if you start hearing
more requests for GMPP crate engines. GMPP is
confident that, on close examination, both regular
vehicle owners and performance enthusiasts will
realize that they come much closer to meeting their
needs than just an ordinary aftermarket solution.
Go to www.gmperformanceparts.com for more
information about GM Performance Parts engines
or contact your GM dealer.
New GMPP “SuperMatic”
Transmissions offer enhanced
flexibility and performance.
GM Performance Parts (GMPP) has a new generation
of transmission products that deliver added flexibility and
a better powertrain performance profile to project vehicle
builders. Building on the GM Hydra-Matic 4L60-E series,
GMPP has unveiled the SuperMatic 4L70-E high-performance
transmission. Designed for engines
making up to 480-horsepower, the
GM Performance Parts
4L70-E four-speed overdrive
SuperMatic Four
delivers greater torque
Speed Transmission
carrying capacity and
increased strength.
For builders who want to
enhance the performance of
existing GM electronically
controlled transmissions
paired with GMPP’s LS-based
electronic fuel-injection crate
engines, GMPP’s new SuperMatic
Transmission Controller System is the ticket. Easily
connected to an E67-based engine controller, the system is
pre-programmed for “tuning-free” operation.” It also offers
a range of optional connections affecting calibration settings,
as well as the ability to configure manual mode.
“There’s never been an easier-to-install or more
comprehensive transmission controller on the market,” said
Dr. Jamie Meyer, GMPP product integration manager. “There’s
no need for laptop programming. Just plug it in and go.”
June 6-12, 2011 is Automotive
Service Professionals Week.
8
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
For Professionals
Professional Powertrain repair
resources for professional repair results.
The newly redesigned genuinegmparts.com makes it easy to get the
technical repair information your shop needs, when you need it.
Provide your customers peace of mind when you choose Genuine GM Parts.
Visit genuinegmparts.com for more information.
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
9
Business of Repairs
FOR
POWER
Greg Lovell and Associates, AntiVenom LSX Performance and Repair.
Florida
performance
shop doctors
with blend of skills,
GM Performance Parts
Greg Lovell has performed his share of “fixes” for
botched high-performance street-rod customization jobs
that don’t deliver. His company name, AntiVenom LSX
Performance and Repair, sums
it up: the antidote for the
poisonous mix of wrong parts
and bad execution is a strong
dose of GM Performance Parts
and
an uncanny feel for the
LSX-LS7 Cylinder Head
LS engine line.
Take a recent job the Seffner, Fla.-based
customizer tackled. His project, as spotlighted
in enthusiast-targeted Vette Magazine,
described how Lovell re-powered
a 2009 Z06 Vette with an LSX
block outfitted with LSX-
2009
Z06 Vette
10
Apr – Jun 2011 ServiceInsights
LS7 cylinder heads and a ProCharger F1A head unit.
The vehicle, owned by a former GM proving grounds
engineer, came to him in need of a big fix after a
supercharger that another customizer installed blew up.
The customer wanted a new strategy, one that would
deliver a powerful, but street-friendly Vette, with a durable,
yet value-priced engine package.
“He didn’t want a 454, but a 427,” he says. “The thing
about these LSX engines is that every time you use it,
it’s an individual, unique application.”
“He wanted 100,000-mile durability out of a
supercharged engine without the added expense of
going to an LS9 engine,” Lovell says.
“We disassembled the old engine and had
a long discussion that resulted in us reaching higher
and farther on the size of the supercharger
and making everything as strong as possible.
We had a goal for making it produce over
1,000-horsepower while still being able to drive
it on the street and having ‘manners.’”
The resulting 427-cubic-inch displacement engine,
customized with such features as NASCAR-modeled
solid bushing rocker arms, instead of
rollerized bearings, delivers everything
the customer wanted.
And for Lovell, that’s part of the
mystique of the GMPP LS engine line,
one he’s been enamored with since
their introduction. A GM muscle-car
aficionado with a special love for Vettes,
Lovell was drawn to the LS by its power and
application flexibility.
“I come from a GM family; my grandfather
told me stories about being a Chevy tech in the
1930s and ’40s,” he says. “I was a big-block Chevy guy,
but I watched all of the LS stuff when it first came out,
went to some classes to learn about it and found out how
good it was. And it flowed from there as I found out what
I could do with them.”
Working closely with his local GMPP dealer, Lovell tilts
heavily to GM fuel-injected projects that utilize LS engine
products, with a heavy emphasis on Vettes. He likes
products such as the LSX cast-iron racing block that gives
him the latitude to customize, as well as the broad mix
of bolt-up LS crate engines.
“The thing about GMPP products like the
LSX block is that it goes in stuff it’s not even
supposed to be in, like a 454 or bigger LSX going
in a ’55 Chevy, or an LS3 in a ’72 Vette,” he says.
“It’s made for GM vehicles.”
—Greg Lovell, AntiVenom LSX Performance
and Repair
For Lovell, the broad GMPP lineup gives him the very
best canvas for laying down his interpretation of building
GM high-performance masterpieces. From engine blocks
to crate engines to parts, GMPP products allow him
to work his magic free of the uncertainty and risk that
accompanies aftermarket performance parts.
“If GM Performance Parts makes it, it fits, simple
as that,” he says. “Aftermarket blocks take a tremendous
amount of machining to make things fit, and a lot of work
to make it right if something comes back. And it’ll be your
fault; the customer won’t want to hear it.”
The only downside to creating GM projects that carry his
own personal stamp of creativity? Saying goodbye, of course.
“It’s like imagining what it would be like to be a
surrogate mother,” he says. “You
work on these projects and then
you get them ripped out of
your hands. It’s like giving
a puppy away.”
GM Performance Parts
LSX Bow Tie Block
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