Is this why I get a ECT sensor code and the temp clumbs to hafway, i top coolant off and bleed air and a month later, i get the code and temp climb.Pretty sure i see a leak under the injector with coolant, i believe its the plenum gasket.If i turn the air on it seems to control the temp, for some reason the fans don't kick on when i drive at low speeds in town
@@BuckeyeBallistics well, it's been pissing me off for a while.. I just got a map sensor and ignition module control fixed but my check engine came in again probably because of the intake leak, if I top off and bleed air, it's good for a month, should I get a combustion block test? It's a fat whore!
You can, but in many instances the plastic manifold is cracked and leaking (this is what happened to mine), or eventually will be. Sometimes it can be hard to find the crack...
@@BuckeyeBallistics mine is leaking and I can see it when the engine is running, all that mine needs is the gasket and that's the job I'm doing tomorrow morning.
Good video! I know you where pressed for time. I would have liked to have seen you work on it more thoroughly. But you did run through the basics so thanks for that.
My car's Dexcool is old and I'm going to replace it. The blue dye bottle test using a hose to my radiator turned yellow so I assume I have to fix a broken head gasket. Is there any chance that broken intake manifold gaskets could affect the coolant to make the dye turn yellow? My neighbour who sold this car to me did 1 or both heads at 110,000 miles and it's now got 30k more miles and taking coolant. It only heats up to normal when idling, but when driving the temp. gauge drops and shows 75% of normal. Oil and tranny fluid are not discoloured. I'm wondering how useful a compression test will be since it's leaking less than a quart per tankful and the upper radiator hose, when the engine is hot, holds pressure for more than 15 minutes.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I'll get someone to do that compression test. However, my other question is; Does the blue dye going yellow guarantee that I have a head leak going into the coolant? I understand that I might also have an intake manifold gasket issue, but I assume that can't turn the dye yellow. My trusted shop won't remove a Grand Prix head because he's had too many problems go wrong in the past.
I am not familiar with the dye test and what it turning a different color is supposed to indicate. I've always used the compression test method to check head gaskets.
Hey im hoping someone can help with my question. So I have a 07 grand prix with the 3800 and is blowing white smoke meaning water is getting into the combustion. Ive heard its possible its from the intake manifold gasket going bad im hoping that's the cause and not a head gasket, has anyone else had this problem and that being the cause?
It can absolutely be from the intake manifold, more likely the lower manifold though if I'm not mistaken. But to quickly eliminate the heads as being the culprit, simply perform a compression test on all of the cylinders. You can get a cheap compression tester for around $20...
I looked for like 30 minutes brother, I can't find them anywhere, not even on amazon or ebay. It has to be a dealer part, as in call a GM dealer. Your second option is to pull some from a junkyard...
The 2 "hidden" bolts are for the lower intake that's underneath that Plenum/upper intake(plastic one). Their down inside the aluminium lower intake top left corner and bottom right corner. Only take em out if doing lower intake also. Thx for the vid
Not at all. It only takes 1% of that gasket to fail to cause a leak. So if 99% of the gasket is still holding well, it's still gonna stick on there pretty good. Also it's more likely the plastic manifold has a leak than the gasket, due to a crack (like mine) or corrosion, as this was a common problem on these vehicles. And if it's really stuck on there, you might have missed a bolt...
I did this at 1am in the morning after work, with basic tools and while recording, which takes longer, and it only took me 3 1/2 hours. So a shop *should* be able to do it in 3 hours. So whatever their hourly labor rate is x3, plus the cost of the part ($70-$140) and coolant. So I would say no more than $500 is a *good* price, though I have heard of shops charging twice that to do this repair (which I absolutely would not pay). But on average you're probably gonna be quoted $600-$800 because they're gonna say it takes 4-5 hours even though it doesn't. Curious what you were quoted...
Guns&Cars I was quoted $2,400.00 including a tune up. I need to get a second opinion. I live in Illinois. I have a 2001 Monte Carlo with 58,000 miles. The car is in great condition. I just had some work done the other day and paid $739.00. At what point do you stop investing in a 2001 car?
Hey sorry man I didn't realize you replied, youtube only notifies me of comments *half* of the time. Probably too late, but as I said in my original reply, anything beyond $800 for the manifold replacement is too high. To answer your question about investing in a 2001- Mine had over 200,000 miles on it when I sold it and it was still running great. So with yours having only 58,000 miles on it, it should have a lot of life left in it. Honestly I'm questioning why the hell you car needs all these repairs with such low miles. The manifold makes since because they were a huge problem on all of those cars, but other than that, with only 58k, shouldn't be much wrong with it.
I started doing this job today and first off I guess I never really paid attention but my upper intake is actually a metal one. It's a limited edition 2003 grand prix so maybe that was standard upper intake? I took off the throttle body today and found that the seal around the side of the manifold is the cheap plastic one and it's broken in pieces. Going to keep on finishing the job but do you think that this broken gasket would cause a coolant leak at all? There is a lot of white powder around that area.
I'm not sure about a metal unit ever comming on the car from the factory, as even the supercharged gtp models still had plastic manifolds. But I have seen metal replacements, so that they won't crack. And yeah, if your gasket is "plastic", it could absolutely cause a leak. The gaskets are rubber, not plastic. However, after many years, the rubber dries and becomes brittle, sometimes becoming "plastic", even though it is rubber. I have seen this on one of my own cars before, broke off in little hard peices when I tried to remove it. So if your gasket has turned to plasic, it could definately cause a leak. And since you have a metal manifold that should never crack, it's a good possibility that it's the extremely aged gasket causing the leak. Also the white powder is likely dried coolant as you suspect. However, I should mention this one other possibility- Back in the day, GM used "dexcool" I believe it was called, orange or red coolant. This coolant was extremely corrosive and was known to eat through aluminum pieces of the engine like throttle bodies with coolant passages and aluminum manifolds. I would very carefully inspect your metal unit (90% sure it's aluminum or aluminum alloy) for any signs of corrosion in the coolant passages before just assuming the new gasket will fix it if you're putting the old metal unit back on.
@@BuckeyeBallistics Your correct about them being rubber and than turning to plastic. I will get the Fel-pro replacement one. I stopped using Dexcool a few years ago when I was reading about how that stuff was crap. I did change my lower gaskets to metal a few years ago but I wonder now why the garage didn't just change this one. Going to pull the fuel rail off tonight and than remove the intake manifold to take a look and see what I find. Thanks for your help! I've done some repairs on my car like sunroof replacement, brakes, elbows (exactly from what you said about the brittleness), spark plugs and even installed my own stereo which I never done but I was really hesitant about doing this kind of engine work but feel pretty confident after watching your video. Just have to remember where everything goes back after. lol!
@@loucifer2013 Yeah honestly it was easier than I thought. I did all this in 2-3 hours in the pitch black A.M. hours of morning with basic hand tools and a shop light. What's ridiculous is some shops charge almost a grand to do this job. That's just straight up robbery...
The "plenum" is the "upper" intake manifold, and then underneath that is the metal "lower" intake manifold. I only did the upper manifold plenum and plenum gasket in this video. But yes, it's an "intake manifold" gasket, but specifically the upper intake manifold.
@@BuckeyeBallistics is it possible for the lower gasket to leak coolant internally? I have to keep putting coolant every couple days I dont know where is going.
Have you heard about any of the Dorman intake plenum inserts being defective? Mine didn't fit as snug as I'd have liked and if it's leaking may be the cause of my engine codes being tripped?? Throttle position sensor and map sensor engine codes 97 lesabre 106k miles.
I have not, but I've honestly never researched for such information so it's certainly possible. Check the torque on all the bolts, sometimes they can come loose. TPS sensor/code shouldn't be affected by a leak, but the MAP sensor could be.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I appreciate the quick response. That throttle sensor code has me stumped. It appeared immediately after putting the intake system back together. A couple hundred miles in before map sensor fault. I've read a couple comments on other threads about customers displeasure with the fitment of the insert. I only suspected it might be the case because a couple days ago I noticed the plenum gasket looks shoved towards the front of the vehicle. The little tabs that hold it to the plenum are clearly not center. I'll check torque just to rule it out. I'm just trying to decide if I want to pull that back apart (maybe replace) or go ahead and have it run on a more complex diagnostic computer. I had originally thought cleaning my throttle body caused throttle code? Car runs great going down the road, at least no noticeable hiccups. Had a misfire code before changing intake, doesn't smoke anymore either. Only when slightly pressing throttle does it want to stall and has. I've done radiator, hoses, new brake lines metal and rubber, 1 new caliper and have 2 wheel cylinders yet to be installed, crank sensor, lower intake gasket up all new, I'm sure more that I'm forgetting. Owned 2 years maybe 300 miles in that time. (Co.vid and everytime I get in it theres a new problem).
Whenever disassembling/moving components, doing such could sertainly create problems, as could cleaning. The TPS is electronic (obviously) and somewhat fragile, so bumping it too hard could have caused a malfuntion, or even pulling on the wiring. Try unplugging it and making sure both connections are clean and plug back in. Also you should have reset the ecu by disconnecting the battery for several minutes if you didn't do that either. Other than that, hard to tell. There are methods to test the sensors, easily found on youtube...
@@BuckeyeBallistics I bought a multimeter to test it using Pine Hollow Diagnostics method here on youtube. I replaced the TPS and reset computer before running the car again. I'm not too experienced in testing electrical sensors and am reluctant to go jabbing a 12v hot wire into holes, although he explains it clearly and it appears to be a straight forward procedure. I have the ability to test it just not the nerve yet. I appreciate the input. I was dropping a few comments around youtube, on the videos I watched before doing the intake job, to see if anyone else stumbled across the "defective dorman plenum insert".
Don't forget to change the ERG tube with the new one. It has a smaller diameter so it doesn't melt the plastic. It is located on the lower intake.. below where the throttle body mounts. Other wise you can have the problem again.
Yes it could, and so could the lower manifold, as well as the head gaskets. You can do a compression test to either confirm or rule out the head gaskets.
Not sure if the lowers leak. I guess if you feel so inclined, wouldn't be a bad idea, but not sure how much more work that is. The uppers crack and leak all the time, which is what mine was doing.
Wow, yours was worse than mine then. I never had any going to the cylinders and thus out the exhaust. I have heard that once it gets that bad you run the rist of hydrolocking the engine.
There is no service interval for this job; basically just if it starts to leak, fix it. Mine had over 200,000 miles on it at the time of this video. But I have heard of it happening before 100,000. 37,000 miles is extremely low, but since the car is over 20 years old, I'm sure the gasket has become brittle. But personally I wouldn't touch it unless you notice a leak or loss of coolant that can't be explained.
@@BuckeyeBallistics 150,000 is about the time they all start leaking I work on these cars every day only because they have lived 3/4 of there life with just oil changes. not to mention no one uses dex cool.you should see how many radiators I've done because of 150k without dexcool and have to to super and lower hoses as well.USE DEX COOL IN ALL GM OVER 1996
@Dirt Track - It was widely known that dexcool was corrosive and ate plastic and even aluminum parts. I wrenced on f-bodys for several years, even featured some of the cars on the channel. It was somewhat common on those to get a coolant leak right at the aluminum throttle body. They had a coolant line running through a channel in them to keep the throttle from sticking in extremely cold weather, and the dexcool ate through the thin aluminum there. That said, dexcool became corrosive overtime from not being changed- but the same could be said for other coolants. So in reality, proper maintenance is more important than what coolant you choose (shocker).
Thanx! Just a perfectly timed & concise overview to explain "the big picture". BTW, this might be a dumb question, but why do we care about those throttle-body studs with the rusted nuts? Can't we just put them right back in as "bolts instead of nuts"?
Thank you man. And not sure without watching the video, but I have absolutely done that before when a nut is so seized to a stud, that the stud comes out with it.
No it wasn't misfiring, I just smelled and saw the leak. BUT, it could absolutely cause a misfire, because depending on where the leak is, it could get into the cylinders.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I have a misfire in the #5. I changed everything . cleaned injectors,new coils,new plugs,new ignition module,wires and still have the misfire. Do you think its gotta be this gasket??? I had no idea it cld be this! Thanks
Yeah but I'm sure that's at least double the price. Also, the new Dorman plastic ones (what I installed) shouldn't crack because they are re-designed to adress this issue.
@@BuckeyeBallistics thanks for that tip. I'm looking to do mine before it leaks because I've just done the elbows and usually when you fix one leak you find weaknesses elsewhere
This video is perfect for what I want to do. What I want to attempt is to remove the throttle body so I could get a look inside and see if the intake manifold has that same crack and leak that usually happens in that area. I should be able to see that with the flashlight after removing throttle body no? Just want to make sure before I order a new intake manifold. Is the one you replaced from Dorman? I don't want to get the same original crappy plastic one that came with the car. Thanks!
My crack was on one of the side/back side mounting bolts, behind/under the throttle body. I think I showed it in the video? So I'm not sure if you can see what you're trying to see by taking the TB off. If I recall correctly I replaced it with the Dorman manifold, but they are an improved design over the factory piece so that they will not crack.
@@BuckeyeBallistics O thanks bud! I watched it again and I see where exactly you were showing the leak location. I'm pretty sure that's exactly where I seen signs of a leak from mine. Going to start on doing this project today. Thanks for all the info.
Hey, great quick tutorial. Just wanted to mention, the "hidden" bolts that other reviews refer to are when you remove the cast aluminum lower intake manifold (the platform which this plastic plenum bolts to). There are two of them in opposing diagonal corners. Just an FYI.
Just doing this change myself and ya def wanna just do the lower intake if tear it down to do the upper. Them stupid designed plastic elbows really like to crack out an leak often. Esp the 1 coming from tensioner pulley/heater core bracket and hooks into the aluminum lower intake
I just got my new intake plenum, with a modified intake gasket from ZZP since I also bought the HV3 insert, and was gonna mention the hidden bolts being for the lower intake (which I learned from research and not experience), but the OP did that. I just also need to be able to get the front valve cover off too, so I can replace the gasket and cover. My car is the exact same on in this video, a 00 GP GT, so I needed to gather more info.
@@BuckeyeBallistics It would have been easy if it wasn't for the fact that the 13mm bolt for the engine mount near the ICM wasn't stuck, so I hope removing the intake will give me access to the bolt for the valve cover under the mount.
It doesn't tell me when you edit your comment, I just happened to notice. From what I just read, the series 3 has a metal intake manifold plenum instead of plastic, so the torque numbers are probably different.
I was loosing coolant and I could see it was wet around around where I showed in the video, and I could smell the coolant under the hood as well. That and being armed with the knowledge that this is a very common issue with these vehicles, it led me right to it.
F****** meant didn't go through a half hour 45 minutes story about your dog cheating on your wife forgot to drink the moonshine because it was actually water and then tomorrow was today short and sweet just like my love life
I assume these suffer from the GM gasket killing solution known as dexcool (orange coolant) my 08 turned 130000 miles old and today blew the intake gasket. Good video here sir thanks!
Yes, that stuff ate the gaskets and plastic manifolds on these cars, among many others, and in some cases it even eats through aluminum if left in the system too long. Thanks for watching, hope it was/is helpfull.
My 3800 Series II Intake manifold is leaking as well, there is coolant spray on the underside of the top engine cover, coolant all around the intake manifold area, low coolant light coming on and going off every now and then, hopefully this fixes the issue, the only problem is removing all this stuff to get to the gasket, its a pain in the arse when u dont have a whole lot of time when you work night shift
Usually u need to change the lower intake gasket aswell, which is under that plastic plenum/upper intake. If your changing the upper you myswell keep going an takeoff that lower intake aswell. Watch the plastic elbows on the passenger side, esp the 1 that goes from tensioner pulley bracket, into the lower intake. They crack and leak antifreeze but it's so hot right their sometimes shit evaporates even and u cant tell where fluid is going. This vid is just the upper intake. The lower goes bad aswell just as often
@@wtfhappened661 Mine i changed this time were a black plastic Dorman gasket yes, but they usually last 100k or so if done right it seems, alot of times way more also. But ya i have no clue why they used the stupid plastic elbows on my series 2 3800(02 impala). The 1s that come from thru the aluminum chunk of metal with tensioner pulley at the end, and then 90* L shaped elbow that hooks into lower intake. Thats where they go bad alot, the 2nd elbow seems to last longer its close by but hooks into near the rear head and feeds to the water pump is what it looks like. If its them elbows its alot faster of a fix forsure. But changing gaskets isn't to bad after about 3 goes😡😂. But they sure rum good besides that issue. Goodluck man
thats why 3.8 series 3 is the best just change the plastic elbows
Did you have to change the gasket?
These 3800 & 3400 engines are so easy to repair, perfect learner for a kid!
I would have to agree with you. Considering some shops charge $1000 to do this job, I was surprised how easy it actually was.
I believe the 3300 was even easier
@@Alex-gq3zc come fix
X min , easier said than done mother fucker
Thanks…..
Is this why I get a ECT sensor code and the temp clumbs to hafway, i top coolant off and bleed air and a month later, i get the code and temp climb.Pretty sure i see a leak under the injector with coolant, i believe its the plenum gasket.If i turn the air on it seems to control the temp, for some reason the fans don't kick on when i drive at low speeds in town
Could be
@@BuckeyeBallistics well, it's been pissing me off for a while.. I just got a map sensor and ignition module control fixed but my check engine came in again probably because of the intake leak, if I top off and bleed air, it's good for a month, should I get a combustion block test? It's a fat whore!
Can't you change just the gasket?
You can, but in many instances the plastic manifold is cracked and leaking (this is what happened to mine), or eventually will be. Sometimes it can be hard to find the crack...
@@BuckeyeBallistics mine is leaking and I can see it when the engine is running, all that mine needs is the gasket and that's the job I'm doing tomorrow morning.
Okie dokie. The plastic manifolds are notorious for cracking, so don't be surprised if it starts leaking again later on...
@@BuckeyeBallistics i have definitely doubled check it because I don't want to do it two times
Thank you sir. 👍🤝
Where you at? I need a good mechanic in Montgomery Alabama. LoL
Ohio 🤷🏻♂️
Aww damn! 🤣🤣 My joint leaking between the air intake and Manifold... I hope I could just replace the seals
Hey smart guy what is swap that over mean you mean change them
You think I'm going to answer you when you're being a smartass to me 😅 Lo siento, me no espanol...
Do you have to drain the oil prior to this?
Oil? No. Coolant? Not if it's already low from leaking lol.
why are we not using dexcool?
Good video! I know you where pressed for time. I would have liked to have seen you work on it more thoroughly. But you did run through the basics so thanks for that.
So I didn't bleed the pressure off my fuel rail. How screwed am i????
Not screwed at all- it's just to keep it from spraying in your face when you take it off.
Thanks
You should have explaned the tube on the gasket i installed mine the wrong way so now have to remove again.
straightfoward video. nice!
Thanks
Those plyers you have are nice man.
My car's Dexcool is old and I'm going to replace it. The blue dye bottle test using a hose to my radiator turned yellow so I assume I have to fix a broken head gasket. Is there any chance that broken intake manifold gaskets could affect the coolant to make the dye turn yellow? My neighbour who sold this car to me did 1 or both heads at 110,000 miles and it's now got 30k more miles and taking coolant. It only heats up to normal when idling, but when driving the temp. gauge drops and shows 75% of normal. Oil and tranny fluid are not discoloured. I'm wondering how useful a compression test will be since it's leaking less than a quart per tankful and the upper radiator hose, when the engine is hot, holds pressure for more than 15 minutes.
You need to perform a compression test to check the head gaskets. If they are bad, you will lose compression.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I'll get someone to do that compression test. However, my other question is; Does the blue dye going yellow guarantee that I have a head leak going into the coolant? I understand that I might also have an intake manifold gasket issue, but I assume that can't turn the dye yellow. My trusted shop won't remove a Grand Prix head because he's had too many problems go wrong in the past.
I am not familiar with the dye test and what it turning a different color is supposed to indicate. I've always used the compression test method to check head gaskets.
Hey im hoping someone can help with my question. So I have a 07 grand prix with the 3800 and is blowing white smoke meaning water is getting into the combustion. Ive heard its possible its from the intake manifold gasket going bad im hoping that's the cause and not a head gasket, has anyone else had this problem and that being the cause?
It can absolutely be from the intake manifold, more likely the lower manifold though if I'm not mistaken. But to quickly eliminate the heads as being the culprit, simply perform a compression test on all of the cylinders. You can get a cheap compression tester for around $20...
@@BuckeyeBallistics so if it was to fail the compression test then would it be a good chance of a LIM gasket failure?
No. I'm saying compression test to check if it's the head gasket or not.
@@BuckeyeBallistics ok gotcha I was thinking that after I replied. Thanks I'll see about getting a cheap kit tomorrow
I NEED HELP FAST! ANYONE KNOW WHERE TO GET THE UPPER MANIFOLD INTAKE PLENUM BOLT SET? OR PART NUMBER FOR THE BOLTS FOR THE PLENUM?
I looked for like 30 minutes brother, I can't find them anywhere, not even on amazon or ebay. It has to be a dealer part, as in call a GM dealer. Your second option is to pull some from a junkyard...
Good job. It looks easier than I thought it would be.
Yeah it wasn't too bad. Some people saying they have paid around a grand to have a shop do this. Highway robbery...
The 2 "hidden" bolts are for the lower intake that's underneath that Plenum/upper intake(plastic one). Their down inside the aluminium lower intake top left corner and bottom right corner. Only take em out if doing lower intake also. Thx for the vid
Thanks
Mine is at the shop now being fixed. Glad I have a great mechanic that won't fleece me.
Yeah they usually charge people 7-800 to do this 3 hour job. Realistically it should only be 4-500.
@@BuckeyeBallistics how much is the parts?
I got it for around $70
If you can't pull up the engine intake monifold won't come up means the gasket seal good still?
Not at all. It only takes 1% of that gasket to fail to cause a leak. So if 99% of the gasket is still holding well, it's still gonna stick on there pretty good. Also it's more likely the plastic manifold has a leak than the gasket, due to a crack (like mine) or corrosion, as this was a common problem on these vehicles. And if it's really stuck on there, you might have missed a bolt...
In try to pry it up from the side n it leak out little can put some sealing?
How much would this cost to repair. I just received a quote and I’m not sure if it’s a good price.
I did this at 1am in the morning after work, with basic tools and while recording, which takes longer, and it only took me 3 1/2 hours. So a shop *should* be able to do it in 3 hours. So whatever their hourly labor rate is x3, plus the cost of the part ($70-$140) and coolant. So I would say no more than $500 is a *good* price, though I have heard of shops charging twice that to do this repair (which I absolutely would not pay). But on average you're probably gonna be quoted $600-$800 because they're gonna say it takes 4-5 hours even though it doesn't. Curious what you were quoted...
Guns&Cars I was quoted $2,400.00 including a tune up. I need to get a second opinion. I live in Illinois. I have a 2001 Monte Carlo with 58,000 miles. The car is in great condition. I just had some work done the other day and paid $739.00. At what point do you stop investing in a 2001 car?
@@susanpalle3199 When you can no longer find an honest mechanic...
Wtf Happened I will be going for another estimate on Wednesday. Hopefully, I will get a better quote.
Hey sorry man I didn't realize you replied, youtube only notifies me of comments *half* of the time. Probably too late, but as I said in my original reply, anything beyond $800 for the manifold replacement is too high. To answer your question about investing in a 2001- Mine had over 200,000 miles on it when I sold it and it was still running great. So with yours having only 58,000 miles on it, it should have a lot of life left in it. Honestly I'm questioning why the hell you car needs all these repairs with such low miles. The manifold makes since because they were a huge problem on all of those cars, but other than that, with only 58k, shouldn't be much wrong with it.
I started doing this job today and first off I guess I never really paid attention but my upper intake is actually a metal one. It's a limited edition 2003 grand prix so maybe that was standard upper intake? I took off the throttle body today and found that the seal around the side of the manifold is the cheap plastic one and it's broken in pieces. Going to keep on finishing the job but do you think that this broken gasket would cause a coolant leak at all? There is a lot of white powder around that area.
I'm not sure about a metal unit ever comming on the car from the factory, as even the supercharged gtp models still had plastic manifolds. But I have seen metal replacements, so that they won't crack. And yeah, if your gasket is "plastic", it could absolutely cause a leak. The gaskets are rubber, not plastic. However, after many years, the rubber dries and becomes brittle, sometimes becoming "plastic", even though it is rubber. I have seen this on one of my own cars before, broke off in little hard peices when I tried to remove it. So if your gasket has turned to plasic, it could definately cause a leak. And since you have a metal manifold that should never crack, it's a good possibility that it's the extremely aged gasket causing the leak. Also the white powder is likely dried coolant as you suspect. However, I should mention this one other possibility- Back in the day, GM used "dexcool" I believe it was called, orange or red coolant. This coolant was extremely corrosive and was known to eat through aluminum pieces of the engine like throttle bodies with coolant passages and aluminum manifolds. I would very carefully inspect your metal unit (90% sure it's aluminum or aluminum alloy) for any signs of corrosion in the coolant passages before just assuming the new gasket will fix it if you're putting the old metal unit back on.
@@BuckeyeBallistics Your correct about them being rubber and than turning to plastic. I will get the Fel-pro replacement one. I stopped using Dexcool a few years ago when I was reading about how that stuff was crap. I did change my lower gaskets to metal a few years ago but I wonder now why the garage didn't just change this one. Going to pull the fuel rail off tonight and than remove the intake manifold to take a look and see what I find. Thanks for your help! I've done some repairs on my car like sunroof replacement, brakes, elbows (exactly from what you said about the brittleness), spark plugs and even installed my own stereo which I never done but I was really hesitant about doing this kind of engine work but feel pretty confident after watching your video. Just have to remember where everything goes back after. lol!
@@loucifer2013 Yeah honestly it was easier than I thought. I did all this in 2-3 hours in the pitch black A.M. hours of morning with basic hand tools and a shop light. What's ridiculous is some shops charge almost a grand to do this job. That's just straight up robbery...
I'm confused is the plenum gasket and intake manifold gasket the same thing?
The "plenum" is the "upper" intake manifold, and then underneath that is the metal "lower" intake manifold. I only did the upper manifold plenum and plenum gasket in this video. But yes, it's an "intake manifold" gasket, but specifically the upper intake manifold.
@@BuckeyeBallistics is it possible for the lower gasket to leak coolant internally? I have to keep putting coolant every couple days I dont know where is going.
Yes that's absolutely possible. My issue was only the top part, as I could see where the leak was comming from on the outside.
@@hondaguy425able i think mine is leaking upper n lower..i got colant mixed in with oil on my dipstick!😡
That could also be a head gasket... but if the exhaust is clear after the car warms up, then it is indeed most likely the intake manifold.
Have you heard about any of the Dorman intake plenum inserts being defective? Mine didn't fit as snug as I'd have liked and if it's leaking may be the cause of my engine codes being tripped?? Throttle position sensor and map sensor engine codes 97 lesabre 106k miles.
I have not, but I've honestly never researched for such information so it's certainly possible. Check the torque on all the bolts, sometimes they can come loose. TPS sensor/code shouldn't be affected by a leak, but the MAP sensor could be.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I appreciate the quick response. That throttle sensor code has me stumped. It appeared immediately after putting the intake system back together. A couple hundred miles in before map sensor fault. I've read a couple comments on other threads about customers displeasure with the fitment of the insert. I only suspected it might be the case because a couple days ago I noticed the plenum gasket looks shoved towards the front of the vehicle. The little tabs that hold it to the plenum are clearly not center. I'll check torque just to rule it out. I'm just trying to decide if I want to pull that back apart (maybe replace) or go ahead and have it run on a more complex diagnostic computer. I had originally thought cleaning my throttle body caused throttle code? Car runs great going down the road, at least no noticeable hiccups. Had a misfire code before changing intake, doesn't smoke anymore either. Only when slightly pressing throttle does it want to stall and has. I've done radiator, hoses, new brake lines metal and rubber, 1 new caliper and have 2 wheel cylinders yet to be installed, crank sensor, lower intake gasket up all new, I'm sure more that I'm forgetting. Owned 2 years maybe 300 miles in that time. (Co.vid and everytime I get in it theres a new problem).
Whenever disassembling/moving components, doing such could sertainly create problems, as could cleaning. The TPS is electronic (obviously) and somewhat fragile, so bumping it too hard could have caused a malfuntion, or even pulling on the wiring. Try unplugging it and making sure both connections are clean and plug back in. Also you should have reset the ecu by disconnecting the battery for several minutes if you didn't do that either. Other than that, hard to tell. There are methods to test the sensors, easily found on youtube...
@@BuckeyeBallistics I bought a multimeter to test it using Pine Hollow Diagnostics method here on youtube. I replaced the TPS and reset computer before running the car again. I'm not too experienced in testing electrical sensors and am reluctant to go jabbing a 12v hot wire into holes, although he explains it clearly and it appears to be a straight forward procedure. I have the ability to test it just not the nerve yet. I appreciate the input. I was dropping a few comments around youtube, on the videos I watched before doing the intake job, to see if anyone else stumbled across the "defective dorman plenum insert".
Don't forget to change the ERG tube with the new one. It has a smaller diameter so it doesn't melt the plastic. It is located on the lower intake.. below where the throttle body mounts. Other wise you can have the problem again.
Awesome video I thought I was in trouble
Thanks and yeah it's not that bad.
If you can't pull up the engine intake monifold won't come up means the gasket seal good still?
I just answered your other comment about this
Would it all so cause water in oil?
Yes it could, and so could the lower manifold, as well as the head gaskets. You can do a compression test to either confirm or rule out the head gaskets.
Yea..my oil dipstick looks Like tranny fluid!😭 def is mixed
What about the white straw inside the intake?
Should you replace bottom and top or just top if needed?
Not sure if the lowers leak. I guess if you feel so inclined, wouldn't be a bad idea, but not sure how much more work that is. The uppers crack and leak all the time, which is what mine was doing.
@@BuckeyeBallistics thank you
@@chevyboi1989ms Yes sir
mine was same leak and puddle had white smoke out tailpipe when motor was warm
Wow, yours was worse than mine then. I never had any going to the cylinders and thus out the exhaust. I have heard that once it gets that bad you run the rist of hydrolocking the engine.
At what mileage do you perform this? I just bought a 1998 oldsmobile intrigue with the same engine but it only has 37k miles
There is no service interval for this job; basically just if it starts to leak, fix it. Mine had over 200,000 miles on it at the time of this video. But I have heard of it happening before 100,000. 37,000 miles is extremely low, but since the car is over 20 years old, I'm sure the gasket has become brittle. But personally I wouldn't touch it unless you notice a leak or loss of coolant that can't be explained.
@@BuckeyeBallistics 150,000 is about the time they all start leaking I work on these cars every day only because they have lived 3/4 of there life with just oil changes. not to mention no one uses dex cool.you should see how many radiators I've done because of 150k without dexcool and have to to super and lower hoses as well.USE DEX COOL IN ALL GM OVER 1996
@Dirt Track - It was widely known that dexcool was corrosive and ate plastic and even aluminum parts. I wrenced on f-bodys for several years, even featured some of the cars on the channel. It was somewhat common on those to get a coolant leak right at the aluminum throttle body. They had a coolant line running through a channel in them to keep the throttle from sticking in extremely cold weather, and the dexcool ate through the thin aluminum there. That said, dexcool became corrosive overtime from not being changed- but the same could be said for other coolants. So in reality, proper maintenance is more important than what coolant you choose (shocker).
Thanx! Just a perfectly timed & concise overview to explain "the big picture".
BTW, this might be a dumb question, but why do we care about those throttle-body studs with the rusted nuts? Can't we just put them right back in as "bolts instead of nuts"?
Thank you man. And not sure without watching the video, but I have absolutely done that before when a nut is so seized to a stud, that the stud comes out with it.
Mine did the same thing but looks like chocolate milk at front of plenum by thermostat
That means it's mixing with oil some how. That's what happens when people blow head gaskets; the coolant gets into the oil and turns it milky.
@@BuckeyeBallistics do u got email or fb I can send u pics
Curious, Was that 3.8 misfiring because of the intake being bad?
No it wasn't misfiring, I just smelled and saw the leak. BUT, it could absolutely cause a misfire, because depending on where the leak is, it could get into the cylinders.
@@BuckeyeBallistics I have a misfire in the #5. I changed everything . cleaned injectors,new coils,new plugs,new ignition module,wires and still have the misfire. Do you think its gotta be this gasket??? I had no idea it cld be this! Thanks
@@keithrozeski8463 Yeah probably
Do i have to replace my plastic intake plenum when i do this? About to do upper and lower gaskets on my 2000 Bonneville SE
No but it's highly recommended since they notoriously crack, which is why I replaced mine. Mine was only $70 on Rock Auto...
@@BuckeyeBallistics worth noting that you can buy an aluminum intake plenum so you don't have to replace it again.
Yeah but I'm sure that's at least double the price. Also, the new Dorman plastic ones (what I installed) shouldn't crack because they are re-designed to adress this issue.
@@BuckeyeBallistics thanks for that tip. I'm looking to do mine before it leaks because I've just done the elbows and usually when you fix one leak you find weaknesses elsewhere
Yeah that's usually how it goes.
This video is perfect for what I want to do. What I want to attempt is to remove the throttle body so I could get a look inside and see if the intake manifold has that same crack and leak that usually happens in that area. I should be able to see that with the flashlight after removing throttle body no? Just want to make sure before I order a new intake manifold. Is the one you replaced from Dorman? I don't want to get the same original crappy plastic one that came with the car.
Thanks!
My crack was on one of the side/back side mounting bolts, behind/under the throttle body. I think I showed it in the video? So I'm not sure if you can see what you're trying to see by taking the TB off. If I recall correctly I replaced it with the Dorman manifold, but they are an improved design over the factory piece so that they will not crack.
@@BuckeyeBallistics O thanks bud! I watched it again and I see where exactly you were showing the leak location. I'm pretty sure that's exactly where I seen signs of a leak from mine. Going to start on doing this project today. Thanks for all the info.
Does anyone know what the plastic tube is that attaches to the plenum gasket?? I put mine all together and didn't get it in there.
Pcv or egr related. Probably part of the pcv system, since it's plastic.
Wonder why it did it again after had it fixed at Gates of Granger nov.2018
If you can't pull up the engine intake monifold won't come up means the gasket seal good still?
Hey, great quick tutorial. Just wanted to mention, the "hidden" bolts that other reviews refer to are when you remove the cast aluminum lower intake manifold (the platform which this plastic plenum bolts to). There are two of them in opposing diagonal corners. Just an FYI.
OK thanks for letting me know man, I appreciate it.
Just doing this change myself and ya def wanna just do the lower intake if tear it down to do the upper. Them stupid designed plastic elbows really like to crack out an leak often. Esp the 1 coming from tensioner pulley/heater core bracket and hooks into the aluminum lower intake
I just got my new intake plenum, with a modified intake gasket from ZZP since I also bought the HV3 insert, and was gonna mention the hidden bolts being for the lower intake (which I learned from research and not experience), but the OP did that. I just also need to be able to get the front valve cover off too, so I can replace the gasket and cover. My car is the exact same on in this video, a 00 GP GT, so I needed to gather more info.
The valve cover will be cake compared to the intake. Always wanted to get the zzp header...
@@BuckeyeBallistics It would have been easy if it wasn't for the fact that the 13mm bolt for the engine mount near the ICM wasn't stuck, so I hope removing the intake will give me access to the bolt for the valve cover under the mount.
Is gasket seal needed when putting on new manifold? Also is this the same procedure for a series 3 engine?
No, but you can use a light amount if desired.
It doesn't tell me when you edit your comment, I just happened to notice. From what I just read, the series 3 has a metal intake manifold plenum instead of plastic, so the torque numbers are probably different.
@@BuckeyeBallistics is the dorman brand metal as well?
For a series 3?
@@BuckeyeBallistics sorry..series 2 2000 buick regal
How did you know that was the issue. Was it not tuning before?
I was loosing coolant and I could see it was wet around around where I showed in the video, and I could smell the coolant under the hood as well. That and being armed with the knowledge that this is a very common issue with these vehicles, it led me right to it.
Very Good video. Thanks so much!
Thanks, and thanks for watching.
F****** meant didn't go through a half hour 45 minutes story about your dog cheating on your wife forgot to drink the moonshine because it was actually water and then tomorrow was today short and sweet just like my love life
😅
I assume these suffer from the GM gasket killing solution known as dexcool (orange coolant) my 08 turned 130000 miles old and today blew the intake gasket. Good video here sir thanks!
Yes, that stuff ate the gaskets and plastic manifolds on these cars, among many others, and in some cases it even eats through aluminum if left in the system too long. Thanks for watching, hope it was/is helpfull.
@@BuckeyeBallistics i dont beleve dex cool is the problem..its the parts being plastic..my opnion
Green coolant doesn't eat plastic though, but yes plastic parts are shitty and don't last as long.
I-
My 3800 Series II Intake manifold is leaking as well, there is coolant spray on the underside of the top engine cover, coolant all around the intake manifold area, low coolant light coming on and going off every now and then, hopefully this fixes the issue, the only problem is removing all this stuff to get to the gasket, its a pain in the arse when u dont have a whole lot of time when you work night shift
Tell me about it. I did this repair beginning to end from 2am to 5am in the morning, then sold it a few hours later. 1st shifters have it made.
Usually u need to change the lower intake gasket aswell, which is under that plastic plenum/upper intake. If your changing the upper you myswell keep going an takeoff that lower intake aswell. Watch the plastic elbows on the passenger side, esp the 1 that goes from tensioner pulley bracket, into the lower intake. They crack and leak antifreeze but it's so hot right their sometimes shit evaporates even and u cant tell where fluid is going. This vid is just the upper intake. The lower goes bad aswell just as often
Thx for the vid man. Sure it helped alot of folks.
@@johngracejr9436 OHHHH.... Does the lower intake use the same stupid, non-Dexcool-loving plastic gaskets that my supercharged L67 came with?
@@wtfhappened661 Mine i changed this time were a black plastic Dorman gasket yes, but they usually last 100k or so if done right it seems, alot of times way more also. But ya i have no clue why they used the stupid plastic elbows on my series 2 3800(02 impala). The 1s that come from thru the aluminum chunk of metal with tensioner pulley at the end, and then 90* L shaped elbow that hooks into lower intake. Thats where they go bad alot, the 2nd elbow seems to last longer its close by but hooks into near the rear head and feeds to the water pump is what it looks like. If its them elbows its alot faster of a fix forsure. But changing gaskets isn't to bad after about 3 goes😡😂. But they sure rum good besides that issue. Goodluck man
Dam shame u got to pay for free shit learn a lot but why pay for it do not seem right