Before watching your video, I looked at one where the guy said it was not worth fixing that leak and that it would cost several thousand dollars to fix. Thank you for showing how easy it can be.
This is why I make these videos. To save people money!! Most mechanic shops are rip offs. I try to be honest with my customers and diligently try to fix what they need nothing more unless they request it.
I took my car to a shop today. They charged me $50 to tell me this is the problem I'm having. They then told me it would take $750 to replace the gasket. So whoever told you it would be several hundred dollars was right - if you take it to a shop. If you can do it yourself tho, the gasket itself is $70 and comes with a water pump gasket also. The above price included changing water pump gasket as well.
If you have a well maintained pontiac 3800 it's definitely worth fixing man, I've had 2 of them, first one was an 88' it had over 300,000 when sold, my current one is a 2000, GTP super charger it just turned 237,000 mile. They are the best engine pontiac ever made. 😊
Just bought an 07 GP with what i thought was a water pump leak. took the pump off and it was in perfect condition and had the same steam coming from behind the lower radiator house clamp area just like this one. Thank You so much for the video and showing what needs to be done.
2006 Buick Lacrosse with 3800 series 3, looks exactly like yours. I had a pretty big leak and thought it was the water pump so I replaced the water pump, tensioner and belt. I put in a can of radiator flush that also had dye and filled up the cooling system only to discover I still had a big honking hole somewhere, so I took my new very bright LED shop light and a dollar store hand mirror and discovered a tiny stream of coolant coming from the timing cover bolt just under the lower right hand corner of the newly replaced water pump. I am glad I saw your vid so I know I don't have to mess with the water pump again, the rest is straight forward. I guess my lesson learned unless you are absolutely sure where the leak comes from, putting some dye in and checking it out is worth it. I did not run the car to troubleshoot, I sprung for the kit where you can pump in system pressure which for me is 15 psi, so you can check it cold and not risk burning yourself or getting caught up in moving parts. I also got a no spill funnel kit from OEM which I needed because I would never get the vacuum fill part to work with a big honking hole. The only problem with the OEM no spill kit it the "GM" cap had different threads than what what is on my original radiator. The cap bugged me but I made one that worked from the old radiator cap I planned to replace, it works now as advertised.
Thank you for posting this video. I am not a mechanic but I have some mechanic abilities. I need to do this exact fix on an 06 Grand Prix. Already change the head gaskets but still have more leaks. This comforts me taking it apart greatly!
Good video, but I'm finding out that standard sockets are usually better to use than metric, at least on my 3800 series 3 engine. I almost stripped the sides off the head of a bolt using metric where a standard socket fit better. Instead of 13mm, 1/2" fits better. Same for 10mm- 3/8" fits better, and so on.
I really appreciate thus video,and how you took the time to show step by step, unfortunately I can't replace this by myself and will have to go to a mechanic, but the leaks will not stop,and I have the same car....Thanks another for the info.
Great video! Would you know if this problem is preventable. Would flushing the coolant as scheduled help in any way? That clip on the alternator gives me problems too. Even though I probably won’t tackle a job like this it’s good to see all the connections and components down there, thanks again!
Thanks for this have to take front cover off to replace crank driven oil pump on 06 buick lacrosse same motor already took the harmonic balancer off and was like ok what next lol. Was that a 1/2 impact wrench? To put harmonic balancer on? Nice to know to leave water pump alone.
Awesome video! Great advice. Question though; (2006 Grand Prix) Engine won't turn over now after it's all back together. Any advice? Thank you in advance!
Check all battery cables and the grounds. There's a few grounds that come off during this job and not having one attached can cause all kinds of issues.
Thanks for the great video! I learned a lot. The music at the start was great haha! I am going to need this done soon on a 07 Grand Prix. I live in Kalamazoo County and am looking for an honest mechanic. My previous one relocated. Any chance of bringing in a new customer?
Many thanks for this. I "thought" I had a leak from the left adapter elbow. But suspected the timing cover gasket behind it. I rolled the dice and only did the adapter elbows - Unfortunately after doing the adapter job and putting back together the leak is still there - behind the adapter and water pump. Was so close at that point shoulda done the cover - your video shows me the timing cover gasket is pretty straight forward and no drama. Nice to know the A/C doesn't have to come off. Hope Autozone has the correct loaner crank pulley puller. Thanks!
Any other thoughts for getting the harmonic balancer to budge? I am about to apply heat. It's frozen solid. Deforming the bolts. BTW - The bolts I had to buy for the puller kit were 3 1/2 inch X 1/4 X NF (28). Everything else is straighforward so far including bumping the engine to break torque on the balancer bolt.
I did a head gasket on this engine since the person ran it hot due to this leak. now I will have to do this repair also. Ever wonder why this engine has standard and metric bolts? pretty odd to have both.
this is a good video which has been helpful for me. Although i think it's much better to use the felpro metal timing cover gasket rather than rtv sealant, which imo should only be used for where the bottom of the timing cover meets the oil pan
Wait, no timing chain replacement ?? You are already there bro, lol. Good video though. I was wondering if I had to pull the motor to do the timing chain since I bought the master rebuild gasket kit & have to do head gaskets anyways.
I can't always do everything the cars should have or need due to customers not having the money to do it. Most of the time I'm doing work for people on a budget. I make lists and they'll take care of the things as they can.
I rented the exact same pulley puller kit from Oreilly that you show in the video and it does have the right parts unlike what you said. The 3 black bolts on the upper right side of the kit are the ones you need to use.
@Loken Vande Vegte I was irritated because the set I had in my toolbox ended up working while the one I rented wasn't right! Typical day of mechanics for me lol
nice trick to grip and twist the heater hose with a pair of pliers. I normal get a flathead or something and risk tearing my hoses or damaging the seal
That spring clamp tool would have come in handy. When I replaced my lower heater hose the tabs were on the bottom where I could not get at them so I cut them off with a die grinder. I replaced them with worm clamps so no more problems.
Hope the harmonic balancer comes off that easy on the grand prix im about to do when i removed the one on my 04 gtp it was a nightmare and did not wanna come off ended up stripping out the tool it was so stubborn also thank you for the video
Great video. I went and got a crate motor, and slowly putting our 03 Grand Prix GT together. I needed to find out where and where NOT to put the rtv. So much appreciated man!!! Thank you
I have the same problem thanks for the video. When putting the new gasket on, do you put the silicone on the edge of the cover? And do I need an impact drill for the pulley foe remove and put?
I would seriously steer away from putting silicone on the timing cover gasket, this is because the gasket also has to seal some very important oil passages, you do not want silicone to squeeze out and infiltrate these passages, as the silicone could become dislodged and clog other important oil passages. I would suggest to coat the timing cover gasket with "copper coat" gasket dressing first (spray or brush on), make sure all surfaces are clean and dry before hand. To aid in loosening the damper bolt, use a breaker bar and long pipe for an extension to get extra force, use a vise grip clamped to the flexplate to keep it from spinning. I use about 3' extension, breaker bar and pipe on the socket wrench handle to extend past the fender for leverage.
Hi. I just had a shop replace the timing cover gasket. Only a couple days later I started noticing a ticking sound. On that side of the engine. The car has 130,000 miles. And has been well taken care of. Do you think it's possible that they could have done something? While replacing the timing cover gasket. That would cause a ticking sound. You can't really hear it until under throttle a little bit.
I just removed mine last night, it's easier to remove the water pump rather than the oil filter housing. You have to remove one or the other to get the timing cover out of the car.
My wifes 07 has been drinking water for a couple of years now and i think its time to dig into this thing... I did not notice if you had to remove the oil filter housing or had to remove the oil ? and would the impact remove the crank bolt ?
yeah an impact will take off the crank bolt. also if you're losing coolant, check your reservoir for oil contamination which can be a sign of a bad intake manifold gasket. no i did not have to remove the oil or the oil filter housing.
Man I hope you're still replying in 2021. I took the timing cover off of my 2008 grand prix and a small cap and spring fell off it while I was cleaning the gasket off it. Where do they go 🙃🙃🙃
I just got done withthis whole process on a supercharged one. Now I'm having a no crank no start issues after reconnecting the battery. Any ideas would be appreciated.
@@bobaganoosh88 did all that. Checked fuses and once I pulled the radio fuse, it started. Also has what seems like a misfire, but it is not throwing any codes.
@@Babyjesus210 Not sure if you're still dealing with this, but the crank sensor needs to be positioned just right between the rings of the crank pulley. The 3800 ignition system requires both rings to be sense in order to start, so it's possible the magnet is leaning to far to one ring, so it's worth it to check the alignment.
Hey I’m back I finished the job and all went well!! No leaks or over heating but however I installed the crank pulley and there is a ticking noise at idle and when I accelerate it is the crank pulley , any ideas what I could of did wrong putting it on?
Have a question I noticed a little coolant right where the oil housing is on my 06 Pontiac grand prix and was wondering what and where u think it could be coming from
All you have to do is put a jack in a safe spot under the engine and remove the upper engine mount on the top of the engine and lower the jack a few inches. I can usually get the job done without doing it, but if it's needed, it's simple to do.
@@bobaganoosh88 I have a 2008 buick lucerne 3.8 with im pretty sure the same issue. How far are you? I'm literally standing in my garage right now looking at it lol
Youre very welcome! Also, unless the timing cover is cracked, it wouldnt leak from anywhere but the gasket and both would require the cover coming off.
I got the timing chain cover off, but theres like some metal gasketing that broke off in the bottom right when i removed the cover. Is that necessary or can i just rtv the shit out of it
@@bobaganoosh88 thanks for the reply. I just finished taking everything apart the timing cover is loose but having trouble pulling it back all the way off. Did you have to lower or raise the suspension. I have a lesabre.
@@josephruggeri9319 check for any bolts you may have missed. i missed one or two that wouldve got me stuck had i not found them. i didnt have to raise the vehicle though, only to remove the wheel to access the balancer pulley
Great video Brad! I'm pretty sure I need to do this to fix the coolant leak I have. I already changed all the other gaskets and the elbows to aluminum. Was your leak coming down near the oil pan a little more toward the driver side? I also rerouted my hoses to bypass heater in case it was the heater core. When I looked underneath the car I see a steady stream of coolant which looked like it was going through a bolt just in from of the oil pan (sorry maybe transmission pan) When I put a 10mm socket on that bolt i was able to tighten it a lot because it was really loose. Don't think that was the case but just wanted to find out if your leak was around that area. Maybe the leak is from what you described cuz I can't find it anywhere and the only place it ends up pouring out is that same area where the pan is closer to the driver side.
I'm looking up at my buick series 3. Drips very slowly front corner passenger side of oil pan. Sometimes it has evaporated and there's nothing. Elbows were replaced many years ago.Replaced thermostat gasket couple months ago.
@@chooch502 In your case good bet it's the timing cover gasket. Looks like it was my case as well but after removing the front cylinder head to replace the head gasket in addition, I found out that the bigger leak is from a crack in the engine block. Well it was a great 11 years but time to move on now cuz this is as far as I go.
This is obviously a really problem with this generation of 3800. I think I’ve seen six videos with the same spot leaking on the timing cover. Happened to notice it leaking on daughter’s car when replacing a damaged oil pan. Lucky. Think I’ll skip the gasket and use black RV silicone. Probably stay stuck better.
You can use a breaker bar and a socket and get it as tight as you can while making sure the engine doesn't turn over while you're tightening it. Your best bet would be to get it tightened with an impact its quick and easy. Either way will work in a pinch.
Or u can just get it as tight as u can and then take it to a shop and have them tighten it as a favor I've done that atleast 3 times already on the 3rd time I gave the guy 10$ lol just cuz I felt bad 3 different cars mind u but still
If you don't need them quick, Rock Auto Parts or Amazon. If you need them now, Autozone, O'Reilly's, Advance Auto or other local auto parts store. Got an extra set on hand, cheap insurance
Could be an issue with the plug wires. Make sure they're on the correct pistons. Having a few in the wrong place can cause the backfiring into the intake.
You wouldn't happen to know where the pcm is supposed to get its postive on the orange wire from do ya ? ( OK long story short no start no crank ( crank sensors good but bad starter relay ok replaced that cranks no spark no fuel ok so I look on and then I get no postive at pcm so I run a postive from battery to ecu it runs but I'd like to figure out where and why it's not getting the voltage )
I would put a small amount on all the mating surfaces. The bolts dont really need it. You can put it everywhere just make sure not too much gets into the engine.
when you were talking about disconnecting the battery how about hitting the fuel line and ark welding a pinhole and watching it depressurize lmao. I have a wrong gasket for the larger tube of the coolant pass through elbows, it was leaking and out of frustration knowing I had to take all the shit off i started removing the alternator without taking the battery off again.
Thanks so much for sharing this info. Its a great video. I am going to attempt to repair my son's 2008 Grand Prix now in November so I know how cold it is in Michigan. Where in Michigan are you? Hopefully everything goes as smooth as your repair.
I’m currently doing this right now and this vid has helped a lot!! And don’t worry you’ll be able to do this easy 💯 just label the bolts and you’ll be fine
@@bobaganoosh88 thanks brad it actually turned out that the valve cover was loose and the head was cracked and the gaskets I purchased do not have an installation arrow the leak was originally in the rear now that head is fine but the front I’m worried because I now have a fresh new head but the gasket seems to not have any real orientation
@@bobaganoosh88 I followed your video and that was the problem. That is so much I wouldnt have been able to get it done and would've had no clue. Thanks!!
Surprised you didn't replace the timing chain. If you are already that far, unless the car has no mileage, might as well replace the chain. Otherwise, when the chain eventually goes, if the engine survives, you still have to do the job over. And yes I know timing chains last much longer then belts. But it's always good practice to replace those components if you are already right in front of them. A little preventive maintenance goes a long way. Appreciate the video though. Doing a rebuild soon which requires new chain, all new gaskets, pistons, bearings, oil pump, etc. So wanted to know how easy/complex the cover was. As I have to do it anyway.
Its also good practice to do what the customer wants. I have never had a timing chain go bad in a 3800. When it takes an hour to remove the cover, its not a big deal at all to remove, and most customers dont want to pay the extra money for the work. thanks for your suggestion though!
@@bobaganoosh88 Fair enough, that makes sense. I didn't know this was a customer's car. I don't really pay attention to TH-cam channel name's as everyone is a "mechanic" on youtube. (No offense to you.) And I only happened across your vid because I was looking for how to do this. So I didn't have any prior knowledge of your channel.
@@bobaganoosh88 i had very similar leak on dads car and replacing cover with a new one car has no oil pressure, family member did swap of gears plunger with spring, now no oil pressure
It could be the intake gaskets doing that. A little more simple of a job. Upper intake comes off and the lower and you can replace the gaskets there. I would power wash the engine or clean it up really well and then see where the fresh oil leak is coming from.
@@bobaganoosh88 I already got the timing cover gasket kit as it was leaking pressure from the same spot in the video here just weird I got oil coming out my water pump at first I that it was some sort of gasket maker cuz it was just a little then it started really leaking oil pretty bad I just gotta go get a puller to finish getting the timing cover off there is a bunch of o rings tho and a gasket I don’t know where it goes obviously I know the timing cover gasket water pump gasket oil ring but there like 5 o rings that’s idk where the could possibly go
@@bobaganoosh88 it did seem to have some burn oil or maybe coolant floating on top there was barely any coolant in the car when it first started overheating I’m poor and I knew there was an issue so I filled the radiator with water to get to work for the week only 10 min ride the more I drove the more oil came out the water pump the radiator had a bunch of that orange shit maybe burnt coolant
Wish u could do mine !!!! I’ll pay you !!!! Lol how much ! To replace my timing cover water pump serpentine belt with coolant flush!!! I’m in Michigan!!! U say 2 hours it takes
Any comments on rumors that the engine doesn't last long after this job due to getting junk into oil pump passages, therefore starving the engine of oil and ultimately wrecking the engine! I'm hearing there is only a 1/10 success rate!?!?
Do NOT use a wire wheel to clean mating surfaces!!! You risk ruining the surfaces and will get metal shavings everywhere! That will ruin your engine. Otherwise good job.
@@bobaganoosh88 Oh boy. We got another guy who can’t take constructive criticism! Maybe just take your video down if you’re not willing to communicate and learn with the community.
It's not constructive criticism, it's nonsense. I blueprint engines. Never one time in my career has anyone ever had any qualms about using a wire wheel. In fact it's what we're told TO use. What you fail to understand is there's a way to mess everything up and it's possible with a wire wheel, but only you're stupid. No metal shavings go anywhere with a wire wheel. A few wires to but they don't get stuck in the metal when doing a final clean. But I digress, if it was a good pointer, I'm all about it. This wasn't, and it's probably something some old timer told you because he screwed something up in his day. No need to tell anyone this, it only shows the minimal understanding you have about this subject.
@@bobaganoosh88 It’s criticism you’re taking extremely poorly because you’re lazy, you know the right way. Just because you’ve had a few “successes” doesn’t show the long term affects. I guarantee you will scratch your head when something goes wrong. 🤦 You should know better. GM has even put out service bulletins on the subject because so many people did this on intake gaskets and wondered why they had a boat anchor before their next oil change. Absolutely silly and ignorant. Using a wire wheel or any abrasive against a metal surface will absolutely result in metal shavings EVERYWHERE. Much less the wires! You do you, but anybody reading these comments should know to think about what they’re doing before blindly following.
Before watching your video, I looked at one where the guy said it was not worth fixing that leak and that it would cost several thousand dollars to fix. Thank you for showing how easy it can be.
This is why I make these videos. To save people money!! Most mechanic shops are rip offs. I try to be honest with my customers and diligently try to fix what they need nothing more unless they request it.
I took my car to a shop today. They charged me $50 to tell me this is the problem I'm having. They then told me it would take $750 to replace the gasket. So whoever told you it would be several hundred dollars was right - if you take it to a shop. If you can do it yourself tho, the gasket itself is $70 and comes with a water pump gasket also. The above price included changing water pump gasket as well.
If you have a well maintained pontiac 3800 it's definitely worth fixing man, I've had 2 of them, first one was an 88' it had over 300,000 when sold, my current one is a 2000, GTP super charger it just turned 237,000 mile. They are the best engine pontiac ever made. 😊
Thank you for all the detail and tips.
I never thought of turning the engine over to remove the crank bolt
Broo that tip with the crank pulley.. straight money. Thanks for the help
Its my pleasure!
Just bought an 07 GP with what i thought was a water pump leak. took the pump off and it was in perfect condition and had the same steam coming from behind the lower radiator house clamp area just like this one. Thank You so much for the video and showing what needs to be done.
06 Buick Lucerne here. Thanks for the rundown. Nearly identical except p/s pump is on the back on my Buick.
Thank you for video legit didn’t think I could do this.. you made it so easy 😭🙏🏽🙏🏽
This video shows ALL, many thanks. You're out in the ice n snow? You're a pro !!
Very helpful. I thought is was those darn elbows and water pump. I have the same leak. Thank you.
2006 Buick Lacrosse with 3800 series 3, looks exactly like yours. I had a pretty big leak and thought it was the water pump so I replaced the water pump, tensioner and belt. I put in a can of radiator flush that also had dye and filled up the cooling system only to discover I still had a big honking hole somewhere, so I took my new very bright LED shop light and a dollar store hand mirror and discovered a tiny stream of coolant coming from the timing cover bolt just under the lower right hand corner of the newly replaced water pump. I am glad I saw your vid so I know I don't have to mess with the water pump again, the rest is straight forward. I guess my lesson learned unless you are absolutely sure where the leak comes from, putting some dye in and checking it out is worth it. I did not run the car to troubleshoot, I sprung for the kit where you can pump in system pressure which for me is 15 psi, so you can check it cold and not risk burning yourself or getting caught up in moving parts. I also got a no spill funnel kit from OEM which I needed because I would never get the vacuum fill part to work with a big honking hole. The only problem with the OEM no spill kit it the "GM" cap had different threads than what what is on my original radiator. The cap bugged me but I made one that worked from the old radiator cap I planned to replace, it works now as advertised.
Thank you for posting this video. I am not a mechanic but I have some mechanic abilities. I need to do this exact fix on an 06 Grand Prix. Already change the head gaskets but still have more leaks. This comforts me taking it apart greatly!
I know it is kind of off topic but does anyone know of a good place to watch newly released movies online?
@Callum Santino Meh I'd suggest flixportal. you can find it thru google :P -rogelio
@Rogelio Raiden Thank you, I went there and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :D I appreciate it!
@Callum Santino you are welcome xD
Dude if you changed the head gaskets without actually checking if they were bad then that’s fucked 🤣🤣🤣🤣
perfect video man, now I just need to decide if I'm ambitious enough to attempt this myself.
Good video, but I'm finding out that standard sockets are usually better to use than metric, at least on my 3800 series 3 engine. I almost stripped the sides off the head of a bolt using metric where a standard socket fit better. Instead of 13mm, 1/2" fits better. Same for 10mm- 3/8" fits better, and so on.
Yeah with GM they're all over the place. I did notice with the engines they're mostly American.
I really appreciate thus video,and how you took the time to show step by step, unfortunately I can't replace this by myself and will have to go to a mechanic, but the leaks will not stop,and I have the same car....Thanks another for the info.
Excellent video! Thank you very much. The oil pan bolts was my query, whether it was three or five.
What is the torque specs for the bottom bolts under the timing cover?
Great video! Would you know if this problem is preventable. Would flushing the coolant as scheduled help in any way? That clip on the alternator gives me problems too. Even though I probably won’t tackle a job like this it’s good to see all the connections and components down there, thanks again!
Awesome video - doing this job this coming weekend. Thanks and CHEERS!
Solid video. I have all the same tools as in your video. So I respect you sir
great vid, thanks! but doesnt the harmonic balancer turn while youre torquing itt back on, or how did you prevent it from turning?
If you use an impact, it won't turn the crank pulley when you tighten it.
Great video, it really helped out although I did have to do a few extra steps because of the supercharger
about to do this myself. what xtra did yiu have to do with the supercharger??
Thank you sir.. Im late to the party.. However the camer angles you use are great..! Thx Im in the predicament now..
Thanks for this have to take front cover off to replace crank driven oil pump on 06 buick lacrosse same motor already took the harmonic balancer off and was like ok what next lol. Was that a 1/2 impact wrench? To put harmonic balancer on? Nice to know to leave water pump alone.
You can use a breaker bar to tighten the balancer bolt, its the loosening that's tough.
Awesome video! Great advice. Question though; (2006 Grand Prix) Engine won't turn over now after it's all back together. Any advice? Thank you in advance!
Check all battery cables and the grounds. There's a few grounds that come off during this job and not having one attached can cause all kinds of issues.
I'll check that out. It trys to start, just won't fire up.
Thanks for the great video! I learned a lot. The music at the start was great haha! I am going to need this done soon on a 07 Grand Prix. I live in Kalamazoo County and am looking for an honest mechanic. My previous one relocated. Any chance of bringing in a new customer?
Many thanks for this. I "thought" I had a leak from the left adapter elbow. But suspected the timing cover gasket behind it. I rolled the dice and only did the adapter elbows - Unfortunately after doing the adapter job and putting back together the leak is still there - behind the adapter and water pump. Was so close at that point shoulda done the cover - your video shows me the timing cover gasket is pretty straight forward and no drama. Nice to know the A/C doesn't have to come off. Hope Autozone has the correct loaner crank pulley puller. Thanks!
Any other thoughts for getting the harmonic balancer to budge? I am about to apply heat. It's frozen solid. Deforming the bolts. BTW - The bolts I had to buy for the puller kit were 3 1/2 inch X 1/4 X NF (28). Everything else is straighforward so far including bumping the engine to break torque on the balancer bolt.
Thank you Brad. this video is helpful for my 2008 Buick Lacross.
Glad it helped!!
I did a head gasket on this engine since the person ran it hot due to this leak. now I will have to do this repair also. Ever wonder why this engine has standard and metric bolts? pretty odd to have both.
Bc GM engineers smoke crack lol
Thanks! I have to do this and the steering rack on my daughter's car next weekend 😭
this is a good video which has been helpful for me. Although i think it's much better to use the felpro metal timing cover gasket rather than rtv sealant, which imo should only be used for where the bottom of the timing cover meets the oil pan
Thanks, this really helped me do the job quickly.
Wait, no timing chain replacement ?? You are already there bro, lol.
Good video though. I was wondering if I had to pull the motor to do the timing chain since I bought the master rebuild gasket kit & have to do head gaskets anyways.
I can't always do everything the cars should have or need due to customers not having the money to do it. Most of the time I'm doing work for people on a budget. I make lists and they'll take care of the things as they can.
@@bobaganoosh88
I hear you bro.
I rented the exact same pulley puller kit from Oreilly that you show in the video and it does have the right parts unlike what you said. The 3 black bolts on the upper right side of the kit are the ones you need to use.
Actually, no because they were too short for my application.
@@bobaganoosh88 you’re right, looking back at the first kit you show in the video, it’s slightly different than mine and the bolts aren’t the same.
@Loken Vande Vegte I was irritated because the set I had in my toolbox ended up working while the one I rented wasn't right! Typical day of mechanics for me lol
nice trick to grip and twist the heater hose with a pair of pliers. I normal get a flathead or something and risk tearing my hoses or damaging the seal
That spring clamp tool would have come in handy. When I replaced my lower heater hose the tabs were on the bottom where I could not get at them so I cut them off with a die grinder. I replaced them with worm clamps so no more problems.
Hope the harmonic balancer comes off that easy on the grand prix im about to do when i removed the one on my 04 gtp it was a nightmare and did not wanna come off ended up stripping out the tool it was so stubborn also thank you for the video
Great video. I went and got a crate motor, and slowly putting our 03 Grand Prix GT together. I needed to find out where and where NOT to put the rtv. So much appreciated man!!! Thank you
I have the same problem thanks for the video. When putting the new gasket on, do you put the silicone on the edge of the cover? And do I need an impact drill for the pulley foe remove and put?
I would seriously steer away from putting silicone on the timing cover gasket, this is because the gasket also has to seal some very important oil passages, you do not want silicone to squeeze out and infiltrate these passages, as the silicone could become dislodged and clog other important oil passages. I would suggest to coat the timing cover gasket with "copper coat" gasket dressing first (spray or brush on), make sure all surfaces are clean and dry before hand. To aid in loosening the damper bolt, use a breaker bar and long pipe for an extension to get extra force, use a vise grip clamped to the flexplate to keep it from spinning. I use about 3' extension, breaker bar and pipe on the socket wrench handle to extend past the fender for leverage.
Add a little silicone if you want. I've done hundreds without an issue.
Also you don't need an impact to get the crank pulley off, but it helps.
Hi. I just had a shop replace the timing cover gasket. Only a couple days later I started noticing a ticking sound. On that side of the engine. The car has 130,000 miles. And has been well taken care of. Do you think it's possible that they could have done something? While replacing the timing cover gasket. That would cause a ticking sound. You can't really hear it until under throttle a little bit.
Does the vehicle have any misfires going on?
What size are the bolts you used to pull the harmonic balancer?
I can't remember which size but i did have to use some store bought bolts to get it all to work. I had 2 removal tools and neither had the right size
Going to be doing this same job next weekend,did you have to remove the water pump or just the bottom long bolts?Thanks for the video.
I just removed mine last night, it's easier to remove the water pump rather than the oil filter housing. You have to remove one or the other to get the timing cover out of the car.
@@ragej2270 Thanks,I just did the water pump thinking that was the problem, turned out to be timing cover,how long of a job?
@@dorich33 bout 3 hours
Bro i have to subscribe u one question do the cooling runing under da car
Awesome video, is the process the same for a 3800 series 2 supercharged?
Pretty much the same. Maybe a few extra bolts but that's it.
Sorry Brad, forgot to mention it's a 2003 Grand Prix GTP.
My wifes 07 has been drinking water for a couple of years now and i think its time to dig into this thing... I did not notice if you had to remove the oil filter housing or had to remove the oil ? and would the impact remove the crank bolt ?
yeah an impact will take off the crank bolt. also if you're losing coolant, check your reservoir for oil contamination which can be a sign of a bad intake manifold gasket. no i did not have to remove the oil or the oil filter housing.
Thanks for the info. It was very helpful
thank you this video help a lot but i got a spring thats about 2 1/2 inches and i have no idea where it goes, have any ideas?
If it's the size of a ballpoint pen it's the spring that goes inside the spark plug boot that connects the coil to the spark plug.
Man I hope you're still replying in 2021. I took the timing cover off of my 2008 grand prix and a small cap and spring fell off it while I was cleaning the gasket off it. Where do they go 🙃🙃🙃
What size spring?
Very good video on time how long did it take to get the job done
I would say a good 3 hours the first time through.
@@bobaganoosh88 thank you God bless you
I just got done withthis whole process on a supercharged one. Now I'm having a no crank no start issues after reconnecting the battery. Any ideas would be appreciated.
check the connections at the crank sensor
@@bobaganoosh88 did all that. Checked fuses and once I pulled the radio fuse, it started. Also has what seems like a misfire, but it is not throwing any codes.
@@Babyjesus210 weird.. Sounds like a gremlin to me 😜
@@Babyjesus210 Not sure if you're still dealing with this, but the crank sensor needs to be positioned just right between the rings of the crank pulley. The 3800 ignition system requires both rings to be sense in order to start, so it's possible the magnet is leaning to far to one ring, so it's worth it to check the alignment.
Thank you for the video. It is really helpful as I'm having a leak like this. Really appreciate your step by step process and pro tips along the way.
Thank you for watching!
I'm about to do this to remove a couple broken bolts. Will I need to do an oil change afterwards or does no coolant get into the oil pan
I didn't get any coolant in the pan, but I did change the oil to be safe.
Thanks for the video ! but why aren't you in the garage? You must be from canada or the north pole.
Im in michigan. im pretty acclimated to the cold. :)
Hey I’m back I finished the job and all went well!! No leaks or over heating but however I installed the crank pulley and there is a ticking noise at idle and when I accelerate it is the crank pulley , any ideas what I could of did wrong putting it on?
Check the crank sensor on the crankpulley. It could be loose. There's a few things it could be honestly
thank you for this wonderful video
Have a question I noticed a little coolant right where the oil housing is on my 06 Pontiac grand prix and was wondering what and where u think it could be coming from
I would check the weep hole in the water pump, the coolant hoses that connect the water pump to the engine, and the timing cover.
I have a 07 Buick Lacrosse, Haynes manual says I need to drop the engine down in order to remove the crank pulley. I'm hoping that's not true?
All you have to do is put a jack in a safe spot under the engine and remove the upper engine mount on the top of the engine and lower the jack a few inches. I can usually get the job done without doing it, but if it's needed, it's simple to do.
Thanks for this vid. Just subbed your channel, Shout out from Lansing!
Lmk if you need work done bro. Lansing isn't too far!
@@bobaganoosh88 I have a 2008 buick lucerne 3.8 with im pretty sure the same issue. How far are you? I'm literally standing in my garage right now looking at it lol
I'm just north of Kalamazoo in Gobles
Bout an hour and a half
@@bobaganoosh88 about how much do you think it would cost to get it fixed? I wanna do it myself but im a little under qualified on this one lol
Would bubbling at the top side by the alternator would be timing cover ?
Most likely. You can check to make sure my removing the ignition coil packs and looking underneath.
@@bobaganoosh88 i definitely will ! Thank you i gotta do it on a supercharged grand prix
@@onemanarmy1990 good luck bro!
@@bobaganoosh88 thank you bro !! Ill use this vid for good reference
How to know if its the gasket leaking or the Timing Chain Cover itself that is leaking? Thanks for the vid
Youre very welcome! Also, unless the timing cover is cracked, it wouldnt leak from anywhere but the gasket and both would require the cover coming off.
Good chance to replace the crankshaft position sensor if you havnt before
I got the timing chain cover off, but theres like some metal gasketing that broke off in the bottom right when i removed the cover. Is that necessary or can i just rtv the shit out of it
There's a few bolts that bolt to the bottom connecting the oil pan. Is that where it broke?
I have a 2008 lacross 3.8 can the timing cover also leak oil
Don’t know if it’s too late but with the amount of videos on here I’d bet it is.
@@MASS1866 no it was crank seal. No more leaks
I have Same exact engine. Same exact leak. I replaced the water pump and elbows. Im starting over right now. How long did this take?
just about 3 hours
@@bobaganoosh88 thanks for the reply. I just finished taking everything apart the timing cover is loose but having trouble pulling it back all the way off. Did you have to lower or raise the suspension. I have a lesabre.
@@josephruggeri9319 check for any bolts you may have missed. i missed one or two that wouldve got me stuck had i not found them.
i didnt have to raise the vehicle though, only to remove the wheel to access the balancer pulley
Should u loosen water pump pulley before removing belt?
No
Great video Brad! I'm pretty sure I need to do this to fix the coolant leak I have. I already changed all the other gaskets and the elbows to aluminum. Was your leak coming down near the oil pan a little more toward the driver side? I also rerouted my hoses to bypass heater in case it was the heater core. When I looked underneath the car I see a steady stream of coolant which looked like it was going through a bolt just in from of the oil pan (sorry maybe transmission pan) When I put a 10mm socket on that bolt i was able to tighten it a lot because it was really loose. Don't think that was the case but just wanted to find out if your leak was around that area. Maybe the leak is from what you described cuz I can't find it anywhere and the only place it ends up pouring out is that same area where the pan is closer to the driver side.
it could be this.. hard to speculate..
I'm looking up at my buick series 3. Drips very slowly front corner passenger side of oil pan. Sometimes it has evaporated and there's nothing. Elbows were replaced many years ago.Replaced thermostat gasket couple months ago.
@@chooch502 In your case good bet it's the timing cover gasket. Looks like it was my case as well but after removing the front cylinder head to replace the head gasket in addition, I found out that the bigger leak is from a crack in the engine block. Well it was a great 11 years but time to move on now cuz this is as far as I go.
@@loucifer2013 also make sure theres no coolant leaking from the weep hole in the water pump. its much more likely to be that before the timing cover.
Loved that angles
This is obviously a really problem with this generation of 3800. I think I’ve seen six videos with the same spot leaking on the timing cover. Happened to notice it leaking on daughter’s car when replacing a damaged oil pan. Lucky. Think I’ll skip the gasket and use black RV silicone. Probably stay stuck better.
i always add a line of silicone for good measure!
What would you use to tighten the crank bolt if you didn't have an impact? I'm doing this same repair this weekend.
You can use a breaker bar and a socket and get it as tight as you can while making sure the engine doesn't turn over while you're tightening it. Your best bet would be to get it tightened with an impact its quick and easy. Either way will work in a pinch.
Or u can just get it as tight as u can and then take it to a shop and have them tighten it as a favor I've done that atleast 3 times already on the 3rd time I gave the guy 10$ lol just cuz I felt bad 3 different cars mind u but still
So did you change out the chain while you were in there? If so was it easy?
They weren't changed on this vehicle, but they're pretty straight forward to replace. Easier than a timing belt.
Where do you get the aluminum replacement elbows that you say break frequently?
On the shelf at autozone. They're in a two pack
@@bobaganoosh88 Thank you very much. Great video by the way
@@stevejeremy8028 You're welcome, and thank you!
If you don't need them quick, Rock Auto Parts or Amazon. If you need them now, Autozone, O'Reilly's, Advance Auto or other local auto parts store. Got an extra set on hand, cheap insurance
Great video did this but now I’m having a problem with it backfiring in the intake. Help?! Please
Could be an issue with the plug wires. Make sure they're on the correct pistons. Having a few in the wrong place can cause the backfiring into the intake.
You wouldn't happen to know where the pcm is supposed to get its postive on the orange wire from do ya ? ( OK long story short no start no crank ( crank sensors good but bad starter relay ok replaced that cranks no spark no fuel ok so I look on and then I get no postive at pcm so I run a postive from battery to ecu it runs but I'd like to figure out where and why it's not getting the voltage )
I think if I remember right pin 19
Hey my friend how long did it take you to complete the whole job how many hours
About 3
Thanks my friend. I wish you were in Lafayette Louisiana I will get you to do mine for me lot of shady mechanics out here
@@chadlandry7881 they're shady in Michigan too! Thats why i am trustworthy and get lots of business
Hey I’m doing this right now amd I’m waiting on the gaskets but could you tell me where alll the exact spots the rtv sealant should go???
Should I put it on every bolt ? And if so on the head or the threads ??
I would put a small amount on all the mating surfaces. The bolts dont really need it. You can put it everywhere just make sure not too much gets into the engine.
@@bobaganoosh88 okay thank you !!
@@bobaganoosh88 wait one more question! how did you get it on ? Through the bottom or through the top ?
@@stevenhuber3288 I did everything through the top except removing the crank pulley. Pretty easy when everything is removed.
when you were talking about disconnecting the battery how about hitting the fuel line and ark welding a pinhole and watching it depressurize lmao. I have a wrong gasket for the larger tube of the coolant pass through elbows, it was leaking and out of frustration knowing I had to take all the shit off i started removing the alternator without taking the battery off again.
Thats a normal day of work lol
don't tell a mechanic you watched a youtube video they love to hear that
Thanks so much for sharing this info. Its a great video. I am going to attempt to repair my son's 2008 Grand Prix now in November so I know how cold it is in Michigan. Where in Michigan are you? Hopefully everything goes as smooth as your repair.
I'm outside of Kalamazoo near the lake. Beautiful rural country.
I’m currently doing this right now and this vid has helped a lot!! And don’t worry you’ll be able to do this easy 💯 just label the bolts and you’ll be fine
I have coolant coming from the valve cover after doing the heads I don’t know why and I did everything to spec please help
Look at the water pump hoses
@@bobaganoosh88 thanks brad it actually turned out that the valve cover was loose and the head was cracked and the gaskets I purchased do not have an installation arrow the leak was originally in the rear now that head is fine but the front I’m worried because I now have a fresh new head but the gasket seems to not have any real orientation
How long does the job take???
Took me about 4 hours
How long did it take to do this repair my 08 has timeing cover leak
bout 2 hours
Would this issue cause your car to over heat?
Yes
I'm pretty sure my 2007 gt has the same problem. I'm assuming this will work with the super charger 3800.
yes it will just a few more things in the way :)
@@bobaganoosh88 I followed your video and that was the problem. That is so much I wouldnt have been able to get it done and would've had no clue. Thanks!!
@@briantolley854 your'e very welcome!
She is a dirty girl. Nice detailed, no nonsense walk through.
How long did it take I’ve got to do it on my 01
about 3 to 4 hours the first time
What did you torque the cover bolts to?
"Manufacturers recommendations" might have to look it up. I can't remember off hand.. 😜
This helped sm Thxs sm
Hey I would like to let u know you skipped the step on how to line up the crankshaft I didn't have mine properly lined up and I broke my cover...
23:00 explains it. If you fucked up your shit on your own, dont blame the dude who tried to help. :)
Surprised you didn't replace the timing chain. If you are already that far, unless the car has no mileage, might as well replace the chain. Otherwise, when the chain eventually goes, if the engine survives, you still have to do the job over. And yes I know timing chains last much longer then belts. But it's always good practice to replace those components if you are already right in front of them. A little preventive maintenance goes a long way.
Appreciate the video though. Doing a rebuild soon which requires new chain, all new gaskets, pistons, bearings, oil pump, etc. So wanted to know how easy/complex the cover was. As I have to do it anyway.
Its also good practice to do what the customer wants. I have never had a timing chain go bad in a 3800. When it takes an hour to remove the cover, its not a big deal at all to remove, and most customers dont want to pay the extra money for the work. thanks for your suggestion though!
@@bobaganoosh88 Fair enough, that makes sense. I didn't know this was a customer's car. I don't really pay attention to TH-cam channel name's as everyone is a "mechanic" on youtube. (No offense to you.) And I only happened across your vid because I was looking for how to do this. So I didn't have any prior knowledge of your channel.
@@bobaganoosh88 i had very similar leak on dads car and replacing cover with a new one car has no oil pressure, family member did swap of gears plunger with spring, now no oil pressure
Any ideas do you have to prime pump?
@@jessierumley4203 shouldn't have to honestly. But if you want to be safe, go ahead and do it.
Would this explain oil leaking out my water pump ?
It could be the intake gaskets doing that. A little more simple of a job. Upper intake comes off and the lower and you can replace the gaskets there. I would power wash the engine or clean it up really well and then see where the fresh oil leak is coming from.
@@bobaganoosh88 I already got the timing cover gasket kit as it was leaking pressure from the same spot in the video here just weird I got oil coming out my water pump at first I that it was some sort of gasket maker cuz it was just a little then it started really leaking oil pretty bad I just gotta go get a puller to finish getting the timing cover off there is a bunch of o rings tho and a gasket I don’t know where it goes obviously I know the timing cover gasket water pump gasket oil ring but there like 5 o rings that’s idk where the could possibly go
@@austinshook6180 is there any oil in your coolant reservoir?
@@bobaganoosh88 it did seem to have some burn oil or maybe coolant floating on top there was barely any coolant in the car when it first started overheating I’m poor and I knew there was an issue so I filled the radiator with water to get to work for the week only 10 min ride the more I drove the more oil came out the water pump the radiator had a bunch of that orange shit maybe burnt coolant
@@bobaganoosh88 I appreciate your help
nice job thanks
do you know the 3 bolt size of the puller
i dont know the sizes but i will say i had to get some bolts that worked better than what came in the kit
1/4 x 3 fine thread
Wish u could do mine !!!! I’ll pay you !!!! Lol how much ! To replace my timing cover water pump serpentine belt with coolant flush!!! I’m in Michigan!!! U say 2 hours it takes
Where in Michigan?
Any comments on rumors that the engine doesn't last long after this job due to getting junk into oil pump passages, therefore starving the engine of oil and ultimately wrecking the engine! I'm hearing there is only a 1/10 success rate!?!?
I'm 3 for 3 so far! Just be careful and change the oil when it's finished.
No information about the oil pump timing marks.
Oil pump doesn't come off. If you're talking about the harmonic balancer, there's a keyway.
thank you
It's a 2006 Pontiac grand prix gt
Why the annoing unnecessary music?? Makes understanding what youre saying difficult..😖
It's only for the first 2 minutes
Please tell me that was a beer burp! lol
I actually don't drink, but it was likely a steak and eggs burp 😂
@@bobaganoosh88 That works too! haha
This video would be better without the loud music
i know! i lowered the music 5 times and after posting it was still too loud!
music is only in the beginning, but thanks for watching anyways!! :)
Dude, This is super helpful, but any help it provides is greatly hindered by the music blaring overtop. please cut that out next time.
Its only in the first minute of the video
Watch more than 30 seconds before complaining. Thx
Do NOT use a wire wheel to clean mating surfaces!!! You risk ruining the surfaces and will get metal shavings everywhere! That will ruin your engine. Otherwise good job.
Been using them my whole life never had an issue. Maybe you should stick to mowing lawns. Otherwise thanks for commenting.
@@bobaganoosh88 Oh boy. We got another guy who can’t take constructive criticism! Maybe just take your video down if you’re not willing to communicate and learn with the community.
@@bobaganoosh88 Teaching that to people will only result in disaster at some point. Any grease monkey worth his weight knows better.
It's not constructive criticism, it's nonsense. I blueprint engines. Never one time in my career has anyone ever had any qualms about using a wire wheel. In fact it's what we're told TO use. What you fail to understand is there's a way to mess everything up and it's possible with a wire wheel, but only you're stupid. No metal shavings go anywhere with a wire wheel. A few wires to but they don't get stuck in the metal when doing a final clean. But I digress, if it was a good pointer, I'm all about it. This wasn't, and it's probably something some old timer told you because he screwed something up in his day. No need to tell anyone this, it only shows the minimal understanding you have about this subject.
@@bobaganoosh88 It’s criticism you’re taking extremely poorly because you’re lazy, you know the right way. Just because you’ve had a few “successes” doesn’t show the long term affects. I guarantee you will scratch your head when something goes wrong. 🤦 You should know better. GM has even put out service bulletins on the subject because so many people did this on intake gaskets and wondered why they had a boat anchor before their next oil change.
Absolutely silly and ignorant. Using a wire wheel or any abrasive against a metal surface will absolutely result in metal shavings EVERYWHERE. Much less the wires!
You do you, but anybody reading these comments should know to think about what they’re doing before blindly following.