CLASS RACER FORUM - 2002 Buick 3800

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I got this LeSabre with a 3800...
Is has a upper intake coolant leak...
I can not see where it is coming from...
Is there any water in the upper intake plenum?
It's plastic with aluminum intake lower half.
I've cleaned and dried the top of the motor and it looks like its running around where the plenum and intake come together...
Puddles up on top of the intake and runs down the head onto the exhaust...
Tried snugging the bolts around the plenum don't seem loose, but there are a couple I can't get to with the tools at hand.
The motor is in the car and not taken apart...
Trying to avoid that.
Only has 46000 on it...
Was moms car and I'm keeping it because it gets 30+ mpg going down the highway...and averages 22...
Much cheaper than the dually for tooling around town...

Any 3800 mechanics out here?

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.Fite (Post 709221)

Yes, they leak between the upper and lower intake, not a hard fix. Flush the orange garbage out and put good green antifreeze in it when you're done.

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Thank for the info.

What I was afraid of...
Wasn't sure there were any water passages.
Should be just gaskets and time?

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Quote:

Originally Posted by L.Fite (Post 709225)

Thank for the info.

What I was afraid of...
Wasn't sure there were any water passages.
Should be just gaskets and time?

Yep. Took me a couple of hours on my Firebird. You'll have to bleed the cooling system.

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Do what Alan said and make sure you check those 2 coolant elbows the GM ones are plastic and leak all the time!

24503423 elbow
12565082 elbow
gm numbers

Dorman makes metal ones also for replacement.

Also waterpumps are bad on those and it all looks like its leaking from the same area.

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Check the coolant elbows as stated above. That's what happened to my moms car recently. Not a difficult fix, but still a pain in the arse.

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOSTO RACING (Post 709233)

The leak looks like it's coming from driver side...
Pump and elbows already replaced a while back...

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

Quote:

Originally Posted by BTR69 (Post 709244)

Check the coolant elbows as stated above. That's what happened to my moms car recently. Not a difficult fix, but still a pain in the arse.

Yeah it is...
Seems like you have to take half the car apart to work on these things!

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

I would go-ahead and replace the plastic upper intake all together. They will warp over time, and then you put a fresh gasket underneath and it will still leak. Dorman makes a replacement.

Re: 2002 Buick 3800

The Dorman intake used to come with a different internal EGR tube to get the heat away from the intake. OE configuration would damage the intake, sometimes leak internal and hydraulic the engine. Would suggest doing the lower intake at the same time, the general used plastic lower intake gaskets also replacements can be gotten in metal with rubber inserts.