Excellent job well done! This is exactly how to do any engine reseal on really any engine to include all the older Cadillac V8's. Take your time and do it the correct way. I have just subscribed to your channel. Northstar is one of my favorite engines, but I have also worked on several other engines also from older Cadillac's and some european makes. To me, the Northstar is much easier than most people would say. It is a simple organized DOHC engine layout. And no matter what engine you have, or what make and model, there is always something that is hard or difficult to do.
Nice work on making this video. I would of added to replace the valve cover gaskets when the engine is lowered because they also tend to leak with age.
Ironically, I had already replaced the valve cover gaskets before the production of this video. This happens to be one of my personal vehicles that I purchased used, so addressing issues a bit at a time.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 you are a bad man, 2 questions how can you tell the difference whether it is the oil pressure sensor Gasket or this and where do I find you.
@thesweattexperience7741 the oil pressure sensor doesn't have a gasket as it is a pipe thread. You might be referring to the oil filter adapter seals. Look for oil leak evidence behind the engine. If it is present there, this is the repair that is necessary. Filter adapter leaks will only be visible at the front and bottom of the engine, But not behind.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 I just developed a leak in my 2010 DTS. You are talking about the gasket under the plate where the oil filter screws onto correct? But your saying from behind and not from behind, I'm confused where to look. Can you be more specific, thanks. And actually when you say front of engine do you mean looking at the car or the left and right side as in transverse.
I just subscribed.. you are great at what u do.. I do my own work on my car and since buying a dts I’ve cursed under this car plenty of times and you made it look like a breeze 🤷🏽♂️😂😂 great work sir
@@LotsofSideHustles My DTS has been sitting for a couple months because something went wrong with the braking system and I have no brakes at all. There were a couple noises from the area of abs module and then no brakes. Fluid is full in reservoir too. Luckily it's my second car and not needed daily. As soon as I get the brakes working again, I'm dumping it most likely at a loss because I put a grand in parts in it already. Every time I repair it, something else goes. Never again with Cadillac for me, I have never had a car sit useless for so long as a used Caddy. Too many bad engineers or something and I get that all cars break down but this thing is a disaster
I have a 03 deville with 53k miles. Very clean mint car I brought in October 2022. Today April 10th I notice on engine start up that my low oil level alert is on. I check the oil and it is low. There have never been and still is no sign of any leaks from the car. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, please send help!!
Great video, definitely solved the mystery. I have a question for the Doctor: When driving for ore than 15 minutes, I notice white smoke / fumes coming out from under the hood. The temperature gage is smack dab in the middle of the range, so there does not seem to be an engine overheat. What could be the reason/problem inducing the white smoke ? Thank you.
It can be assumed that a leak of some sort is landing on a hot surface, such as the exhaust manifolds or crossover. Any obvious loss of fluids or stains in your parking spot?
There's a guy in Palatine, IL who will reseal the crankcase and stud the heads plus do the water pump on any Northstar.....2300 bucks. Midwest Cadillac Repair; his lot is full of Northstar Cadillacs shipped from all over the country. I bought an '06 DTS which he did just recently. No more blown head gaskets no more oil leaks. I love the car so worth every penny for me.
Finally, someone who sees the value in repairing and maintaining. That's a bit light on the price in my opinion, but worth every penny if done correctly with warranty on workmanship.
Great video demonstrating the process to remove engine and reseal the upper half of the crankcase. Any suggestions for anyone removing the engine from the top? Basically, performing this job in a driveway garage.
It is possible, but EXTREMELY tight to get it past the upper rad support and the cowl. Remove the hood completely, and some sub-assemblies will have to be removed from the engine assembly. Be careful not to bash around the nose of the starter against the bellhousing, or maybe consider removing it all together before engine removal. I'm not a fan of getting dirty, so I would also degrease the entire engine compartment thoroughly before starting the job to minimize the misery of doing it without a hoist.
Have a 1999 Cadillac DeVille says check coolant system low coolant & overheats I don’t know what else to do changed the coolant reservoir & thermostat still overheats and shows in the dash
IN Process of repairing oil pan leak on 07 DTS and plan to replace oil pressure manifold are the bolts reusable or those torque to yield type as the head bolts are.
Those particular bolts are not torque to yield. Although the main bearing bolts are. Not a bad idea to replace them with GM or high quality aftermarket replacements.
I have a 2011 Cadillac DTS that has this issue. What is the estimated cost of this job? Also where are you located? Would love for you to work on mine.
Ok so if I need to do the exact same thing done to my 2011 where do u recommend I go , I live in northern Massachusetts outside of Boston , I think u do great work , please help…. Thank you
Can you explain where the jack points are when you do not want to use jack points on a 2002 deville I am in Arizona and want to jack it up for the summer. Thanks
It will cost you more than you paid for the car. I bought a 2000 for $1500 and between having to buy tools and my labor I figure I have about 5k tied up🙃🙃🙃🙃
Just bought an 06' model dts, mine is leaking oil but SEEM'S to be leaking only when I'm in park, if I leave it in park while the engine is on for more that 4 mins it starts smoking white smoke like crazy from under the hood, but when I put it in drive and ride for about 10 mins it stops, do you think the problem is the same as what your fixing in this video??
Very possible. The heat generated by running the engine under load maybe just enough to slow the leak temporarily. It's worth paying for undercar degreasing and leak diagnosis at a skilled, reputable shop to determine the source of the leak before investing in repairs.
It's a fair bit because of the labour involved. The job calls for about 14 hours at shop rate assuming that there is no seized hardware or other problems during the operation.
Just curious why you only used silicone on the case and didn't replace the gasket. I've seen tear-downs after this repair was done with silicone - blocking oil passages as you mentioned AND blocking oil pickup. Seems like a delicate balance between not enough and too much silicone...
I just had mines done and the valve cover but when I got the car back it's ticking loud from under the hood plus car gets really hot after only driving less than a mile....then traction and stabiltreck light came on...do you know why that would be???
I feel that they may have not replaced or correctly installed the oil manifold or pickup tube. Both of which can bee seen in the video. This would cause aeration of the oil and not pump up the lifters sufficiently.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 thanks...when I took car back to mechanic shop told them what was happening they told me there not responsible even though I didn't have a ticking noise prior to them doing the engine....I took car back same day of picking it up...do you think I could sue them??? What would you recommend of me doing in this case ..I paid 3700 for the job to be done including valve cover gasket....they said because the noise seem to be coming from the top it's not there fault and that they couldn't made a mistake while doing the job...they replaced oil filter oil manifold etc....
@@chrisjay2901 I think that legal proceedings shouldn't be necessary against a reputable shop. They should take responsibility for their mistake without threat of legal action. Northstars generally do not have valve train noise issues unless they are starving for oil pressure or the oil is aerated due to a torn seal or incorrectly installed manifold or pickup tube.
Thank you for your question. The labour time guide calls for 14.2 hours of shop labour plus the necessary wheel alignment after the job is complete (because the alignment of the subframe was disturbed by removing it). Keep in mind that various shops charge slightly different labour rates, and the suggested labour time isn't written in stone. The labour time guide is also assuming that everything goes as planned and things like seized hardware and rusted out brake lines aren't encountered.
everyone says to be careful about the oil drain holes and no one thinks that the silicone can get into the crankshaft and under the main or crank bearings, greetings from Poland
If a parts wash tank is available, it would certainly be advantageous to clean the crankcase half and oil pan in it to avoid old silicone from ending up blocking the oil pickup tube. Silicone generally doesn't free itself from the surfaces in fragments, but excessive use is capable of restricting the drain back passages and potentially starving the oil pump during lengthy, high RPM operation such as a full throttle acceleration from a stop onto a highway or freeway. A huge percentage of the total oil volume will be up in the engine, rather than in the pan.
Man Ole man. How much do you charge. I'm in Tampa FL. I just purchased a 2011 dts luxury. I was looking at four other brands and they all have defects. Because no vehicle is without problems right 😢. I said well its part of having a vehicle. So went with the caddy! I've noticed small leak but never on the ground. Weird. I may need to get this same job done. Other than that. This car has the power and runs smooth. Only thing I dislike is it max out at 110. I tested the HP and the dash told me speed limited. Now I feel cheated. The dash says 160! At least let me go 125. Fyi it's a caddy. I'm not racing for those who may assume I was racing. SMH. No I just had an opening and free and clear and wanted to see what she could do. Anyways. Yeah the highest I've saw on the caddy forum. Someone was quoted 9000 dollars. I'm thinking of getting a extended warranty. So hopefully when and if this becomes a issues I won't have to pay this high price. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINION AND FEEDBACK. No I'm not giving her back lol 😂. Other than this possible leak she's a good vehicles. Apparently this leak should have been a recall! But it wasn't. So anyone who has this vehicle. Will have to hope the owner before him/her. Has already fixed this issues. I checked car fax on mine. And everything from transmission to etc was repaired. Nothing about oil leak though 😢. It was fixed by a caddy dealership. No notes about oil leaking.
Gotta love GM and them including a scissor jack meant for jacking up cars at the pinch weld, but constantly made the pinch welds the worst place to jack the car up all through the 90s/early 2000s smdh. Every single 93-2002 camaro/firebird I've ever ran into all have at least one buckled fender from jacking the car up at the pinch weld while completely ignoring the bold all capital letters right in their face that says "DO NOT JACK HERE" 😂😂
Love the look and luxury of a caddy but will never own one That’s a lot for a simple oil leak WTF was Cadillac smoking to keep producing this all those years. Gm should’ve just drop the 4.8L v8 in these especially after the horrible head bolt issues in the early 2000s.
Excellent job well done! This is exactly how to do any engine reseal on really any engine to include all the older Cadillac V8's. Take your time and do it the correct way. I have just subscribed to your channel. Northstar is one of my favorite engines, but I have also worked on several other engines also from older Cadillac's and some european makes. To me, the Northstar is much easier than most people would say. It is a simple organized DOHC engine layout. And no matter what engine you have, or what make and model, there is always something that is hard or difficult to do.
Think you just saved my life with this information appreciate your work I’m currently ready start making a few repairs to my 2011 DTS premium
Thx for the info Doctor, keep them coming. I love my DTS!
Haven't even finished your video and im liking it already. great video, thank you!
Nice work on making this video. I would of added to replace the valve cover gaskets when the engine is lowered because they also tend to leak with age.
Ironically, I had already replaced the valve cover gaskets before the production of this video. This happens to be one of my personal vehicles that I purchased used, so addressing issues a bit at a time.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 you are a bad man, 2 questions how can you tell the difference whether it is the oil pressure sensor Gasket or this and where do I find you.
@thesweattexperience7741 the oil pressure sensor doesn't have a gasket as it is a pipe thread. You might be referring to the oil filter adapter seals. Look for oil leak evidence behind the engine. If it is present there, this is the repair that is necessary. Filter adapter leaks will only be visible at the front and bottom of the engine, But not behind.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 I just developed a leak in my 2010 DTS. You are talking about the gasket under the plate where the oil filter screws onto correct? But your saying from behind and not from behind, I'm confused where to look. Can you be more specific, thanks. And actually when you say front of engine do you mean looking at the car or the left and right side as in transverse.
I just subscribed.. you are great at what u do.. I do my own work on my car and since buying a dts I’ve cursed under this car plenty of times and you made it look like a breeze 🤷🏽♂️😂😂 great work sir
Thank you. I'm glad your are enjoying the videos.
Very interesting Northstar engine oil leak solution.
Otherwise, incredible video of a very complex repair. Well done!
this makes me want to sell my DTS asap, what a nightmare for a diy mechanic. way too much work for a small oil leak
THAT'S WHAT I DID.....SELL IT
Generally speaking, luxury vehicles are not designed for ease of driveway mechanics. Mercedes is significantly more complicated and time consuming.
If you have the tools ,resources, and know how, this isn’t that bad at all to do, I did it as well and now it’s a reliable leak free engine
@@LotsofSideHustles My DTS has been sitting for a couple months because something went wrong with the braking system and I have no brakes at all. There were a couple noises from the area of abs module and then no brakes. Fluid is full in reservoir too. Luckily it's my second car and not needed daily. As soon as I get the brakes working again, I'm dumping it most likely at a loss because I put a grand in parts in it already. Every time I repair it, something else goes. Never again with Cadillac for me, I have never had a car sit useless for so long as a used Caddy. Too many bad engineers or something and I get that all cars break down but this thing is a disaster
@cadillacdoctor1351 where you at I need this done to mines ASAP.....most people where I'm from are scared of Northstar engines
I have a 03 deville with 53k miles. Very clean mint car I brought in October 2022. Today April 10th I notice on engine start up that my low oil level alert is on. I check the oil and it is low. There have never been and still is no sign of any leaks from the car. Any advice will be greatly appreciated, please send help!!
What a great video! Amazing watch this ☮️5 time so far
Glad you enjoyed it.
Great video, definitely solved the mystery. I have a question for the Doctor: When driving for ore than 15 minutes, I notice white smoke / fumes coming out from under the hood. The temperature gage is smack dab in the middle of the range, so there does not seem to be an engine overheat. What could be the reason/problem inducing the white smoke ? Thank you.
It can be assumed that a leak of some sort is landing on a hot surface, such as the exhaust manifolds or crossover. Any obvious loss of fluids or stains in your parking spot?
There's a guy in Palatine, IL who will reseal the crankcase and stud the heads plus do the water pump on any Northstar.....2300 bucks. Midwest Cadillac Repair; his lot is full of Northstar Cadillacs shipped from all over the country. I bought an '06 DTS which he did just recently. No more blown head gaskets no more oil leaks. I love the car so worth every penny for me.
Finally, someone who sees the value in repairing and maintaining. That's a bit light on the price in my opinion, but worth every penny if done correctly with warranty on workmanship.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 are u in texas sir...i have a 06 dts in need of a leak fix....cant find anyone
I need his info mane I got 08 rn dats having da same problems
I know of the place, Midwest Cadillac, and as of a year ago I don't know anybody who paid anywhere near $2300 to have that done at that dealer.
@@bassb450
Whet are they located I will give them a call 😊
Great video demonstrating the process to remove engine and reseal the upper half of the crankcase. Any suggestions for anyone removing the engine from the top? Basically, performing this job in a driveway garage.
It is possible, but EXTREMELY tight to get it past the upper rad support and the cowl. Remove the hood completely, and some sub-assemblies will have to be removed from the engine assembly. Be careful not to bash around the nose of the starter against the bellhousing, or maybe consider removing it all together before engine removal. I'm not a fan of getting dirty, so I would also degrease the entire engine compartment thoroughly before starting the job to minimize the misery of doing it without a hoist.
Have a 1999 Cadillac DeVille says check coolant system low coolant & overheats I don’t know what else to do changed the coolant reservoir & thermostat still overheats and shows in the dash
Unfortunately, it may be time for head gaskets and rethreading the block.
Northstar performance has got ya covered if its headbolts and gaskets
IN Process of repairing oil pan leak on 07 DTS and plan to replace oil pressure manifold are the bolts reusable or those torque to yield type as the head bolts are.
Those particular bolts are not torque to yield. Although the main bearing bolts are. Not a bad idea to replace them with GM or high quality aftermarket replacements.
Outstanding Video many thanks.
I have a 2011 Cadillac DTS that has this issue. What is the estimated cost of this job? Also where are you located? Would love for you to work on mine.
14.2 hours is listed in the labour time guide. Unfortunately, I no longer possess the time or amenities to perform this task.
Hi tell me if there is a slide leak oil and coolant and you keep the coolant full , will the engine still overheat ?? Thanks !
Great job, I love my 2011 DTS
Ok so if I need to do the exact same thing done to my 2011 where do u recommend I go , I live in northern Massachusetts outside of Boston , I think u do great work , please help…. Thank you
I'm flattered, but I'm located in Midwestern Canada
Can you explain where the jack points are when you do not want to use jack points on a 2002 deville I am in Arizona and want to jack it up for the summer. Thanks
Refer to 4:03 in the video
How much does this service cost im experiencing the same thing on my 07 dts I just brought it 2nd hand and I’m completely distraught 😫😫
It is fairly time consuming. If I wasn't making the video, it would have taken about 15 hours or so. I actually shot this over a 3 day weekend.
It will cost you more than you paid for the car. I bought a 2000 for $1500 and between having to buy tools and my labor I figure I have about 5k tied up🙃🙃🙃🙃
David, the repair wouldn't cost you nearly that much to have completed by a reputable shop.
Nice! Where are you located and how much would you charge to do my 2006 DTS?
Located in southeast Alberta, Canada. Unfortunately, I no longer possess the time or property amenities to complete such a job.
@@cadillacdoctor1351😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢 you just hurt my feelings. Now I have to find someone else. But I understand.
Just bought an 06' model dts, mine is leaking oil but SEEM'S to be leaking only when I'm in park, if I leave it in park while the engine is on for more that 4 mins it starts smoking white smoke like crazy from under the hood, but when I put it in drive and ride for about 10 mins it stops, do you think the problem is the same as what your fixing in this video??
Very possible. The heat generated by running the engine under load maybe just enough to slow the leak temporarily. It's worth paying for undercar degreasing and leak diagnosis at a skilled, reputable shop to determine the source of the leak before investing in repairs.
Where you at i need this done to mines ASAP......most people where im from dont mess with Northstar
how much does this cost ?
Did y’all put a new oil manifold distribution plate ? If so where did you get it from ?
It is still available through GM
You can also get an aftermarket from a parts store Mahle makes them.
Hello Cadillac doctor… where is your shop and how much would this cost me by chance?
what's the average cost for a repair like this?
too damn much
💪🦵😂
It's a fair bit because of the labour involved. The job calls for about 14 hours at shop rate assuming that there is no seized hardware or other problems during the operation.
Just curious why you only used silicone on the case and didn't replace the gasket. I've seen tear-downs after this repair was done with silicone - blocking oil passages as you mentioned AND blocking oil pickup. Seems like a delicate balance between not enough and too much silicone...
It’s in the GM service manual to only use the RTV in place of the gasket. They updated it knowing those replacement gaskets would leak again.
Great vid. Where are you located? May need to bring my '11 DTS to you. Thx
How much to do mind?
Where are you located can I pay you to look at car I was discussing with you previously
I'm in Alberta, Canada, but have left the trade. You may notice my most recent videos are outdoors.
What's your location. I need this service performed on a 2001 Deville in Los Angeles
This is a great video and I have the same issue but there's no way I'm going to tackle it
Great video! Do you happen to make any for the chevrolet cavalier?
I try to dedicate my channel to Cadillacs but would be happy to answer questions about other models.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 yes please! And S10s as well. Great content thought. Helped me huge with my Cadillac!!
I just had mines done and the valve cover but when I got the car back it's ticking loud from under the hood plus car gets really hot after only driving less than a mile....then traction and stabiltreck light came on...do you know why that would be???
Was it quiet before the repair?
@@cadillacdoctor1351 yes it was
I feel that they may have not replaced or correctly installed the oil manifold or pickup tube. Both of which can bee seen in the video. This would cause aeration of the oil and not pump up the lifters sufficiently.
@@cadillacdoctor1351 thanks...when I took car back to mechanic shop told them what was happening they told me there not responsible even though I didn't have a ticking noise prior to them doing the engine....I took car back same day of picking it up...do you think I could sue them??? What would you recommend of me doing in this case ..I paid 3700 for the job to be done including valve cover gasket....they said because the noise seem to be coming from the top it's not there fault and that they couldn't made a mistake while doing the job...they replaced oil filter oil manifold etc....
@@chrisjay2901 I think that legal proceedings shouldn't be necessary against a reputable shop. They should take responsibility for their mistake without threat of legal action. Northstars generally do not have valve train noise issues unless they are starving for oil pressure or the oil is aerated due to a torn seal or incorrectly installed manifold or pickup tube.
how much does a job like that cost in labor
Thank you for your question. The labour time guide calls for 14.2 hours of shop labour plus the necessary wheel alignment after the job is complete (because the alignment of the subframe was disturbed by removing it). Keep in mind that various shops charge slightly different labour rates, and the suggested labour time isn't written in stone. The labour time guide is also assuming that everything goes as planned and things like seized hardware and rusted out brake lines aren't encountered.
Thanks for tip
How much time on this job?
Mike
Book time is 14.2 hours. I recorded the video over a 3 day weekend as to explain the job as thoroughly as possible.
where are you located? I could use some work done to my 2007 dts
I no longer have the facility to perform such work. You may notice that my most recent videos are outdoors.
I thought the main bearing bolts are torque to yield and can’t be reused
I live in Pasadena Ca are you close
Not even a little bit. Alberta, Canada
everyone says to be careful about the oil drain holes and no one thinks that the silicone can get into the crankshaft and under the main or crank bearings, greetings from Poland
If a parts wash tank is available, it would certainly be advantageous to clean the crankcase half and oil pan in it to avoid old silicone from ending up blocking the oil pickup tube. Silicone generally doesn't free itself from the surfaces in fragments, but excessive use is capable of restricting the drain back passages and potentially starving the oil pump during lengthy, high RPM operation such as a full throttle acceleration from a stop onto a highway or freeway. A huge percentage of the total oil volume will be up in the engine, rather than in the pan.
Man Ole man. How much do you charge. I'm in Tampa FL. I just purchased a 2011 dts luxury. I was looking at four other brands and they all have defects. Because no vehicle is without problems right 😢. I said well its part of having a vehicle. So went with the caddy! I've noticed small leak but never on the ground. Weird. I may need to get this same job done. Other than that. This car has the power and runs smooth. Only thing I dislike is it max out at 110. I tested the HP and the dash told me speed limited. Now I feel cheated. The dash says 160! At least let me go 125. Fyi it's a caddy. I'm not racing for those who may assume I was racing. SMH. No I just had an opening and free and clear and wanted to see what she could do. Anyways. Yeah the highest I've saw on the caddy forum. Someone was quoted 9000 dollars. I'm thinking of getting a extended warranty. So hopefully when and if this becomes a issues I won't have to pay this high price. PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR OPINION AND FEEDBACK. No I'm not giving her back lol 😂. Other than this possible leak she's a good vehicles. Apparently this leak should have been a recall! But it wasn't. So anyone who has this vehicle. Will have to hope the owner before him/her. Has already fixed this issues. I checked car fax on mine. And everything from transmission to etc was repaired. Nothing about oil leak though 😢. It was fixed by a caddy dealership. No notes about oil leaking.
So realistically about how much is a job like this? I have an 05 DeVille and might as well start saving money for when the day comes
Thanks for sharing
what a pain in the AsSS having one of these cars
I have 2010 DTS it is a shlt car
Nice DTS i have a 2006 silver level 2 i had the oil leak but thankfully its fixed i know alot about that purple starter wire now lol
i need help in texas with mine
Gotta love GM and them including a scissor jack meant for jacking up cars at the pinch weld, but constantly made the pinch welds the worst place to jack the car up all through the 90s/early 2000s smdh. Every single 93-2002 camaro/firebird I've ever ran into all have at least one buckled fender from jacking the car up at the pinch weld while completely ignoring the bold all capital letters right in their face that says "DO NOT JACK HERE" 😂😂
Why didn't Cadillac just made the hole block all together 🤦
Love the look and luxury of a caddy but will never own one That’s a lot for a simple oil leak WTF was Cadillac smoking to keep producing this all those years. Gm should’ve just drop the 4.8L v8 in these especially after the horrible head bolt issues in the early 2000s.
Mine has a bit of the same leak , I’m just going to leave it .!
😱 Northstar again!!! 🤯
Maybe 10w30 oil wouldn't leak as much
Or: you could just keep leaving the ignition in the car and eventually someone will steal it.
This makes me want to sell my car lol
You want to sell a beautiful car with a virtually indestructible engine? I must inquire as to why?
All that for 3 drops of oil overnight? You're nuts
Having similar problems, will never buy a Northstar again. Should of been a recall.
Fuck dts I will not be buying one tomorrow lol I’m going with the xts lol
I SOLD MINE AND WILL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER
XTS employes the 3.6 litre V6 which I'm much less fond of.
NOPE......JUST SELL IT...
...and replace it with what? An engine with half the life expectancy of a Northstar? A leak does not mark the end of an engine's useful life.
$2600 repair on a 3000$ car
I will never ever buy a caddilac!