P.S. good time to suck out power steering fluid and replace to get some of that old stuff out. I did this with the alternator and idler pulley removed. I replaced both my primary serpentine and accessory supercharger belts at this time as well. They were due. I replaced flushed most of the coolant, replaced both the upper and lower radiator hoses and thermostat, and swapped the supercharger fluid (as it was time) as well.
WOW you actually got a lot done. It is a god idea. Since you have to move some components and take off the belt, better to get it done in one shot...great idea! Appreciate the comment for my viewers. I definitely support this idea
@Terrick Auto zone doesn't sell supercharger fluid. Powers steering, radiator, wipers, brakes, engine, gas/diesel tank, transmission, are usually the areas that need fluid minus the parts most people never change like the diff and hubs on semis and so on. Supercharger and turbos like the rare free stuff that makes a car perform better. Little bit of air can go a long way.
Thank you , thank you, thank you!! I was in panic mode thinking I’d be replacing a radiator or water pump or some other super spendy parts and accidentally found your video while searching on google! As soon as a friend of mine spotted the leak, this video popped up on google, it was almost magical! Just an FYI, O’reillys auto has a kit with that both tubes for around $14.00 & they’re made out of metal, so they should last longer! Anyway, you gained a new subscriber! Thanks again!
Awesome!! Thanks for subscribing! Glad the video helped out too. The timing was perfect. I didn't even know about those elbows at the time of making this video, otherwise, I would have gone with those. They are definitely the way to go. Thanks for sharing!
Huge shout to you bro! Great video! I watched it 3 times just to be safe, and got the job done without any issue! Also sweet tip on how to pull the broken pieces out, worked perfectly! Once again thank you brotha! Truly appreciated!
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for all the videos on the Grand Prix. Mine is an 08 with only 260k km on it. These videos have helped me quite a few times now. this video got me to work today, I was able to figure out what was wrong last night and had it pulled apart and back together in under an hour last night. appreciate all the hard work you've done on these.
i replaced these coolant elbows on 04 grand prix with metal ones @ 60k miles as a preventatives measure. The metal elbows were about $12. The old original dexcool coolant was noticeably dirtier than the new dexcool i replaced it with. I took off my alternator to make room while i did this.
Super solid video Thanks! I went with the aluminum replacements as they were cheap and better solution to the plastic ones. Also found it a lot easier to just remove the three bolts from alternator and move it aside when putting the bolts back into the the bracket. You don't have to fight with the alternator weight un aligning the fitment.
No problem at all. I am not sure if you are aware, but they now sell aftermarket metal L Hoses. If you get a chance, get those, and you will never have this issue again. Other than that, thanks for watching, and glad the video will help out!
Welllllll here we are again. How's life treatin ya?? Hope things are going good with you and the family. Have ya got the shop set up yet?? I'm itchin to see some new videos. Git 'er done young feller. Yer fallin down on the job here. LMAO I made it all winter without having to change those by-pass tubes. However....now is the time. See what ya got me into again. It's all yer fault. LMAO The leak isn't major yet but I'm losing about a liter every week or so. Tired of the smell. I do know it's those by-pass tubes. It's become very evident. I think all the prestone on the tensioner pulley and housing is a good indication. LOL I think I'm gonna include a new belt while I'm at it. I came back to check this video just to get a refresher. I noticed things this time that I missed the last time. It all makes sense now. Barring any problems getting the pieces out I should be able to do it up in a few hours (you know 18 to 24 hours LMAO). As for the hooked clothes hanger you know how much I like working with those. Something about a light socket above the drivers side rear door that popped out of the holder. My coat hanger worked really well on that so this should be a walk in the park. But then you know how my luck of the Irish goes. Forget I said that. I'm going to think good thoughts, do a little meditation, get some good vibes and then screw it all up. LMAO I remember the old days when GM used those little rubber by-pass hoses that went between the water pump and I think it was the intake. What a major pain in the as....butt they were. Either pull the water pump or the intake. Spoiler alert, pull the water pump. It's a lot easier. Then you had to make a gasket because no one sold the water pump gasket separate. You had to by a gasket set just to get the water pump gasket. GM had a serious sense of humour back then but it was a really sick one. LOL I remember changing a water pump on my '78 Dodge tradesman B150 van with the 318. I used a cereal box to make the gasket. I drove it for several years like that until I forgot to put prestone in it one winter and split the block wide open. Good times were had by all. LMAO Do me a favour and keep yer fingers, toes, knees, elbows and eyes crossed for me. If this screws up it's about a 210 foot drop from the center spam of the bridge to the river below and it'll be a lonely trip for the old girl. Let the big fishies drive her around on the bottom of the river. LMAO I had cataract surgery 2 weeks ago so I'm not supposed to be doing anything like this. I never listened to doctors anyway. What do they know? LMAO. He says that if pressure builds in the eye it could cause some problems. I'm here to tell ya that the only pressure is gonna be getting my fat as....arse over the fender. From there it should be clear sailing. Actually I went in to see the optometrist today and he said I should be ok. He says the healing is actually better than expected. He said the main thing now is for the brain to learn to focus the eye. I stopped laughing and looked him straight in the eyes with a stupid look on my face. He asked what was wrong. I told him I had never been accused of that before. He asked accused of what. I said having a brain. He just laughed. As I was walking out the door I said Always leave 'em laughing. I closed the door and headed for the outer door to leave the building and I could still hear him laughing. I guess you could say it was a good visit. Well, enough of my horse pucky for one day. I should have the parts tomorrow and I should get them in on Friday. Tomorrow is supposed to rain and 54F and Friday sunny and 55F. Since I've never been into self abuse I think I'll wait for Friday. LOL I guess that's been the long and short of it. Been an awesome day, one of the best in a long time. BTW, last year I mentioned how to get carbon out of one of the older engines using water. I don't remember what your response was but I found a video that explains it and shows how to do it. If you're interested check this link. This guy explains it and shows it really good. He looks like an old hillbilly farmer but he knows of what he speaks. th-cam.com/video/AxIPP3hdY6c/w-d-xo.html Also, did you check out that link about the dim whit that had been stealing cat converters and got trapped in an SUV 20 feet in the air? I can't find the posts so I don't remember if you saw it or not. I almost pis....piddled myself when I watched it. Well, I guess that's about it for today. Told myself this was going to be a short one this time. We see how well that went. LMAO Hope you are doing good and enjoying the new house. Take care and be safe. Until Nexus time.... CYA
Hello hello again! How are you doing, my friend? I hope all is well (aside from that surgery). Life is good with me and my family...can't complain at all. Shop is pretty much all set, and I am just completing some repairs of some vehicles that were waiting on me lol. I should be starting to get back to filming soon! (I know, I have been slacking LOL). In other news, I got my Grand Prix back on the road after sitting parked for a few years. Runs just as good as it did when I parked it! Ah, I guess it's that time for those elbows. I realize I am sending this likely after you completed the work on Friday, so I hope it went well. At least the weather was pretty decent...unless that Ol Irish Luck hit you with some rain or winds. Fingers crossed for sure (and everything else I can cross too LOL). HAHA, I remember the days of making your own gasket out of whatever. The tolerances were so different, cardboard of some sort worked great. Even having those cheap cork gaskets were a luxury LOL. How did that cataract surgery go? I hope everything is going well, regardless of the status of what's in that ol cranial cavity HAHAHA. I'm sure you gave the optometrist a story to tell his colleagues or family. A great chuckle for sure! I don't quite remember the conversation in detail about the water and carbon, but somewhere in my ol noggin I think you said you were going to find the video and we left that there...so here we are! LOL. I watched the video...guys like that know all the old school tips and tricks to make things work. Unlike some mechanics these days who just throw parts at a car and hope for the best. Hmmm...I normally watch the stuff you send to me, but I don't recall watching that one with the cat. If you have the link still, could you resend it to me? It was great to hear from you again, as always! You and I both know that these are never short, but that's what makes them so fuc...fudging entertaining LOL. Take care my friend, and until Nexus Time, Sir Mis Chevious! (Or Rip Van Wrinkle for today). I hope your friend is doing well too LOL. Take care!
Random question but what kind of coolant do you use? I’ve been running orange dex-cool through my 07’ Grand Prix with no issues. I’ve recently read some stuff online about how bad it is for your vehicle. Is this true or propaganda? Thanks in advance!
@bryndon_barrett I'm still using dexcool. And believe it or not...it's never been flushed! I'm overdue! So dexcool itself isn't bad for the vehicle. What dexcool has a problem with vs traditional coolant is sludge build up. And when that happens, it becomes bad for sure. But it's not as widespread an issue as some people make it out to be. As long as you keep an eye on it (check under the rad cap, etc) and don't see build up, you're fine. But if you start seeing the build up (looks like clay), then flush and maybe even change back to the old style coolant
Did the bypass elbows and noticed the intake manifold gasket was bad ( i blindly asusumed it was the head gasket till i felt it was plastic) and thought that the overheating caused the olastic to melt really bad ..... kinda surprised but not surprised at how cheap GM was with all this plastic stuff haha
Ah, gotcha. So it was the intake manifold gasket. Still, 20 years in isn't bad at all. Ohhhh, we know GM and plastics lol. But honestly, every manufacturer uses plastic intake manifold these days. Some have been for a couple decades (like the good ol general) and some are more recent. Such a common trend now!
Well young feller, how's things going. Hope things are good with you and the family. Are ya stayin outta mischief?? Hope not. life gets to boring. LOL I've been noticing the distinct odour of prestone from my car for a week or so. Also had to fill the rad and overflow about 2 weeks ago. I haven't noticed it going down yet, just the smell of prestone. Haven't had time to check it out yet either but I aim to in the next day or three. Been raining here a lot so couldn't check it anyway. However, I had some youtube videos saved to my desktop with no idea what they were so I decided to check them out today. Surprise surprise. For whatever reason this was one of them. I really didn't need to see this one LMAO. My luck it will be one of the two you show here. That would suck. We're getting temps in the lows to mid 50's. Luck of the Irish again, just luck of the Irish. Oh well. Not supposed to rain Thursday. I'll check it out then. I sure hope it's not one of them but I'm not going to hold my breath that it isn't. Things seem to happen that way. Either I have one saved to the desktop or one comes up unexpectedly and turns out to be the next problem with the car. I'm going to quit watching youtube. LOL Shaggin sheep shi...poop. Supposed to be all the way up to 61 F Thursday. I'll check this out Wednesday. Only supposed to rain between 11 Am and 1 Pm. Hopefully I can get the parts locally and if this is the problem, get it fixed Thursday. Anyway, you take care and stay safe my friend. Til Nexus time
Staying out of mischief? I am in a new area...sounds like a good reason to get into some trouble. Ok... maybe not LOL . You know, I really enjoy our conversations, but it seems whenever you save one of my videos, trouble comes along with it LMAO. That ol' luck of the Irish again. Hopefully this doesn't turn into another sensor situation! But, I wouldn't be surprised if it were one of these elbows, to be honest. Pretty common, and that sweet coolant smell comes along with it. Let me know how it goes. Oh, if they have the metal ones, definitely get those. That problem will be a thing of the past! Stay safe too, my friend. And stay warm!
@@NexusAuto Hello again. God to hear from you. I checked those 2 bypass hoses. NEITHER OF THEM is leaking. Haven't figured out what's leaking yet but I'm pretty sure it's under the hood. I don't smell it in the car so the heater core is out as well. I'll just have to keep looking. It can't be a serious leak. Neither the rad nor the overflow has gone down yet. That's going to make it harder to find the leak but I do have a trick or three up my sleeve. Just need some time to find and fix it. Hopefully in the next couple of days. Sensor....did you say sensor? That's a nasty word. Yes, I still have sensor problems. All sensors have been replaced but still getting the warnings about the ABS and the Traction control. I'm about to slap this thing stupid. LOL I may just take it in and have it checked to find out what the hell is going on. I'm getting pretty pissed with this whole situation with the sensors. If I could find the plug for the sensor on the RR, I'd change that. I still believe it's in the right rear. I may have broke a wire or two. I checked on the price for the plug but you have to by some stupid wiring harness with the plug and about 6 or 8 feet of wire for over $100. Not going there. Any recommendations?? Anyway,l hope you're enjoying the new location and all is going well. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Take care and be safe. Till Nexus time...
@@missychevious3137 Hello, my friend! Hmmm, not finding the issue is always a good and bad thing. One thing is confirmed as working great...so where is the fault? LOL. Now the chase begins! Hopefully those tricks get some results. Heres hoping that infamous luck doesn't come into play lol. Honestly, the best bet at this point is to get it scanned. It will tell you exactly which sensor is tripped. I recently had an issue on the Trailblazer. The ABS could constantly engage like it's detecting a slip, even on a sunny, dry 80 degree day. But no abs errors or lights. I hooked up my scanner and went for a test drive. Set it to read all 4 sensors and saw which one was tripped (front right). Took me 5 mins to diagnose the issue, and went from there. From the sounds of it, I think that's the best bet. Other than fuc...messing around with it, might as well let a scantool tell you which wheel it is, and go from there. Especially if a broken wire is involved. I am enjoying the new place for sure. Big bonus...I have a double garage now! No more carport! LOL.
@@NexusAuto Weelllllll, I found the coolant leak....I think. The bypass hoses look good. In fact they look dang near new. I wiped them down and there was just a little dust on them so I'm pretty sure they're OK. Checked the rad and all hoses, pump, pretty much everything I could think of. I was about to go borrow a pressure tester for the cooling system. As I was closing the hood something caught my attention so I raised the hood back up. Sure enough I found the problem. I think I missed it because it was so simple (or should I say stupid). I fuc....screwed up. The lower part of the overflow tank was riding tight against the idler pulley and the pulley had rubbed a hole in the plastic. For now, I cleaned the tank really good and stuck some duct tape over the hole. (U.S. armed forces claims the duct tape is good up to 200 MPH. Said so right on the package). There was a very thin piece of plastic still covering the hole. In fact it was so thin it was pretty much transparent and you could see through it but it was obvious that it was leaking. I ordered a new tank and it is supposed to be in tomorrow around noon. Then I had to wonder just how stupid one person could be. I was the only one to pull the tank and inadvertently put it back in wrong. The little cone shaped holder that holds the bottom of the tank was holding the tank into the pulley. I checked the retainer and it's solid. I didn't get the tank back in properly. Yeppers. Pretty stupid if you ask me. LOL The good thing is that the new tank is only about $35. I couldn't find it online. PDS on my part ifn ya asks me. (Pretty Damn Stupid) LMAO Kinda funny (not) but I could hear the fluid moving through the heater core when the engine was at OT and I restarted it. Using my powers of deduction I came to the conclusion that the cooling system was low on fluid. It got louder and lasted longer as time went on and I started to smell the coolant after a drive and when I was outside the car. I decided I had better fill it. Geee. Wonder how I came to that conclusion. It took quite a while for it to go back down which tells me it wasn't a pressurized leak. Next question. What part of the cooling system isn't pressurized?? As I'm sitting here typing this I can't quit laughing. It should have been as obvious as the nose on my face. To my knowledge there's only one part. The overflow tank (unless the car is overheating and even then there isn't really any pressure). Even knowing this it took me long enough to find the leak. Dumb da dumb dumb. In my defense I have only came across 3 maybe 4 leaking tanks in all my years. However, that doesn't excuse my, shall we say, lack of thinking processes. OK, out and out stupidity. LMAO Anyway, I'll know tomorrow if that's the only problem. I'm pretty sure it is. The rad was still full. Only the level of prestone in the tank dropped (and no, I don't mean an Abram's tank, military tank either LMAO). I guess hindsight really is 20/20. As I read this over I realize that I should have caught this sooner. If I had I probably could have fixed it rather than replaced it. Only one local autowrecker had a used tank and they wanted $75 for it. I called them and let them know I ordered a new one for less than half what they wanted for a used one. He got kinda snarky on the phone so I told him to call and price the new one. If he does I'll bet a months income that he's a little embarrassed and I hear back from him. LOL Again, in my defense, I'm old and senile. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. LMAO Anyway, just thought I'd update you on my .........progress so far. Hopefully this takes care of the coolant leak. Also, hopefully, I get the problem with the sensor fixed. If I do, I have a couple lighting upgrades I want to get done. New LED amber fog lights and a new small LED light bar for the backup lights (never could figure out why they used those little low powered bulbs for backup lights). They've been sitting around here for about 4 years and I still haven't got them on. Sometimes I'm a little slow but that's ridiculous. LOL Sooooo, you take care and be safe. Hope all is good with you. Until Nexus time CYA
@@missychevious3137 HAHAHA. Well, I would like to claim that is that ol Luck of the Irish thing again, but this time, well...can't, can I? But that's hilarious! We've all been there...those bonehead, slap-the-forehead moment. At least you find the issue. Can you imagine if you started taking things apart searching for the issue? Sounds like you may have dodged a bigger bullet there! But hey, don't feel bad. Honestly, I wouldn't necessarily check the tank first if a car came in to me either. Let's face it, unless someone has fiddled with the tank (wink wink, nudge nudge LOL), who would ever suspect the tank? Even with your deductions, its so easy to overlook it. You know how many mechanics I've seen take everything apart in a car looking for an issue, when all along, it was a simple fuse or a frayed wire? But damn, that was quite a fuc...mess up. LMAO. WOW! That's crazy that the autowrecker was asking for so much more. What happened to the days where they were where you went for a bargain? Sounds like you gave him some of that Miss Chevious snarkiness right back at him...at least, I hope you did. Why stay out of trouble? LOL. You take care too! All is well on my end, and I hope the same for you. Until Nexus Time...Merry Christmas LOL.
they got aluminum elbows at autozone. but i think the reason that the manufacturer used composite elbows instead of those aluminum elbows was because the aluminum is going to get hotter than the composite elbows will, and it will make the O-rings deteriorate faster than the composite elbows will.
No, GM used Plastic because they are cheaper. The Aluminum handle temperature changes much better than the plastic. A plastic part in a metal part is not a recipe for a long life of the plastic part.
Whoa! That's crazy! I have seen them get pretty damaged, but that is a whole other level of damage right there! Hopefully the job went ok. Did you get the aluminium ones for replacement?
They go by a few names...L-Hoses, Coolant Elbows, Bypass Hose. The do sell aluminum ones. The only company I know of that sells them is called ZZP (lots of Grand Prix stuff there too). YOu can find them here. zzperformance.com/collections/3800/products/aluminum-coolant-elbows
I double checked the service manual to be sure, and there is no mention of having to set the timing again. Unless something went wrong, the timing should still be all set.
@@NexusAuto I got question Right. Remember when I was telling try you that there is white smoke coming from my exhaust and a gasoline smell too. I realize the smell and the smoke started a couple of day's after I got my transmission replaced. So question is could the transmission be causing the gasoline smell and white smoke from the exhaust.
@@kingavery8918 Transmission fluid getting into the engine is rare, but it could back feed through a vacuum line. Very rare though. It can cause white smoke, but it shouldn't cause the gas smell. It may be the partial cause, but can't say for sure. It sounds like it is running rich.
@@NexusAuto ok I had asked cause the car started blowing white smoke a couple day's after I got my transmission replaced. And can a vacuum leak cause the gas smell
I completely agree. The sucky part is I only found out about the aluminum hoses after I completed the install, otherwise I would have gone with them. These plastic ones are cheap.
would be easy to swap them out. The plastic ones will fail again. I just did this job this weekend, upper elbow is leaking... have it all pulled apart, will reset again. Bought another set of aluminum hoses just in case.
no doubt. I will definitely be changing them to aluminum ones at some point. Next time I have to work on something in the 'area' I will just be proactive and get it done. The plastic ones are complete junk.
Oh, I 100% agree with this. When I made this video, the aluminum ones didn't even exist...at least, at any of my parts suppliers. I didn't get an option for it. But now, they're easily available. Get them 100%! Great tip for other viewers. Thanks
@@NexusAuto "but now they're easily available" ..... True, I work for parts distribution company and I actually just bought the aluminum 2 pack 3 days ago for my brother's Grand Prix heh heh
@olheghtt haha nice! Can't go wrong with that. One day when I get some time, I'll just go ahead and replace them anyways. It's not a hard job and it'll be worth the upgrade!
Exact same way? Not sure what you mean by that. I wonder if you are thinking timing belt, which has to be lined up the exact same way. Sorry if I am mistaken in that. But for a drivebelt, it just have to be put on the belt ribs correctly, there is no other adjustment needed. It actually is one of the easier things to do on this car, with the right tools. If you need to see how it is done, check out my video on it. th-cam.com/video/iaYjaGlaRG0/w-d-xo.html
@@NexusAuto yes I was referring to the timing, I had a Mitsubishi eclipse and I remember it not starting for a while because the timing was off. But I got it fixed this Sunday. It only took the guy an hr. Next time I'm going to go for if I run into this problem again. And Thanks for responding. I liked the video for you.
@@jajayaboy ah gotcha. Timing belts/chains can throw everything off. Luckily, the drivebelt is really easy. Hopefully you never get the problem again, but if you do, definitely go for it. And thanks for the like...much appreciated!
Had trouble finding the parts.. Thought I would share the links to the parts on Advance Auto Parts (they come with both upper and lower): - Plastic ($4.99): bit.ly/47065Elbows - Aluminum ($11.99): bit.ly/47065HP I am going to get the aluminum ones to make sure they last longer. And they are quite a bit cheaper now than what you said in the video. Hope this helps someone else, took me quite while to find it!
+NexusTMPG Well thanks for the video... I watched it before and referred to it during and I got it done in about an hour and I haven't really ever worked on my car to that level. something else I might make note of.. be sure when you put the belt back on, all the teeth are lined up right on all the pulleys. thanks for the video!
It goes by a few names. I heard it called an L hose, a coolant elbow, or a heater hose L connector. Any of those names should work. Also, I think AutoZone actually pulls up a diagram of the car when searching for the part ...not 💯 sure. It is the only L shaped hose on the car that is a full 90 degrees.
Yeah I wish I knew about the aluminum ones when I changed these...I would have gone with those instead but only found out about them after I did this :/. Hopefully they don't break again soon, but if they do, I'm going to the aluminum too
NexusTMPG no problem. You make great videos. Helped me replace my 6x9 and 6.5s and will also help me with the led light upgrade. Keep up the good work.
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P.S. good time to suck out power steering fluid and replace to get some of that old stuff out. I did this with the alternator and idler pulley removed. I replaced both my primary serpentine and accessory supercharger belts at this time as well. They were due. I replaced flushed most of the coolant, replaced both the upper and lower radiator hoses and thermostat, and swapped the supercharger fluid (as it was time) as well.
WOW you actually got a lot done. It is a god idea. Since you have to move some components and take off the belt, better to get it done in one shot...great idea! Appreciate the comment for my viewers. I definitely support this idea
What did you mean by replacing the supercharger fluid?
@Terrick
Auto zone doesn't sell supercharger fluid. Powers steering, radiator, wipers, brakes, engine, gas/diesel tank, transmission, are usually the areas that need fluid minus the parts most people never change like the diff and hubs on semis and so on. Supercharger and turbos like the rare free stuff that makes a car perform better. Little bit of air can go a long way.
I did all that as well as new brakes and fluid, except I didn't really orchistrate it so conveniently like you did,😉
@@teezybaby8336 wow just saw this… so the supercharged 3.8’s need their super charger gear oil changed in an interval too. Use AC deco fluid only.
100%.
Perfect Demonstration.
I Literally just fixed a Coolant Leak I've been fighting for 2 weeks thanks to this vid.
PEACE!
Awesome! Happy to hear the video helped out!
Thank you , thank you, thank you!! I was in panic mode thinking I’d be replacing a radiator or water pump or some other super spendy parts and accidentally found your video while searching on google! As soon as a friend of mine spotted the leak, this video popped up on google, it was almost magical!
Just an FYI, O’reillys auto has a kit with that both tubes for around $14.00 & they’re made out of metal, so they should last longer!
Anyway, you gained a new subscriber! Thanks again!
Awesome!! Thanks for subscribing! Glad the video helped out too. The timing was perfect. I didn't even know about those elbows at the time of making this video, otherwise, I would have gone with those. They are definitely the way to go. Thanks for sharing!
Is there anyway I can get a link to what these elbows are called?
Huge shout to you bro! Great video! I watched it 3 times just to be safe, and got the job done without any issue! Also sweet tip on how to pull the broken pieces out, worked perfectly! Once again thank you brotha! Truly appreciated!
No problem at all! Awesome news to hear everything went well! Thanks for the great comment!
for future reference- dorman 47065HP are the aluminum elbows for the 3800
Awesome, thanks for posting the part info!
@@NexusAuto your videos have assisted me quite a bit. its the least i could do
Awesome. I'm going looking for them in the morning. Thanks for posting the part numbers. Should make my job easier.
Hey, just wanted to say thanks for all the videos on the Grand Prix. Mine is an 08 with only 260k km on it. These videos have helped me quite a few times now. this video got me to work today, I was able to figure out what was wrong last night and had it pulled apart and back together in under an hour last night. appreciate all the hard work you've done on these.
No problem at all, glad to hear the videos are helpful. Sounds like everything went well. Thanks for the amazing feedback...appreciated!
i replaced these coolant elbows on 04 grand prix with metal ones @ 60k miles as a preventatives measure. The metal elbows were about $12. The old original dexcool coolant was noticeably dirtier than the new dexcool i replaced it with. I took off my alternator to make room while i did this.
Super solid video Thanks! I went with the aluminum replacements as they were cheap and better solution to the plastic ones. Also found it a lot easier to just remove the three bolts from alternator and move it aside when putting the bolts back into the the bracket. You don't have to fight with the alternator weight un aligning the fitment.
True. In retrospect, I should have both done that and shown that in the video. Would have made the job easier. Great tip!
Can you send me link to the part you used?
Anyone know Replacement Bolts for them?
They are M10 x 1.5 x 65 .
That Helped a lot Thanks! Ridiculous location and I've watched two other videos showing it on top in a different location for this car..
No problem at all. glad the video was helpful. Cant believe other videos don't show it correctly, either! Happy to hear this clarified things!
That's exactly what's wrong with my 04 Pontiac Grand Prix GTP thanks for tips
No problem at all. I am not sure if you are aware, but they now sell aftermarket metal L Hoses. If you get a chance, get those, and you will never have this issue again. Other than that, thanks for watching, and glad the video will help out!
Welllllll here we are again. How's life treatin ya?? Hope things are going good with you and the family. Have ya got the shop set up yet?? I'm itchin to see some new videos. Git 'er done young feller. Yer fallin down on the job here. LMAO
I made it all winter without having to change those by-pass tubes. However....now is the time. See what ya got me into again. It's all yer fault. LMAO The leak isn't major yet but I'm losing about a liter every week or so. Tired of the smell. I do know it's those by-pass tubes. It's become very evident. I think all the prestone on the tensioner pulley and housing is a good indication. LOL I think I'm gonna include a new belt while I'm at it. I came back to check this video just to get a refresher. I noticed things this time that I missed the last time. It all makes sense now. Barring any problems getting the pieces out I should be able to do it up in a few hours (you know 18 to 24 hours LMAO). As for the hooked clothes hanger you know how much I like working with those. Something about a light socket above the drivers side rear door that popped out of the holder. My coat hanger worked really well on that so this should be a walk in the park. But then you know how my luck of the Irish goes. Forget I said that. I'm going to think good thoughts, do a little meditation, get some good vibes and then screw it all up. LMAO
I remember the old days when GM used those little rubber by-pass hoses that went between the water pump and I think it was the intake. What a major pain in the as....butt they were. Either pull the water pump or the intake. Spoiler alert, pull the water pump. It's a lot easier. Then you had to make a gasket because no one sold the water pump gasket separate. You had to by a gasket set just to get the water pump gasket. GM had a serious sense of humour back then but it was a really sick one. LOL I remember changing a water pump on my '78 Dodge tradesman B150 van with the 318. I used a cereal box to make the gasket. I drove it for several years like that until I forgot to put prestone in it one winter and split the block wide open. Good times were had by all. LMAO
Do me a favour and keep yer fingers, toes, knees, elbows and eyes crossed for me. If this screws up it's about a 210 foot drop from the center spam of the bridge to the river below and it'll be a lonely trip for the old girl. Let the big fishies drive her around on the bottom of the river. LMAO
I had cataract surgery 2 weeks ago so I'm not supposed to be doing anything like this. I never listened to doctors anyway. What do they know? LMAO. He says that if pressure builds in the eye it could cause some problems. I'm here to tell ya that the only pressure is gonna be getting my fat as....arse over the fender. From there it should be clear sailing. Actually I went in to see the optometrist today and he said I should be ok. He says the healing is actually better than expected. He said the main thing now is for the brain to learn to focus the eye. I stopped laughing and looked him straight in the eyes with a stupid look on my face. He asked what was wrong. I told him I had never been accused of that before. He asked accused of what. I said having a brain. He just laughed. As I was walking out the door I said Always leave 'em laughing. I closed the door and headed for the outer door to leave the building and I could still hear him laughing. I guess you could say it was a good visit.
Well, enough of my horse pucky for one day. I should have the parts tomorrow and I should get them in on Friday. Tomorrow is supposed to rain and 54F and Friday sunny and 55F. Since I've never been into self abuse I think I'll wait for Friday. LOL
I guess that's been the long and short of it. Been an awesome day, one of the best in a long time. BTW, last year I mentioned how to get carbon out of one of the older engines using water. I don't remember what your response was but I found a video that explains it and shows how to do it. If you're interested check this link. This guy explains it and shows it really good. He looks like an old hillbilly farmer but he knows of what he speaks.
th-cam.com/video/AxIPP3hdY6c/w-d-xo.html
Also, did you check out that link about the dim whit that had been stealing cat converters and got trapped in an SUV 20 feet in the air? I can't find the posts so I don't remember if you saw it or not. I almost pis....piddled myself when I watched it.
Well, I guess that's about it for today. Told myself this was going to be a short one this time. We see how well that went. LMAO Hope you are doing good and enjoying the new house. Take care and be safe. Until Nexus time....
CYA
Hello hello again! How are you doing, my friend? I hope all is well (aside from that surgery). Life is good with me and my family...can't complain at all. Shop is pretty much all set, and I am just completing some repairs of some vehicles that were waiting on me lol. I should be starting to get back to filming soon! (I know, I have been slacking LOL).
In other news, I got my Grand Prix back on the road after sitting parked for a few years. Runs just as good as it did when I parked it!
Ah, I guess it's that time for those elbows. I realize I am sending this likely after you completed the work on Friday, so I hope it went well. At least the weather was pretty decent...unless that Ol Irish Luck hit you with some rain or winds. Fingers crossed for sure (and everything else I can cross too LOL).
HAHA, I remember the days of making your own gasket out of whatever. The tolerances were so different, cardboard of some sort worked great. Even having those cheap cork gaskets were a luxury LOL.
How did that cataract surgery go? I hope everything is going well, regardless of the status of what's in that ol cranial cavity HAHAHA. I'm sure you gave the optometrist a story to tell his colleagues or family. A great chuckle for sure!
I don't quite remember the conversation in detail about the water and carbon, but somewhere in my ol noggin I think you said you were going to find the video and we left that there...so here we are! LOL. I watched the video...guys like that know all the old school tips and tricks to make things work. Unlike some mechanics these days who just throw parts at a car and hope for the best.
Hmmm...I normally watch the stuff you send to me, but I don't recall watching that one with the cat. If you have the link still, could you resend it to me?
It was great to hear from you again, as always! You and I both know that these are never short, but that's what makes them so fuc...fudging entertaining LOL. Take care my friend, and until Nexus Time, Sir Mis Chevious! (Or Rip Van Wrinkle for today). I hope your friend is doing well too LOL. Take care!
Random question but what kind of coolant do you use? I’ve been running orange dex-cool through my 07’ Grand Prix with no issues. I’ve recently read some stuff online about how bad it is for your vehicle. Is this true or propaganda? Thanks in advance!
@bryndon_barrett I'm still using dexcool. And believe it or not...it's never been flushed! I'm overdue! So dexcool itself isn't bad for the vehicle. What dexcool has a problem with vs traditional coolant is sludge build up. And when that happens, it becomes bad for sure. But it's not as widespread an issue as some people make it out to be. As long as you keep an eye on it (check under the rad cap, etc) and don't see build up, you're fine. But if you start seeing the build up (looks like clay), then flush and maybe even change back to the old style coolant
thanks for this video help a lot,it's heater hose fitting.
General king Highest no problem. thank you for watching
I wish had seen this before i changed my radiator!!!
hopefully it helped out. many people miss this little elbow
The plastic ones Burts on me twice before I switched to the aluminum ones. Haven't had a problem since
Did the bypass elbows and noticed the intake manifold gasket was bad ( i blindly asusumed it was the head gasket till i felt it was plastic) and thought that the overheating caused the olastic to melt really bad ..... kinda surprised but not surprised at how cheap GM was with all this plastic stuff haha
Ah, gotcha. So it was the intake manifold gasket. Still, 20 years in isn't bad at all.
Ohhhh, we know GM and plastics lol. But honestly, every manufacturer uses plastic intake manifold these days. Some have been for a couple decades (like the good ol general) and some are more recent. Such a common trend now!
Well young feller, how's things going. Hope things are good with you and the family. Are ya stayin outta
mischief?? Hope not. life gets to boring. LOL I've been noticing the distinct odour of prestone from my car for a week or so. Also had to fill the rad and overflow about 2 weeks ago. I haven't noticed it going down yet, just the smell of prestone. Haven't had time to check it out yet either but I aim to in the next day or three. Been raining here a lot so couldn't check it anyway. However, I had some youtube videos saved to my desktop with no idea what they were so I decided to check them out today. Surprise surprise. For whatever reason this was one of them. I really didn't need to see this one LMAO. My luck it will be one of the two you show here. That would suck. We're getting temps in the lows to mid 50's. Luck of the Irish again, just luck of the Irish. Oh well. Not supposed to rain Thursday. I'll check it out then. I sure hope it's not one of them but I'm not going to hold my breath that it isn't. Things seem to happen that way. Either I have one saved to the desktop or one comes up unexpectedly and turns out to be the next problem with the car. I'm going to quit watching youtube. LOL
Shaggin sheep shi...poop. Supposed to be all the way up to 61 F Thursday. I'll check this out Wednesday. Only supposed to rain between 11 Am and 1 Pm. Hopefully I can get the parts locally and if this is the problem, get it fixed Thursday.
Anyway, you take care and stay safe my friend. Til Nexus time
Staying out of mischief? I am in a new area...sounds like a good reason to get into some trouble. Ok... maybe not LOL .
You know, I really enjoy our conversations, but it seems whenever you save one of my videos, trouble comes along with it LMAO. That ol' luck of the Irish again. Hopefully this doesn't turn into another sensor situation!
But, I wouldn't be surprised if it were one of these elbows, to be honest. Pretty common, and that sweet coolant smell comes along with it. Let me know how it goes. Oh, if they have the metal ones, definitely get those. That problem will be a thing of the past!
Stay safe too, my friend. And stay warm!
@@NexusAuto Hello again. God to hear from you. I checked those 2 bypass hoses. NEITHER OF THEM is leaking. Haven't figured out what's leaking yet but I'm pretty sure it's under the hood. I don't smell it in the car so the heater core is out as well. I'll just have to keep looking. It can't be a serious leak. Neither the rad nor the overflow has gone down yet. That's going to make it harder to find the leak but I do have a trick or three up my sleeve. Just need some time to find and fix it. Hopefully in the next couple of days.
Sensor....did you say sensor? That's a nasty word. Yes, I still have sensor problems. All sensors have been replaced but still getting the warnings about the ABS and the Traction control. I'm about to slap this thing stupid. LOL I may just take it in and have it checked to find out what the hell is going on. I'm getting pretty pissed with this whole situation with the sensors. If I could find the plug for the sensor on the RR, I'd change that. I still believe it's in the right rear. I may have broke a wire or two. I checked on the price for the plug but you have to by some stupid wiring harness with the plug and about 6 or 8 feet of wire for over $100. Not going there. Any recommendations??
Anyway,l hope you're enjoying the new location and all is going well. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Take care and be safe. Till Nexus time...
@@missychevious3137 Hello, my friend!
Hmmm, not finding the issue is always a good and bad thing. One thing is confirmed as working great...so where is the fault? LOL. Now the chase begins! Hopefully those tricks get some results. Heres hoping that infamous luck doesn't come into play lol.
Honestly, the best bet at this point is to get it scanned. It will tell you exactly which sensor is tripped.
I recently had an issue on the Trailblazer. The ABS could constantly engage like it's detecting a slip, even on a sunny, dry 80 degree day. But no abs errors or lights. I hooked up my scanner and went for a test drive. Set it to read all 4 sensors and saw which one was tripped (front right). Took me 5 mins to diagnose the issue, and went from there. From the sounds of it, I think that's the best bet. Other than fuc...messing around with it, might as well let a scantool tell you which wheel it is, and go from there. Especially if a broken wire is involved.
I am enjoying the new place for sure. Big bonus...I have a double garage now! No more carport! LOL.
@@NexusAuto Weelllllll, I found the coolant leak....I think. The bypass hoses look good. In fact they look dang near new. I wiped them down and there was just a little dust on them so I'm pretty sure they're OK. Checked the rad and all hoses, pump, pretty much everything I could think of. I was about to go borrow a pressure tester for the cooling system. As I was closing the hood something caught my attention so I raised the hood back up. Sure enough I found the problem. I think I missed it because it was so simple (or should I say stupid). I fuc....screwed up. The lower part of the overflow tank was riding tight against the idler pulley and the pulley had rubbed a hole in the plastic. For now, I cleaned the tank really good and stuck some duct tape over the hole. (U.S. armed forces claims the duct tape is good up to 200 MPH. Said so right on the package). There was a very thin piece of plastic still covering the hole. In fact it was so thin it was pretty much transparent and you could see through it but it was obvious that it was leaking. I ordered a new tank and it is supposed to be in tomorrow around noon. Then I had to wonder just how stupid one person could be. I was the only one to pull the tank and inadvertently put it back in wrong. The little cone shaped holder that holds the bottom of the tank was holding the tank into the pulley. I checked the retainer and it's solid. I didn't get the tank back in properly. Yeppers. Pretty stupid if you ask me. LOL The good thing is that the new tank is only about $35. I couldn't find it online. PDS on my part ifn ya asks me. (Pretty Damn Stupid) LMAO
Kinda funny (not) but I could hear the fluid moving through the heater core when the engine was at OT and I restarted it. Using my powers of deduction I came to the conclusion that the cooling system was low on fluid. It got louder and lasted longer as time went on and I started to smell the coolant after a drive and when I was outside the car. I decided I had better fill it. Geee. Wonder how I came to that conclusion. It took quite a while for it to go back down which tells me it wasn't a pressurized leak. Next question. What part of the cooling system isn't pressurized?? As I'm sitting here typing this I can't quit laughing. It should have been as obvious as the nose on my face. To my knowledge there's only one part. The overflow tank (unless the car is overheating and even then there isn't really any pressure). Even knowing this it took me long enough to find the leak. Dumb da dumb dumb. In my defense I have only came across 3 maybe 4 leaking tanks in all my years. However, that doesn't excuse my, shall we say, lack of thinking processes. OK, out and out stupidity. LMAO Anyway, I'll know tomorrow if that's the only problem. I'm pretty sure it is. The rad was still full. Only the level of prestone in the tank dropped (and no, I don't mean an Abram's tank, military tank either LMAO). I guess hindsight really is 20/20. As I read this over I realize that I should have caught this sooner. If I had I probably could have fixed it rather than replaced it. Only one local autowrecker had a used tank and they wanted $75 for it. I called them and let them know I ordered a new one for less than half what they wanted for a used one. He got kinda snarky on the phone so I told him to call and price the new one. If he does I'll bet a months income that he's a little embarrassed and I hear back from him. LOL Again, in my defense, I'm old and senile. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. LMAO
Anyway, just thought I'd update you on my .........progress so far. Hopefully this takes care of the coolant leak. Also, hopefully, I get the problem with the sensor fixed. If I do, I have a couple lighting upgrades I want to get done. New LED amber fog lights and a new small LED light bar for the backup lights (never could figure out why they used those little low powered bulbs for backup lights). They've been sitting around here for about 4 years and I still haven't got them on. Sometimes I'm a little slow but that's ridiculous. LOL
Sooooo, you take care and be safe. Hope all is good with you. Until Nexus time
CYA
@@missychevious3137 HAHAHA. Well, I would like to claim that is that ol Luck of the Irish thing again, but this time, well...can't, can I? But that's hilarious! We've all been there...those bonehead, slap-the-forehead moment. At least you find the issue. Can you imagine if you started taking things apart searching for the issue? Sounds like you may have dodged a bigger bullet there!
But hey, don't feel bad. Honestly, I wouldn't necessarily check the tank first if a car came in to me either. Let's face it, unless someone has fiddled with the tank (wink wink, nudge nudge LOL), who would ever suspect the tank? Even with your deductions, its so easy to overlook it. You know how many mechanics I've seen take everything apart in a car looking for an issue, when all along, it was a simple fuse or a frayed wire? But damn, that was quite a fuc...mess up. LMAO.
WOW! That's crazy that the autowrecker was asking for so much more. What happened to the days where they were where you went for a bargain? Sounds like you gave him some of that Miss Chevious snarkiness right back at him...at least, I hope you did. Why stay out of trouble? LOL.
You take care too! All is well on my end, and I hope the same for you. Until Nexus Time...Merry Christmas LOL.
Take the alternator off it's only three extra bolts and it makes it easier
True. I should have.
im having horrible trouble getting the broken pieces out.. anyone got any suggestions other than the little hangwr trick?
Do you have to burp the air out
I didn't at the time, but it doesn't hurt to burp the system. Better safe than sorry.
Life saver
No problem! Glad to hear the video was helpful. Such an annoying little part, but a relatively easy fix.
they got aluminum elbows at autozone. but i think the reason that the manufacturer used composite elbows instead of those aluminum elbows was because the aluminum is going to get hotter than the composite elbows will, and it will make the O-rings deteriorate faster than the composite elbows will.
that may be the exact reason. it is definitely solid reasoning as to why they don't use them from the get-go.
you forgot to tell people to make sure that they're engine is completely cool before they do this job
No, GM used Plastic because they are cheaper. The Aluminum handle temperature changes much better than the plastic. A plastic part in a metal part is not a recipe for a long life of the plastic part.
Another issue I had with my 04. Except mine had exploded. No joke. The thing splintered and then smoke and steam.
Whoa! That's crazy! I have seen them get pretty damaged, but that is a whole other level of damage right there! Hopefully the job went ok. Did you get the aluminium ones for replacement?
@@NexusAuto Yeah. Replaced both of them at the same time. Was a bit of a pain to get them in the tensioner though. Different angles.
@@FelixUmbra It is annoying for sure, but glad you got it done! I hate when these go!
What are those called ??
Can you get them in metal
They go by a few names...L-Hoses, Coolant Elbows, Bypass Hose. The do sell aluminum ones. The only company I know of that sells them is called ZZP (lots of Grand Prix stuff there too). YOu can find them here.
zzperformance.com/collections/3800/products/aluminum-coolant-elbows
Is this the same for a supercharged car
@@benkalinowski5834 yep it is.
Great
Ty very much
Question when I change the harmonic balancer do I need to set the timing again on the timing chain
I double checked the service manual to be sure, and there is no mention of having to set the timing again. Unless something went wrong, the timing should still be all set.
@@NexusAuto I got question Right. Remember when I was telling try you that there is white smoke coming from my exhaust and a gasoline smell too. I realize the smell and the smoke started a couple of day's after I got my transmission replaced. So question is could the transmission be causing the gasoline smell and white smoke from the exhaust.
@@kingavery8918 Transmission fluid getting into the engine is rare, but it could back feed through a vacuum line. Very rare though. It can cause white smoke, but it shouldn't cause the gas smell. It may be the partial cause, but can't say for sure. It sounds like it is running rich.
@@NexusAuto what do you mean by running rich.
@@NexusAuto ok I had asked cause the car started blowing white smoke a couple day's after I got my transmission replaced. And can a vacuum leak cause the gas smell
you should have used the aluminum heater helper hoses. The plastic ones will crack again over time.
I completely agree. The sucky part is I only found out about the aluminum hoses after I completed the install, otherwise I would have gone with them. These plastic ones are cheap.
would be easy to swap them out. The plastic ones will fail again. I just did this job this weekend, upper elbow is leaking... have it all pulled apart, will reset again. Bought another set of aluminum hoses just in case.
no doubt. I will definitely be changing them to aluminum ones at some point. Next time I have to work on something in the 'area' I will just be proactive and get it done. The plastic ones are complete junk.
Everybody, For only a few dollars more you can get aluminum elbows......do it.
Oh, I 100% agree with this. When I made this video, the aluminum ones didn't even exist...at least, at any of my parts suppliers. I didn't get an option for it. But now, they're easily available. Get them 100%! Great tip for other viewers. Thanks
@@NexusAuto "but now they're easily available" ..... True, I work for parts distribution company and I actually just bought the aluminum 2 pack 3 days ago for my brother's Grand Prix heh heh
@olheghtt haha nice! Can't go wrong with that. One day when I get some time, I'll just go ahead and replace them anyways. It's not a hard job and it'll be worth the upgrade!
they make metal ones now, gm knew about this issue and they still make plastic elbows!!
yeah I found about the metal ones after I put these plastic elbows in.
But once you remove the belt, don't you have to put it back the same exact way🤷♂️ that belt is intimidating no lie!!!
Exact same way? Not sure what you mean by that. I wonder if you are thinking timing belt, which has to be lined up the exact same way. Sorry if I am mistaken in that. But for a drivebelt, it just have to be put on the belt ribs correctly, there is no other adjustment needed. It actually is one of the easier things to do on this car, with the right tools.
If you need to see how it is done, check out my video on it.
th-cam.com/video/iaYjaGlaRG0/w-d-xo.html
@@NexusAuto yes I was referring to the timing, I had a Mitsubishi eclipse and I remember it not starting for a while because the timing was off. But I got it fixed this Sunday. It only took the guy an hr. Next time I'm going to go for if I run into this problem again. And Thanks for responding. I liked the video for you.
@@jajayaboy ah gotcha. Timing belts/chains can throw everything off. Luckily, the drivebelt is really easy. Hopefully you never get the problem again, but if you do, definitely go for it. And thanks for the like...much appreciated!
Had trouble finding the parts.. Thought I would share the links to the parts on Advance Auto Parts (they come with both upper and lower):
- Plastic ($4.99): bit.ly/47065Elbows
- Aluminum ($11.99): bit.ly/47065HP
I am going to get the aluminum ones to make sure they last longer. And they are quite a bit cheaper now than what you said in the video. Hope this helps someone else, took me quite while to find it!
great tip. thanks for posting the links. it will be very helpful for those watching. and thanks for watching the vid!
+NexusTMPG Well thanks for the video... I watched it before and referred to it during and I got it done in about an hour and I haven't really ever worked on my car to that level. something else I might make note of.. be sure when you put the belt back on, all the teeth are lined up right on all the pulleys. thanks for the video!
the aluminum ones are far superior. You'll never have to replace them again. Use code P20 to get 20% off @ advanced auto.
Very informative video. Only wish you did not talk so fast....lol
LOL sorry about that...I get a lot of people who tell me I talk too fast. Ill slow it down for other vids :)
So when I go to autozone tommorow to get the parts for my girls car what do I ask for....name*? Of the parts
It goes by a few names. I heard it called an L hose, a coolant elbow, or a heater hose L connector. Any of those names should work. Also, I think AutoZone actually pulls up a diagram of the car when searching for the part ...not 💯 sure. It is the only L shaped hose on the car that is a full 90 degrees.
The plastic ones Burts on me twice before I switched to the aluminum ones. Haven't had a problem since
Yeah I wish I knew about the aluminum ones when I changed these...I would have gone with those instead but only found out about them after I did this :/. Hopefully they don't break again soon, but if they do, I'm going to the aluminum too
NexusTMPG Definitely worth the few extra dollars for the aluminum ones.
9874561203 I agree. thanks for the heads up and thanks for watching
NexusTMPG no problem. You make great videos. Helped me replace my 6x9 and 6.5s and will also help me with the led light upgrade. Keep up the good work.