Friends car is a 2000 3.8L was over heating so he brought it to me, flushed coolant and started to refill it and bleed it and noticed when I revved it up it sprayed coolant from somewhere above the water pump area, looks to me to be where a 90* plastic elbow is going back into the head or intake manifold. Whats there? I never worked on a 3.8L before, this common? Intake hot to come off? Of the heads?

Any info would be great!

Thanks!

 

If it is spraying out coolant chances are that the elbow broke/ cracked. It is a common problem with the 3.8L, but its not a huge deal, you can buy them.

Also, just an FYI (this does not sound to be your problem, just so you are aware) It is very common for the intake manifold gaskets on the 3.8L to leak, and need replacing.

 

Whats got to come off? Upper intake? Its a 90* plastic elbow that looks to me to go behind the belt tensioner and to the heater core hoses. I cant tell if it goes into the upper intake lower intake or the head??? Just cant get in there to see it?

Whats the part called?

 

Take a few minutes and unhook the serpentine belt and remove the alternator which is all pretty easy and go down to your local parts store and borrow there coolant pressurizing took and when you put pressure on the system you will be able to look down on those elbows to see if they are leaking. I replaced mine with the lower manifold but if I remember you can access replaceing them very easily with just unbolting a few things. They also sell the pair of elbows in the help section for only a couple of bucks

 

Thats sounds like what I wanted to hear. I just did not want to have to remove the intake manifold to access it.

I'll report back.

Thanks

 

If your elbows are broken you can pick them up at Pep-boys.

 

Got them off and both were destroyed, just fell apart in my hands, unbelievable. Most of the elbows are gone, prob in the cooling system.

Thats was so easy I pulled the upper intake to check for the EGR problem and locate the coolant leak under the TB. Found out the EGR is not and issue but the gasket between the TB and the intake was leaking coolant.

Nowhere is the quetion, where do I get a new upper to lower intake manifold gasket? AutoZone and Advance do not carry it? Dealer part only? Strange.

 

zzperformance.com (under grand prix same engine) should have all the gaskets your friend needs.

 

I bought mine at Oreilly auto. They are sold seperately. The upper manifold gasket is called plenium gasket. Here is the autozone links
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...chText=plenium
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/cat...rchText=gasket

 

Replaced them and its no longer leaking, thanks all!

Bought the upper gasket from the dealer, $26 not so bad.