L36 Car Engine Features & Benefits
OVERVIEW
Known in the marketplace as the 3800 Series II, the L36 remains the benchmark for pushrod-actuated, overhead-valve V6 engines. Measured by output, efficiency and emissions, it meets or beats overhead-cam engines and gives the customer superior low-end response. The L36 demonstrates the relevance of refined OHV technology at the start of a new millennium.
NEW OR CHANGED FOR 2001 MODEL YEAR
* Multec II Fuel Injectors Expanded to All Applications
* More Efficient Catalytic Converters
* Improved Starter for Pontiac Grand Prix
* Anti-Fouling Coated Spark Plugs
* Fuel Pressure Increase
* Soldered Spark Plug Terminals
* Manifold Absolute Pressure (MAP) and Mass Air Flow (MAF) Sensor Improvements
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
MULTEC II INJECTORS
Multec II injectors deliver fuel more precisely and consistently, increasing efficiency and reducing emissions. These injectors are lighter than the previous generation, and feature a stainless-steel director plate. They reduce fuel leakage 66 percent, maintain more consistent performance under hot-fuel conditions and greatly reduce the potential for plugging due to contamination. Use of the new injectors began as a running change in model year 2000. The Supercharged 3800 Series II (RPO L67) was fitted with latest-generation injectors from Bosch for model year 2000.
MORE EFFICIENT CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
Internally insulated catalytic converters are smaller, with less precious metal content, to reduce cost and improve packaging flexibility while maintaining emissions certification. Oval-shaped converters have thin-wall substrate and two reactive bricks, reducing volume from 163 to 116 ci. in Grand Prix, and from 170 to 132 ci. in Firebird and Bonneville.
IMPROVED STARTER
The starter in the Grand Prix is 20 millimeters shorter. It reduces mass by 10 ounces and considerably reduces cost, yet it maintains cold cranking performance without a reduction in quality, reliability or durability (QRD). Use in these models for model year 2001 completes upgrade for all applications.
COATED SPARK PLUGS
Silicon coated platinum tips make the spark plugs more resistant to fouling over the 100,000-mile plug life. The coating is particularly useful during post-production marshalling, when cars are started frequently and run briefly, and reduces the likelihood of pre-delivery plug cleaning at dealerships.
FUEL PRESSURE INCREASE
A new fuel pressure regulator increases pressure from 350 to 380 kPA in Bonneville and Grand Prix. Higher pressure greatly reduces the possibility of vapor lock in high-temperature operating conditions with high volatility fuels.
SOLDERED PLUG WIRES
Spark plug wires are soldered rather than snap-fit at the connecting terminal inside the plug boot. Soldering improves reliability and decreases assembly errors by reducing the possibility that the plug wire can inadvertently be detached from the connector.
MAF AND MAP IMPROVEMENTS
The Mass Air Flow (MAF) and Manifold Absolute Pressure sensors are manufactured for higher Electro-Magnetic Improvement (EMI) performance, which makes them less susceptible to operational fluctuations in the presence of electrical interference or radio waves.
CONTINUING FEATURES
The L36 achieved Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (ULEV) status in all front-drive applications for model year 2000, and Low Emissions status (LEV) in the Firebird. Double-tip platinum spark plugs extended useful plug life to 100,000 miles, further reducing required maintenance. In the Bonneville, the L36 was fitted with a cast aluminum structural oil pan, enhancing the NVH benefits of direct-accessory mounting introduced for model year 1999.
Most engines have a useful life of about 10 years, yet the L36's basic architecture dates to the early 1960s, and it remains the standard for overhead valve V6 engines. The L36 was christened the "3800" with a major revision in 1988. Improvements included sequential fuel injection, low-friction pistons and digital exhaust gas recirculation.
"Its strength is its balance of values. The L36 is impressively smooth and quiet, with an incredible amount of horsepower for an overhead valve engine. It's also impressive in its level of cleanliness--it was one of the world's first ULEV engines. It's sturdy and durable, and we have years of experience building it." --Patricia Wombwell, Model Year Manager, 90-degree V6 engines
LEADERSHIP
The L36 has been widely lauded by the enthusiast and business press for packaging efficiency, usable torque and immediate throttle response. In naming it one of the 10 Best Engines in North America for three consecutive years, Ward's Auto World called the L36 "the best pushrod engine around." (January 1997)
"With the 3800 Series II, GM makes continually refined, established technology the bogey for others to target."
--WARD'S AUTO WORLD, January 1997
