problems in newer 4th gens

[lt14mla]

Im going to be putting my 97 formula up for sale and getting a 98-02 camaro or firebird. Im not sure if its gonna be a 6 or 8. college tuition and gas will decide that for me
anyway my question is im going to be looking at some of these cars and is there anything i should specifically look for or at. I believe the 98-up didnt have as many problems as the 93-97. Just wanted to see if there was anything number of things i should certainly check out. any ideas guys and as always thanks in advance

[gimp19]

Definatly dont trade your 97 for a newer one with a 6 that would be a big downgrade.

[SS_CarGuy]

You might be better off doing a search over on ls1tech.com. I am sure you can find out a lot more about the problems over there on that site.

Here are a few things that come to mind that I have seen over and over again in peoples posts on various forums over the years. Piston Slap in LS1 engines;some also seem to consume a lot of oil. Brake rotors are not very good and warp quite easily. Pinion seal leaks are quite common and many times they aren't fixed right by dealers......or so it seems. Many people have complained about clutch slippage too especially when drag racing. The rear end is also a weak point if you intend to drag race. And many of the Camaros and Birds experience paint bubbling on the roof and halo panels because of the sealant that was used to attach them. There is a TSB on this and many times the dealers will replace these panels at no charge even when the cars are out of warranty. There have been other problems as well but these are the things that come to mind as the most common ones I have seen.

[Joe K. 99 Zeee!!]

Well, nobody's ever considered this a serious problem, but I know the 98's lose a little oil over time....I believe 1 liter every 3,000 miles is considered normal. This might effect the 99's as well. Then there are the problems that effect every 4th gen (window motors, squeaky rear springs, etc.).

[edit]Errr...I meant to say 1 quart...not liter. Actually, there's not much of a difference is there?

[TandA]

My only complaint is the rotors warpin easy. Other than that I have not had one problem. I have 41,000 miles.

[CRM]

v8

i've had a 94 6pooper now i own a 99t/a DO NOT BUY A 6cyl if you own a 8
That would be such a downgrade!
my 99t/a has 76k so far so good !

[DanB.]

Get a 01 or 02, because you already have the LS6 intake and EGR deleted from the factory. Stay away from 98's... they have a tendency to lose their oil pumps and melt the motor. Other than that... try to get a non-modified car, because you don't know who has done the work and what kind of quality parts went it.

[02ws602wrx]

I believe that the 98s had a smaller fuel pump,injectors and worse intake. The 99s had a better fuel pump and a better cam. The 00s were the best and had the biggest cam. the 01-02s had the truck cam but the ls6 intake. My best bet would be the 00s and then install the intake yourself pretty easy from what I hear. The 01-02s had a smaller cam because they could not beat the vette eith the ls6 intake and the bigger cam from the 00s so they downgraded. My info. is true but don't just go out and by a car now do research I just bought the ls1/ls6 book from barnes and nobles check it out.

[Jay 02 TA ws6]

The 00s did have the hottest cam, but the 01 and 02s typically run the strongest and make the most power... I also have the LS1/LS6 Performance book where they list the specs on the cam... there is not much of a difference between the 00 and 01-02 cam - they are both baby cams.

The only problem I have had with the car was the power window motors dying...

...I did have some self-inflicted problems though. I missed a shift at the drag strip and mechanically over-reved the beast and bent the pushrods. I ended up paying Speed, Inc like $150 to replace them with chromoly pushrods.