AWeb80 Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 A kid in my class works partime as a mechanic. He and his bro each have their own bonniviles (sp?). He said they have had problems with not only thier engines but other peoples as well. The bring thier car in and say it is losing coolant but it is not buring in the engine nor leaking anywhere. Supposedly there is a metal post underneath the plastic intake manifold on the 3800's and after 60-70K miles, it gets hot and rattles against the plasic, developing a hole and somehow coolant gets in there and that is where the coolant is going. So people think they are losing it, but really it just sits on top of the engine, it never gets in though. Can somone verify this...(Redfox)? Has anyone herd of it? Quote
NOHC_WBody Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 IIRC, the EGR tube gets hot and melts the plastic, causing a lot of leaks in the 3800. I've known a few people with Ventures & Bonnies that did that, and if memory serves me right, no recall was ever ordered for it either. lots of intake manifold gasket issues with them as well, being plastic against metal. Here's a quote from a 3800 owner: I have become aware of many other Buick owners with the "improved?" 3800 Series 2 engine having the same problem. It seems that the valve that operates at about 1,300 degrees F. feeds exhaust directly into the plastic plenum. Over time the plastic melts, eventually cracking allowing coolant to flood the crankcase and mix with the oil. Quote
AWeb80 Posted August 29, 2003 Author Report Posted August 29, 2003 Ya that's what i'm talking about. The kid in my class was making the new metal post out of aluminum and making is shorter so it doesn't hit the plastic. He said the a new plastic intake is like 300 bucks or so. Geez Quote
NOHC_WBody Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 would there be any way to drill out the EGR passage, and install some form of heat sink/more heat resistant metal? Quote
AWeb80 Posted August 29, 2003 Author Report Posted August 29, 2003 well aluminum is pretty good for heatsink material,....thats what computers use in their inards, correct? And when the kid was making his own out of alum. he drilled a hole in the middle of it, i don't know if the stock on has one or not? Quote
Brian P Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 why not just get a metal intake manifold from an older 3.8? A plastic manifold, not just for 4 cylinders anymore. Quote
NOHC_WBody Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 I think the EGR & other emissions crap won't bolt up, IIRC. Quote
Redfox340 Posted August 29, 2003 Report Posted August 29, 2003 Can somone verify this...(Redfox)?Has anyone heard of it? No, haven't heard or a confirmed TSB or any such thing. Series I or Series II 3800's? - Erik Quote
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