Trust Me Replace the Plenum. I tried to cheap out and just do the gaskets. Now My 97 Buick is in the shop getting the coolant and oil mixture fixed. New lower intake gaskets, New plenum and map.$2400.00. Thank you Bryan916 for your good video on the 3.8.
Again, very professional work and I am a retired mechanic with 2 ASE Master certifications and I have always been a perfectionist and I would trust this man with my cars. There aren't many like him and he is worth top dollar.
Thank you! An excellent video...prepping for reinstallation and wondered why LIM didn't install first, before the covers and belt tensioner assembly etc..As this video is years old, u may not see or answer right away. But, is an excellent video..Thanks!
Believe it or not I am still working on this repair. My last comment was 2 months ago. Had to await $ and then parts. Watched this video again. 4th time at least. Very professional and meticulous!! And oh! so helpful! Who knows, I might get it done in another month or so. (:
@@johnconnorstopskynet Yes I finally got the lower intake done and it cured all the ills of oil in the antifreeze. Did not have antifreeze in the oil but the reverse of that.
Also bro id love to get my car handled by mechanics like u , You actually take care of ur customers instead of half ass , i like the fact that ur cleaning everything
Great job and helped me very much. I've done them before but it has been a while. You did an awesome, very detailed tutorial..I just subscribed...Thank you...I'm doing my 1998 Grand Prix but pretty much the same minus the motor mounts on top...Perfect!!!
Damn! Brilliant job! I wish u was my tech! Beautiful job! I just bought my 1st 03 lasabre today. 89,000miles. I did see oil in the frt on the lower part of the plastic manifold.
I have been over Bryan's 2 videos on this many times like a medical intern in residency. There are so many nuances involved here that I had to stop on and study and study. If your a novice with primitive tools you fail to appreciate this process until your knee deep in it. At about 3:50 to 5:16 Bryan moves the alternator bracket out of the way. In my process I removed that bracket and disconnected the heater hoses attached to it. As here this is not a necessary move. However if you do the heater hoses attach to this bracket via some inserted metal tubes that seal with O-rings. The part# for these 0-rings are: GM#24502375 AC Delco#24502375 also
Wow that job would be brutal without pneumatic and or electric tools!! I'm about to tackle this myself being a retired auto body tech with a pretty decent amount of tools, I don't think I'd do it with manual one's, hat's off my friend! 👏💪
I understand the 3800 might seem a little low tech on the ignition side, but most coil on plug designs have the spark plugs in the valve covers and are OHC as well. I wouldn't want my ignition coils sitting right next the the exhaust manifold, especially the rear bank. Also, to be fair, I have replaced tons of the coils on a coil on plug vehicles as well. Your repair however was very meticulous and excellent so I do commend you on that.
When I took off the LIM I noticed that one of the bolts was over torqued and it cracked the gasket and the goo they used on the corners was under the two end gaskets. Looks like they used too much and it eventually raised the end gaskets causing it to leak. And of course there was that yellowish clay like stuff in several places. Old DEX cool or stop leak? Thanks for your detailed info.
This far into this repair. Please consider replacing those sure to fail plastic coolant elbows that gm engineers used( seriously why). Help section, aluminum ones available. They will never fail again.. excellent work and if I lived near you,I would bring any of my vehicle's to you for repair. Thank you for the video.
Did you identify the source of the leak? Was it the lower gasket and if so what part of it? What was that side gasket on the lower intake manifold? what was the purpose of that?
Hey man, Your video is great. I started taking it apart and I was missing the gasket (27:11) so it took me like 3 days to finish. I put everything back and I have one extra 13mm Bolt lol . You have any idea where it would go? took alternator and pulley off and followed to the dot. but somehow I have that damn bolt.
Bro you need a tip option lol.. I got a quick question my plastic coolant elbow that goes into the intake manifold from the tensioner housing fell inside after I pushed it in to far and broke it trying to pull it back out.. it broke from the outside... the lip on the end of the elbow is keeping it from being pulled out can I reach it through the top of the manifold if I take the plastic plenum off or is there a better way of doing it
how are those new batteries working for you? yea had one of those 3.8 gen 1 pretty good engine except for those intake gasket leaks and that ignition system. that thing had over 325,000 on it before my girlfriend wrecked it. and it was still going strong no engine problems at all. did`nt burn oil or anything. got a 3.5 in a malibu 2004 and that thing drinks oil like crazy. go figure. gm says that is normal 1/2 pint down over a 1,000 miles.
How much labor to do this job? I need mine done and wanna make sure I dont get overcharged. I liked how u went and got the ignition module and coils out the way for better access. Thank you! Brilliant job!! Shouldn't the valve cover bolts be torqued down?
How long would you say this job should take for an experienced mechanic? I have the 2003 Buick Park Avenue Ultra and need the Lower Intake Manifold gasket replaced as well as the rubber coolant elbows. I’m being told it will take 6 or more hours. Does this sound right or am I being ripped off?
Curious, what thread sealer do you recommend for the lower intake bolts. Know this was probably a source of leaks on the one I am still doing, believe it or not. Think I have Permatex #3 available but I noticed that the factory stuff, whatever it was, was plenty tough.
hi did you have a problem with the manifold intake being corroded i pulled mines off and where the intake meets the heads the part where the meet its corroded
When you mentioned all the computer controls and the coil packs, I couldn't agree more. They wonder why they need a government bail-out lol. I like some GM products, but they were building some junk for sure. Smart move replacing the plenum, especially if you blew the head gaskets. Ford had issues with those composite intakes too if I'm not mistaken. Looks like that thing may need motor mounts soon
Yeah we are a good distance thank you Brother! you can see the haziness in the air and can smell it in the air, the air quality seems a lot more poor than normal. The wildfires are a little worse this year but typically that's how it is every year, wildfires earthquakes and BS taxes and Fees. Welcome to California.
You mean Commiefornia?? lol There is something strange about the fires, the way things are burning, Or NOT burning is very odd. Time to make a tin foil hat lol
Well one is used to lock the bolt in place so that it doesn't run itself back out and the other is used to seal. I suppose you can get away with using thread lock once it drys and hardens should work ok I would make sure the bolt is completely clean and free from any type of oil before applying the lock tight!
@@Bryan916 are u sure? Steel bikts, into an aluminum head? What abiut next time taking them out? (I get nervous when internak threads are a softer alloy. Also, how mych ti dib that job cost a customer?
Help cool the fuel/air mixture before entering the combustion chamber, Also intakes to cylinder heads set up have coolant passages to absorbs heat to reduces engine temperature.
I was really impressed until compressed air was used to blow dirt everywhere that had just been so carefully cleaned and protected. A vacuum instead would have been a good choice. Blowing compressed air like that I guarantee did nothing but blow loose dirt into that motor.
The protections was for large gasket material not microscopic specks of dirt! A vacuum would be useless as there was nothing to suck up! I wasn't blowing away dirt I was dry off the cylinder heads gasket surface. The vehicle ran great and the customer was happy so what you think really doesn't matter does it? But thanks for watching!
@@Bryan916 Just saying I don't think blowing compressed air around a wide open engine is a good idea. There's always a chance of that air stirring sand from the transmission or windshield cowling or any one of a hundred corners where crap accumulates. Of course the engine ran great, but so did the contaminated Kia/Hyundai recall engines until they failed many miles down the road. I'd suggest pure acetone and special lint free fabric like they use in clean rooms and for precision cleaning to wipe the gasket surfaces, and no compressed air blowing.
@@dalebennion879 I know what I'm doing dale, but thanks anyway. Also, Kia/Hyundai engines have nothing to do with this repair. I'm glad this video helped you out with repairing your 3.8. and hopefully you learned something!
Trust Me Replace the Plenum. I tried to cheap out and just do the gaskets. Now My 97 Buick is in the shop getting the coolant and oil mixture fixed. New lower intake gaskets, New plenum and map.$2400.00. Thank you Bryan916 for your good video on the 3.8.
Again, very professional work and I am a retired mechanic with 2 ASE Master certifications and I have always been a perfectionist and I would trust this man with my cars. There aren't many like him and he is worth top dollar.
I knew he was good when he got a tork wrench that beeps instead of clicks!🤣 nah..he looks very cordinated and presice
I wish every city in America had 10 professional mechanics like yourself.
OUTSTANDING VIDEO. You're a master and appreciated. Thanks so much for the time and wisdom.
Nice! Exactly what I needed. Very detailed. Thank you for both videos
Best one on the internet
Thank you! An excellent video...prepping for reinstallation and wondered why LIM didn't install first, before the covers and belt tensioner assembly etc..As this video is years old, u may not see or answer right away. But, is an excellent video..Thanks!
Believe it or not I am still working on this repair. My last comment was 2 months ago. Had to await $ and then parts. Watched this video again. 4th time at least. Very professional and meticulous!! And oh! so helpful! Who knows, I might get it done in another month or so. (:
did you git r dun?
@@johnconnorstopskynet Yes I finally got the lower intake done and it cured all the ills of oil in the antifreeze. Did not have antifreeze in the oil but the reverse of that.
Also bro id love to get my car handled by mechanics like u , You actually take care of ur customers instead of half ass , i like the fact that ur cleaning everything
Great job and helped me very much. I've done them before but it has been a while. You did an awesome, very detailed tutorial..I just subscribed...Thank you...I'm doing my 1998 Grand Prix but pretty much the same minus the motor mounts on top...Perfect!!!
Thank you for posting this video. It was very helpful while I was repairing my brother's 2004 Chevrolet Impala last weekend.
You're welcome!
Damn! Brilliant job! I wish u was my tech! Beautiful job! I just bought my 1st 03 lasabre today. 89,000miles. I did see oil in the frt on the lower part of the plastic manifold.
All that work and didn't sell customer the metal coolant elbows?
Clean motor make for a great repair. Nice work!
I have been over Bryan's 2 videos on this many times like a medical intern in residency. There are so many nuances involved here that I had to stop on and study and study. If your a novice with primitive tools you fail to appreciate this process until your knee deep in it. At about 3:50 to 5:16 Bryan moves the alternator bracket out of the way. In my process I removed that bracket and disconnected the heater hoses attached to it. As here this is not a necessary move. However if you do the heater hoses attach to this bracket via some inserted metal tubes that seal with O-rings. The part# for these 0-rings are:
GM#24502375
AC Delco#24502375 also
Wow that job would be brutal without pneumatic and or electric tools!!
I'm about to tackle this myself being a retired auto body tech with a pretty decent amount of tools, I don't think I'd do it with manual one's, hat's off my friend! 👏💪
I understand the 3800 might seem a little low tech on the ignition side, but most coil on plug designs have the spark plugs in the valve covers and are OHC as well. I wouldn't want my ignition coils sitting right next the the exhaust manifold, especially the rear bank. Also, to be fair, I have replaced tons of the coils on a coil on plug vehicles as well. Your repair however was very meticulous and excellent so I do commend you on that.
I've replaced tons of ignition modules and coils on these 3800s probably just as much as direct coil on plug.
When I took off the LIM I noticed that one of the bolts was over torqued and it cracked the gasket and the goo they used on the corners was under the two end gaskets. Looks like they used too much and it eventually raised the end gaskets causing it to leak. And of course there was that yellowish clay like stuff in several places. Old DEX cool or stop leak? Thanks for your detailed info.
I've watched these a couple of times. Wished the one I was working on was that clean. If I can get that venmo working i'll throw a few bucks your way.
Thanks brother!
Great video! Thanks! What did you use to get the gasket surfaces on the heads cleaned? They look perfect!
Nice vid Bryan, Keep up the good work. All the way from the UK
Right on Brother, I appreciate the positive feedback, shout-out to the UK!
Bryan916 cheers dude I've done a few videos of my kit, 4 years in and still growing. Hopefully get to upload some work videos soon.
Cheers,
Robbie
This far into this repair. Please consider replacing those sure to fail plastic coolant elbows that gm engineers used( seriously why). Help section, aluminum ones available. They will never fail again.. excellent work and if I lived near you,I would bring any of my vehicle's to you for repair. Thank you for the video.
I cringed when I saw the plastic one.
Did you identify the source of the leak? Was it the lower gasket and if so what part of it? What was that side gasket on the lower intake manifold? what was the purpose of that?
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 I want this dude working on my 3800!!
Hey man, Your video is great. I started taking it apart and I was missing the gasket (27:11) so it took me like 3 days to finish. I put everything back and I have one extra 13mm Bolt lol . You have any idea where it would go? took alternator and pulley off and followed to the dot. but somehow I have that damn bolt.
Very good and professional.
great video i have a 1988 olds 98 regency brougham looking for the PVC Valve where is it located at
Very clean! You can work on mine anytime!
Bro you need a tip option lol.. I got a quick question my plastic coolant elbow that goes into the intake manifold from the tensioner housing fell inside after I pushed it in to far and broke it trying to pull it back out.. it broke from the outside... the lip on the end of the elbow is keeping it from being pulled out can I reach it through the top of the manifold if I take the plastic plenum off or is there a better way of doing it
how are those new batteries working for you? yea had one of those 3.8 gen 1 pretty good engine except for those intake gasket leaks and that ignition system. that thing had over 325,000 on it before my girlfriend wrecked it. and it was still going strong no engine problems at all. did`nt burn oil or anything. got a 3.5 in a malibu 2004 and that thing drinks oil like crazy. go figure. gm says that is normal 1/2 pint down over a 1,000 miles.
There's definitely a noticeable difference in battery life and brightness.
Fantastic job!
Two tools you have there. The flip light and the battery powered small right angle ratchet. What brands are those?
awsome work impressed
did you use a high temp gasket sealer like aluminum or copper on the heads? also where all did you put the silicone
Great video always enjoy watching.
How much labor to do this job? I need mine done and wanna make sure I dont get overcharged. I liked how u went and got the ignition module and coils out the way for better access. Thank you! Brilliant job!! Shouldn't the valve cover bolts be torqued down?
Somewhere between $480 and $800 depending on how extensive it gets!
@@Bryan916 I found a place for $400. I buy parts.
@@johnwagner4559 That's more than Fair!
Man o man i need u right now. I have a blown gasket. I have that same engine.
What is the part number for that tube ?
How long would you say this job should take for an experienced mechanic? I have the 2003 Buick Park Avenue Ultra and need the Lower Intake Manifold gasket replaced as well as the rubber coolant elbows. I’m being told it will take 6 or more hours. Does this sound right or am I being ripped off?
No, you are not being ripped off, it's a pretty involved repair! (Between 5 to 7 hours)
What were the torque specs on the lower manifold bolts? Awesome job!
Thank you 15ft lbs
Curious, what thread sealer do you recommend for the lower intake bolts. Know this was probably a source of leaks on the one I am still doing, believe it or not. Think I have Permatex #3 available but I noticed that the factory stuff, whatever it was, was plenty tough.
www.amazon.com/Permatex-80633-Thread-Sealant-PTFE/dp/B000HBM49W/ref=sr_1_8?crid=9N6E0JD53L06&keywords=thread+sealant&qid=1655244942&sprefix=tread+se%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-8
hi did you have a problem with the manifold intake being corroded i pulled mines off and where the intake meets the heads the part where the meet its corroded
When you mentioned all the computer controls and the coil packs, I couldn't agree more. They wonder why they need a government bail-out lol. I like some GM products, but they were building some junk for sure. Smart move replacing the plenum, especially if you blew the head gaskets. Ford had issues with those composite intakes too if I'm not mistaken. Looks like that thing may need motor mounts soon
I hope you and your family are a safe distance from the fires out there Brother. Quite a mess yall have in Cali
Yeah we are a good distance thank you Brother! you can see the haziness in the air and can smell it in the air, the air quality seems a lot more poor than normal. The wildfires are a little worse this year but typically that's how it is every year, wildfires earthquakes and BS taxes and Fees. Welcome to California.
About the motor mounts of course it does it's a transverse GM motor!
You mean Commiefornia?? lol There is something strange about the fires, the way things are burning, Or NOT burning is very odd. Time to make a tin foil hat lol
Hahaha..touche' got me there!!
Do I have to do all the extra work like can I just change those two metal plates? I know I should but I’m trying to just get it running
glad i could help.what you going to do to that ford engine you pulled out that expo?
just swapping it out for another used one.
bryan what brand of torque wrench are you using ?
I believe Snap-on in this video
Would a thread locker like blue type work just as well as a thread sealer? Details?
Well one is used to lock the bolt in place so that it doesn't run itself back out and the other is used to seal. I suppose you can get away with using thread lock once it drys and hardens should work ok I would make sure the bolt is completely clean and free from any type of oil before applying the lock tight!
@@Bryan916 Thanks for your insight.
@@Bryan916 are u sure? Steel bikts, into an aluminum head? What abiut next time taking them out? (I get nervous when internak threads are a softer alloy. Also, how mych ti dib that job cost a customer?
How long was the job in total?
Will done
Why does coolant have to run through the intake 😔😔
Help cool the fuel/air mixture before entering the combustion chamber,
Also intakes to cylinder heads set up have coolant passages to absorbs heat to reduces engine temperature.
I was really impressed until compressed air was used to blow dirt everywhere that had just been so carefully cleaned and protected. A vacuum instead would have been a good choice. Blowing compressed air like that I guarantee did nothing but blow loose dirt into that motor.
The protections was for large gasket material not microscopic specks of dirt! A vacuum would be useless as there was nothing to suck up! I wasn't blowing away dirt I was dry off the cylinder heads gasket surface. The vehicle ran great and the customer was happy so what you think really doesn't matter does it? But thanks for watching!
@@Bryan916 Just saying I don't think blowing compressed air around a wide open engine is a good idea. There's always a chance of that air stirring sand from the transmission or windshield cowling or any one of a hundred corners where crap accumulates. Of course the engine ran great, but so did the contaminated Kia/Hyundai recall engines until they failed many miles down the road. I'd suggest pure acetone and special lint free fabric like they use in clean rooms and for precision cleaning to wipe the gasket surfaces, and no compressed air blowing.
@@dalebennion879 I know what I'm doing dale, but thanks anyway. Also, Kia/Hyundai engines have nothing to do with this repair. I'm glad this video helped you out with repairing your 3.8. and hopefully you learned something!
First again!!!!!