I also really liked the ratchet Ray was using on the plugs. I have never seen that kind of swivel head before. edit: I mean the one he used to remove the front bank of plugs.
A bit painfull watching these v8 front wheel drive engine repairs as an european, since we usually have inline 4 engines. Half of the components are right agaist firewall, other half right next to the radiator. Everything is in such hard-to-get-to places. I mean many modern inline 4s are complex too, but v8 has almost everything doubled. Still awesome work Ray!
Most of our transverse FWDs are also i4s, some are v6s. GM is the only one I know of that stuffs a v8 into a FWD. Even Dodge, who's known for slapping a v8 into everything it'll fit into, makes all their v8s RWD or AWD as far as I know. Might be wrong, though. There's probably also some I don't know about
You got it wrong...this wasn't the beginning of GM's planned obsolescence but more like the pinnacle of it. They have a long and storied history of it.
I'm not there and can only go with what we see, but @40:40 those spark plugs did not look similar enough to make me comfortable. The threaded area on the new plugs appeared to be significantly (10-20%) longer. I am not a professional mechanic either and trust your call and instincts. I also have not finished the video yet either.
Dave is the only full-time employee. Jesus is part-time and Cody is there just to replace the Ford engine since he specializes in them according to Ray.
Most cars are difficult to work on to do spark plugs . Just did my 98 Buick century , plus the wires . Dealing with chronic pain plus arthritis , fibromyalgia it’s difficult for me to work on cars . But I still do . I also did 2 front wheel bearings on this Buick , and a right side power mirror . I used to own a Cadillac deville . Was a 2002 had 98 thousand on it when it was totaled in my own driveway . Very nice car , I liked it allot . I had a bad ignition coil and a few window regulators go bad on it . Other than that nothing else . I don’t remember if I changed the plugs . As always good day to everyone at rays auto repair and God bless .
In the 3 years i owned my 2000 Sedan Deville I bought new, I never had a single issue or so much as a single drip of oil. Best engine I ever had. I sold the car to buy something less yacht like in size. LOL
@@edwardrobb4682manufacturers these days just love to move the engine towards the cabin firewall for "better weight distribution". I have even seen longitudinally mounted four bangers that make it extremely hard to get to the last plug, fuel injector and whatnot. It's a nightmare. And the conspiracy theorist in me always thinks this is by design.
Northstars are very much misunderstood. While they would develop leaks from the factory, a competent tech can reseal them and they won't leak anymore, Whoever resealed the one featured in Ray's video took shortcuts or didn't completely reseal it. I have resealed hundreds of them and they don't leak afterwards. Several of the ones I resealed belonged to regular customers so I would see the vehicles for years after the reseal, They would still be dry 100,000 miles post reseal. Ray, those valve covers are aluminum. 🙂 Also, the blip you saw in the oxygen sensors around the 27 minute mark of the video was likely the Secondary Air Injection system changing state. The valve you had to remove from the back valve cover to replace the spark plugs is the Secondary Air Injection check valve. As always, keep up the good work!
@@RainmanRaysRepairs I was an engine and trans tech at a Cadillac dealer from 2001-2012. 70% of what I worked on was Northstar powered. Lol The remainder of the percentage was split between Catera timing belts and 3.6L timing chains as far as engine work was concerned.
If you don’t mind me asking, what materials were used during the resealing process. Was it just a new gasket, RTV silicone, or a combination of the two? I’m just curious because the Northstars received such a bad reception from what seems to be the materials used from the factory (seals and head bolts), rather than design related ones. It’s a shame because I like the look and feel of the Cadillac sedans equipped with the Northstars much more than the new stuff that they have been putting out and had they been built better, they could have rivaled Ford’s 4.6L sedans.
@@PseudoSpaceMarine As for the head gaskets, they just get replaced with factory replacements, which come with new bolts. For customer pay jobs, I ALWAYS installed Time Serts in ALL of the cylinder head bolt holes. Coupled with cooling system maintenance, this was generally a permanent repair. It didn't require ridiculous amounts of attention, just something as simple as checking the coolant level when the oil was changed and if it was low, address the reason why. Regarding the oil leaks, the oil would leak from three places, all of them very close to one another. Northstar engine blocks are split at the crankshaft center line, so the crank case has a seam halfway up. On the top of the lower half, on each side, is a channel that is machined into the face. This channel accepts the lower crank case seals. Over time these would shrink and leak. Bolted to the bottom of the lower crank case is the oil manifold. It is an aluminum plate about 1/4" - 3/8" thick that has the same type of rubber molded to it. The top side of the manifold has all the oil channels molded into it, and the perimeter gasket. The bottom has just the perimeter seal. And bolted to the bottom of that is the oil pan. The oil pan also has a channel machined into it to accept the rubber gasket that fits into it. To properly do the job, it is best to install the engine on an engine stand, turn it upside down (oil pan up), remove the oil pan, oil manifold, and lower crank case. THOROUGHLY clean everything so there are no traces of oil, sludge, sealant, anything. Like Ray says, "SHINY!" Then, starting with the lower crank case half, use grey GM Engine Sealant to fill, and slightly overfill (by about 3mm) the channel that the gasket came out of. DO NOT USE A GASKET AT ALL, only the Engine Sealant. Properly torque all the bolts. REPLACE the oil manifold. Before installing the new oil manifold, use a thin bead of Engine Sealant around the outside perimeter of the seal that is molded into the plate. Just the outside. Install the plate and torque all the bolts. Now, for the oil pan, much like the lower case half, clean it SHINY, then, again, leave the gasket out and fill, then slightly overfill, the gasket channel with GM Engine Sealant (same 3mm). Install the oil pan and torque the fasteners. While the engine is out, replace the front and rear crank seals. The latest rear main seal is very robust, as it is a two-piece design (not the two-piece your are thinking of from the old days of rope seals). The inner portion is steel and presses onto the crankshaft. It rotates inside the rubber portion of the seal. This means the seal surface never wears out on the crankshaft. Obviously, all other gaskets and seals that are affected by removal of these parts get replaced, too. Front timing cover gasket, oil filter adapter o-rings, etc. Now is also a good time to reseal the valve covers. The front valve cover has an extra seal on the driver's side. This is what seals the camshaft protrusion that the water pump drive pulley is pressed onto. These engines, internally, are very robust. They don't have individual main bearing caps. The lower crank case is one giant girdle that houses all of the main bearings. The oiling system is also fantastic. I have quite literally been inside hundreds of these (for leaks) and I have never seen one with worn out bearings, rod knocks or any other mechanical rotating assembly issue. There was only one time I had one of these engines for a mechanical failure that was not a head gasket or oil leak. It was a lady that had amassed 49,000 miles and never once checked or changed the oil. In general, the Northstar was a well-performing engine. The highest output version of the FWD engine made 295 hp and about 290 lb ft torque which was good for its time (remember, it was introduced in 1993), was smooth and quiet running, and a long block (with valve covers) only weighed about 350 lbs. The bare block I could easily pick up with one hand, as I think it only weighed about 50 lbs. Also, they love to rev. These engines are happiest between 3500-6500 rpm. They do pretty well down low, but they really sing at higher revs. Now, in saying all this, I am not trying to minimize the size of this repair. It is labor intensive. We pulled the entire powertrain out of the bottom of the car and then separated the engine from the trans on the floor. If you can imagine how it went together at the assembly plant, that is how we removed it. Engine, trans, steering rack, struts with the brakes and the half shafts attached, all sitting on the engine cradle assembly which was then lowered onto a dolly. That is how we removed them. Customer pay, we used to charge 35 hours to completely reseal a Northstar with head gaskets and Time Sert installation. On the DTS in Ray's video, we also had to remove the front fascia because the engine cradle front horns were long enough that they were sort of trapped by the bottom of the fascia. Lastly, the piston and ring design changed for the 2000 model year. The pistons received less of a skirt to reduce reciprocating mass. This caused cold piston "slap". It wasn't detrimental to engine longevity but it was definitely a nuisance. Also, the rings were redesigned with lower tension. This was done to increase fuel economy because as much as 25% of internal engine friction is caused by the rings. Unfortunately this lead to rings easily becoming stuck causing run away oil consumption. For the piston noise, GM released a new design piston which included a slightly longer skirt that had a coating on it to reduce unwanted noise. The piston rings were also redesigned to slightly increase ring tension. These redesigned parts were introduced into production engines in late 2003. So, from 2000-early 2003 (I think there was a VIN breakpoint), there is a risk that it will consume oil, although I replaced tons of those pistons and rings, so if you go looking for a car of that vintage and it was originally from the Detroit area, maybe I replaced them already. Lol
@@paulwindisch1423 That was a lot of information. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain the engine's common failure points and the steps taken to repair them correctly.
Ray, I have a question and feel that with your sensitivity to your working environment, you would be the guy to honestly answer it. Do woke mechanics still call delayed timing 'retarded' or have they switched to 'electronically delayed'?
28:50 that's not carbon tracking it's a corona stain and is completely normal on used plugs. It's caused by an accumulation of oil and dirt that gets baked onto the ceramic.
It is my opinion that the engine compartment designers should be made to work on each type and model in the field each month for a week at different garages so they can experience for themselves the joy of their designs . I know the trend has been to make stuff more compact to save weight , allowing better fuel mileage - but there is a limit . Maybe more access panels would be the answer. Good video Ray . Stay safe , have fun .
@@mikejacob3536: You say that like it would be a bad thing if it happened!!!! 🙂 I'm sure that the stealership's shops would still have plenty of warranty work to do.
Funny but Taylor Swift is the Michael Jackson of this generation, she has thousands of followers, I personally don’t care of Taylor Swift music I’m old school R&B type music, I come here for the mechanic work and nothing else.
Had a 2008 Buick Lucerne with 4 portholes that had this powertrain. Wife drove it to 200k miles, both kids drove it through school. 1 coil pack, wheel bearing on the front, and an entire iron mine’s worth of pads and rotors, we drove that beast to 280k miles. Not a body panel on it that hadn’t gotten up close and personal with another vehicle… In the end, took a quart every 3 days. But still started and ran, no MIL illuminated. Retired due to the original alternator dying when it was 10 degrees outside and I wasn’t about to put a $500 part in a $50 car, in my driveway, in the snow, with the knowledge of the disassembly required to change it… So, I may be an outlier but - it was a great car for us. And this is why I don’t ever play the lottery - I’ve already used up that win…
its awesome to see you going from working for some one doing videos .. to owning and operating and having others work with and for you. You sir.. are an example of the American dream success story. keep this going.
Or retire as soon as you can see the path. I’ll miss you, but if you can squirrel away enough money to spend your time on the Riviera for the next 40 years, go for it!
Was gonna say it's a shame a car with less than 50k miles had such bad oil leaks already then remembered it is a 2006. Curious if they were actually changed like you said Ray and why they'd be leaking like that again already. Guess it's a Northstar thing from your reaction to seeing the engine cover, lol.
Cadillac has screwed the pooch so many times. It saddens me that a company that could produce the 472 could have come up with the HT4100, a flaming pile of turd, finally work some of the problems out with the 4.5 and made the 4.9 a pretty good engine, THEN replaces it with the Northstar. It's like the automotive equivalent of a meth addiction.
Cue TowMater: "You know what they say about old British engines - if there ain't no oil under it, there ain't no oil in it". Same concept applies here.
@@GFOER123 My Dad had a Morris 1800 (now known as the Landcrab) that leaked profusely, about a gallon for every full tank of fuel! But a darn sturdy car, loved by British demolition rally guys!
Good video Ray. Where is your silicone wedding band. Oh, let me guess, your metal one needed some of that automatic oiling system on the Northstar ! That shop is getting busy, congratulations on your staffing increase! I remember watching you and Peter interact. I always loved that about the independent shop work.
I don't trust new parts, either, Rainman! It doesn't seem to matter if its a name brand or not. Recently I had a new Delphi o2 sensor be bad. All parts seem to originate from China!
Well the only way to determine if all the oil everywhere on and around that engine is clean it all up and see if it comes back. It could very well be old and the valve covers might be ok. But then again being a Northstar there's a good chance they're nasty active leaks. GM definitely tried to cram 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag when they stuffed those things in. Definitely not fun to work on.
Coworker of mine has this same car and same year. He took it in to dealer (D'OH) to have this mod reveresed and it was an engine out job. Apparently these leak from the upper oil pan so needed to pull the whole lump to get the upper pan off and do the reseal. Multiple thousand dollar job but he still drives it to this day. Had about double the mileage of this one when that was done several years ago. Crazy low mileage combined with almost zero rust---which retirement community does this thing sit at or cruise at low speeds??
Had an old lady that had a 97 D’elegance. Had a leak from the rear main and the half block gasket. Shop finally got her to let it go and get a better car.
@@pauldunn4426hypothetically speaking would you not be worried that maybe the guys wife's car is not a caddy with a North Star engine and that when she asked where to take it for service or a problem that he would tell her to definately not go to you because he will tell you to go somewhere else if the job night be too much for him/you to handle?
Like a lot of GM ideas it was good on paper. V8-6-4? Good idea that they tried to implement with late 70s computer tech. 4.1 HT(Hook & Tow)? Put into production with insufficient R&D. Northstar? Put into production with insufficient R&D.
Just a suggestion, with misfires a good thing is to note the cylinders as you did then mark the coils on that cylinder, when you put them in swap the coils to another cylinder and make a note. If the misfire comes back on a different cylinder with the coil its a help in troubleshooting.
No Copper anti seize on the O2 sensor threads?😳 Often they come with anti seize but if not, regardless, definitely wouldn't hurt to put some on. Probably doesn't matter as the O2 sensor will most likely outlast the engine.😂
I don't know if I only speak for myself but I miss the phone ringing sound that you caught on video in your previous job. You should have that play in the background on a Bluetooth speaker randomly 😂
The Northstar wasn’t that bad of an engine, other than the lower block seals leaking, the head bolts pulling out of the block causing head gasket failure, and the fact that other than oil changes and air filter replacement you have to drop the engine and trans. It was much better than the old HT4100. 🤮
The HT was actually a pretty good engine by the time they got to the 4.9. GM fixed the HT then cancelled production to replace it with this steaming pile.
I bought a new 2000 Sedan DeVille with a Northstar Engine. It was an amazing engine and that boat of a car was super fast and powerful. Never had a single issue with mine. I kept if for 3 years.
🙂it is really good to know that i am not the only one that hates fixing others fups. The best engineers always make it super functioning and easy to service. ❤
When I worked for GM, middle and upper management touted the Northstar engine as the best there ever was or will be. Al other manufacturers, foreign or domestic, will want this engine for their very own.....
When the north star came out, my wife and I was about to give up on European models. The Cadillac was comfortable, handled well and appeared to be built well. I am glad I did not buy one. I know you can not turn away all self destructive cars, but this falls in the same group of Chrysler.
Dave is the only permanent employee that Ray has. Cody (working on the truck engine replacement) is a frequent guest technician, (CP Garage is his channel) and so is Arod (Aaron) See Tech Talk with Arod to find out more. Jesus is a new part time helper in the shop.
I got a 2003 Cadillac DeVille 500$. Didn't run, plugs,boots , and all coil packs, VC gaskets. Ran like a raped ape,149,000 miles and I been beating the hell out of it for 4 years and runs so smooth, you think it stalled. OH and I did a water pump 40$ and radiator Brand new 50$ from the yard. IT took me 2 hours to do the pump and radiator. I don't know why people are afraid of these engines, time consuming, but they give you more than enough time to work on them, and they ain't that bad, when you get paid.
I've been watching for maybe two years and throughly enjoy almost all of your videos because of...been there, done that, and thankfully retired now. I want to commend Ray. When i started watching he had a small shop and just himself. Now he has a very nice much larger shop and three employees. Ray...you are one of those evil capitalists. Congratulations and keep up the great videos.
When I first started launching spanner under the bonnet of cars, you could hold a family BBQ in some cars engine bays, not so today, cars have gotten smaller, engines have become over complicated with so much electronic wizardry in there, you need a degree just to open the bonnet on most cars these days, oh an observation, were you testing us, by not replacing that EGR clamp after completing the rear spark plugs ???
You poor kids. I find humor watching professionals who dislike North Stars or 6.0 power strokes or any other problematic platform. I've been Twisted in the iron for 35 years I love the platforms that enabled my children not to attend Community College. Stanford wants to thank you Cadillac. FYI you can ask Jimmy he knows I drive a 2008 DTS with 200,000 Mi on it...... You see I worked for Cadillac in the 90s 😊
"Long haired freaky people need not apply".... It's way too much fun listening to you and cliffy in the background🤣🤣🤣 $41K List and prone to leaking oil everywhere WTG GM👎Should have just put the 3.6 in it and called it a day....
I've never understood how Cadillac has maintained it's "luxury" status. They are literally the most problem oriented GM product I think I have ever seen.
The only thing they sell today is the Escalade. When the rap stars/NBA players/ drug dealers find a new flavor of bling car, Cadillac will be toast as a GM division.
Excellent diagnosis and video. We have a 06 STS. NORTHSTAR. with similar misfires. But no lights on the dash. The tech connected the scanner. Read the misfires. Changed the plugs. And it was better. For tow weeks. Now misfire is back. They did not mention anything about the O2 sensor. The other issue with our misfire previously is at times it was so severe. Shaking. It was almost not drivable. At that time the smell from the exhaust was like rotten eggs.
How about changing the starter on a NorthStar engine? It's UNDER the damn intake manifold! Like $300 just in gaskets and 8+ hours shop time. Not only unreliable-always-broken but horrible-to-work-on. Most hated engine for good reason.
My 2000 Cadillac Deville had the V8 front wheel drive North Star engine and it has a blown head gasket. I got rid of it. And as much as I love Cadillac I'll never own another with the North Star engine. I now have a 2001 Lincoln Continental and love it.
Yes,Ray , Taylor Swift could be a psyop. With 56 million subs she could recommend Ben& Jerry's chocolate chip and pickles ice cream and they'd have to add a second shift to the production schedule. (Or a possible win for Biden in 2024)
Discontinued 2011 & replaced by LS types. Like most Multi Valve OHC engines, it's needless expensive complexity has been shown up by LS designs Not a unit worth repairs other than sentimental concerns.
Now I see why nobody wants to work with that 32 valve Northfail engine. No hand room and filled with absolute garbage parts that in my opinion are asinine. I am a huge GM man but I would NEVER own a Cadillac with that pile of junk engine in it. Surprised at 48,000 it hasn't needed head gaskets yet.
![[TH] FS vs BME - VCT Ascension Pacific - Lower Bracket Final](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wnygqsR2Fig/mqdefault.jpg)
Ray my son watches these videos with me and wanted me to let you know that he loves it when you fast forward and sound like a chipmunk
I also really liked the ratchet Ray was using on the plugs. I have never seen that kind of swivel head before.
edit: I mean the one he used to remove the front bank of plugs.
I do cars does that a lot too
@@MonkeyJedi99I have one of these in 1/2" with a telescopic handle for extra torque. These things are really versatile.
A bit painfull watching these v8 front wheel drive engine repairs as an european, since we usually have inline 4 engines. Half of the components are right agaist firewall, other half right next to the radiator. Everything is in such hard-to-get-to places. I mean many modern inline 4s are complex too, but v8 has almost everything doubled.
Still awesome work Ray!
i have a 93 el my boy has a 98 el....still going strong just dont overheat one
Most of our transverse FWDs are also i4s, some are v6s. GM is the only one I know of that stuffs a v8 into a FWD. Even Dodge, who's known for slapping a v8 into everything it'll fit into, makes all their v8s RWD or AWD as far as I know. Might be wrong, though. There's probably also some I don't know about
the northstar was far from a perfect engine, but it was significantly better than the HT4100 that Cadillac pushed out in the early 80s.
You got it wrong...this wasn't the beginning of GM's planned obsolescence but more like the pinnacle of it. They have a long and storied history of it.
And 5 bottles of Lucas Stop leak.
I'm not there and can only go with what we see, but @40:40 those spark plugs did not look similar enough to make me comfortable. The threaded area on the new plugs appeared to be significantly (10-20%) longer. I am not a professional mechanic either and trust your call and instincts. I also have not finished the video yet either.
The new ones did look like they had an extra thread top and bottom, but the overall length was the same as the old ones, so it won't matter
Fun seeing you driving around town Saturday with Wife Unit. My wife was making fun of me going fan boy as we drove by. LOL
Three full time employees? Ray be coming up in the world. 👍
Dave is the only full-time employee. Jesus is part-time and Cody is there just to replace the Ford engine since he specializes in them according to Ray.
Semantics. 3 employees. And hundreds of thousands of would be customers. If my 5th gen Ram ever needs new lifters and cams I'll be lookin up Ray
@george8873 what! The great and powerful A rod isn't doing it😮
i wonder what happened to troy
me too.
@@curtisthomas4796
When I worked as an oil change and tire tech for a Wal-Mart in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Northstars always had a littany of "self-lubrication mods."
Maybe this is why some like to "self-ignite".
They also had the auto-eject head stud feature.
Most cars are difficult to work on to do spark plugs . Just did my 98 Buick century , plus the wires . Dealing with chronic pain plus arthritis , fibromyalgia it’s difficult for me to work on cars . But I still do . I also did 2 front wheel bearings on this Buick , and a right side power mirror . I used to own a Cadillac deville . Was a 2002 had 98 thousand on it when it was totaled in my own driveway . Very nice car , I liked it allot . I had a bad ignition coil and a few window regulators go bad on it . Other than that nothing else . I don’t remember if I changed the plugs . As always good day to everyone at rays auto repair and God bless .
In the 3 years i owned my 2000 Sedan Deville I bought new, I never had a single issue or so much as a single drip of oil. Best engine I ever had. I sold the car to buy something less yacht like in size. LOL
@@edwardrobb4682manufacturers these days just love to move the engine towards the cabin firewall for "better weight distribution". I have even seen longitudinally mounted four bangers that make it extremely hard to get to the last plug, fuel injector and whatnot. It's a nightmare. And the conspiracy theorist in me always thinks this is by design.
Northstars are very much misunderstood. While they would develop leaks from the factory, a competent tech can reseal them and they won't leak anymore, Whoever resealed the one featured in Ray's video took shortcuts or didn't completely reseal it. I have resealed hundreds of them and they don't leak afterwards. Several of the ones I resealed belonged to regular customers so I would see the vehicles for years after the reseal, They would still be dry 100,000 miles post reseal.
Ray, those valve covers are aluminum. 🙂
Also, the blip you saw in the oxygen sensors around the 27 minute mark of the video was likely the Secondary Air Injection system changing state. The valve you had to remove from the back valve cover to replace the spark plugs is the Secondary Air Injection check valve.
As always, keep up the good work!
You know ur northstars sir 🫡
@@RainmanRaysRepairs I was an engine and trans tech at a Cadillac dealer from 2001-2012. 70% of what I worked on was Northstar powered. Lol
The remainder of the percentage was split between Catera timing belts and 3.6L timing chains as far as engine work was concerned.
If you don’t mind me asking, what materials were used during the resealing process. Was it just a new gasket, RTV silicone, or a combination of the two? I’m just curious because the Northstars received such a bad reception from what seems to be the materials used from the factory (seals and head bolts), rather than design related ones. It’s a shame because I like the look and feel of the Cadillac sedans equipped with the Northstars much more than the new stuff that they have been putting out and had they been built better, they could have rivaled Ford’s 4.6L sedans.
@@PseudoSpaceMarine As for the head gaskets, they just get replaced with factory replacements, which come with new bolts. For customer pay jobs, I ALWAYS installed Time Serts in ALL of the cylinder head bolt holes. Coupled with cooling system maintenance, this was generally a permanent repair. It didn't require ridiculous amounts of attention, just something as simple as checking the coolant level when the oil was changed and if it was low, address the reason why.
Regarding the oil leaks, the oil would leak from three places, all of them very close to one another. Northstar engine blocks are split at the crankshaft center line, so the crank case has a seam halfway up. On the top of the lower half, on each side, is a channel that is machined into the face. This channel accepts the lower crank case seals. Over time these would shrink and leak. Bolted to the bottom of the lower crank case is the oil manifold. It is an aluminum plate about 1/4" - 3/8" thick that has the same type of rubber molded to it. The top side of the manifold has all the oil channels molded into it, and the perimeter gasket. The bottom has just the perimeter seal. And bolted to the bottom of that is the oil pan. The oil pan also has a channel machined into it to accept the rubber gasket that fits into it. To properly do the job, it is best to install the engine on an engine stand, turn it upside down (oil pan up), remove the oil pan, oil manifold, and lower crank case. THOROUGHLY clean everything so there are no traces of oil, sludge, sealant, anything. Like Ray says, "SHINY!" Then, starting with the lower crank case half, use grey GM Engine Sealant to fill, and slightly overfill (by about 3mm) the channel that the gasket came out of. DO NOT USE A GASKET AT ALL, only the Engine Sealant. Properly torque all the bolts. REPLACE the oil manifold. Before installing the new oil manifold, use a thin bead of Engine Sealant around the outside perimeter of the seal that is molded into the plate. Just the outside. Install the plate and torque all the bolts. Now, for the oil pan, much like the lower case half, clean it SHINY, then, again, leave the gasket out and fill, then slightly overfill, the gasket channel with GM Engine Sealant (same 3mm). Install the oil pan and torque the fasteners. While the engine is out, replace the front and rear crank seals. The latest rear main seal is very robust, as it is a two-piece design (not the two-piece your are thinking of from the old days of rope seals). The inner portion is steel and presses onto the crankshaft. It rotates inside the rubber portion of the seal. This means the seal surface never wears out on the crankshaft.
Obviously, all other gaskets and seals that are affected by removal of these parts get replaced, too. Front timing cover gasket, oil filter adapter o-rings, etc. Now is also a good time to reseal the valve covers. The front valve cover has an extra seal on the driver's side. This is what seals the camshaft protrusion that the water pump drive pulley is pressed onto.
These engines, internally, are very robust. They don't have individual main bearing caps. The lower crank case is one giant girdle that houses all of the main bearings. The oiling system is also fantastic. I have quite literally been inside hundreds of these (for leaks) and I have never seen one with worn out bearings, rod knocks or any other mechanical rotating assembly issue. There was only one time I had one of these engines for a mechanical failure that was not a head gasket or oil leak. It was a lady that had amassed 49,000 miles and never once checked or changed the oil.
In general, the Northstar was a well-performing engine. The highest output version of the FWD engine made 295 hp and about 290 lb ft torque which was good for its time (remember, it was introduced in 1993), was smooth and quiet running, and a long block (with valve covers) only weighed about 350 lbs. The bare block I could easily pick up with one hand, as I think it only weighed about 50 lbs. Also, they love to rev. These engines are happiest between 3500-6500 rpm. They do pretty well down low, but they really sing at higher revs.
Now, in saying all this, I am not trying to minimize the size of this repair. It is labor intensive. We pulled the entire powertrain out of the bottom of the car and then separated the engine from the trans on the floor. If you can imagine how it went together at the assembly plant, that is how we removed it. Engine, trans, steering rack, struts with the brakes and the half shafts attached, all sitting on the engine cradle assembly which was then lowered onto a dolly. That is how we removed them. Customer pay, we used to charge 35 hours to completely reseal a Northstar with head gaskets and Time Sert installation. On the DTS in Ray's video, we also had to remove the front fascia because the engine cradle front horns were long enough that they were sort of trapped by the bottom of the fascia.
Lastly, the piston and ring design changed for the 2000 model year. The pistons received less of a skirt to reduce reciprocating mass. This caused cold piston "slap". It wasn't detrimental to engine longevity but it was definitely a nuisance. Also, the rings were redesigned with lower tension. This was done to increase fuel economy because as much as 25% of internal engine friction is caused by the rings. Unfortunately this lead to rings easily becoming stuck causing run away oil consumption. For the piston noise, GM released a new design piston which included a slightly longer skirt that had a coating on it to reduce unwanted noise. The piston rings were also redesigned to slightly increase ring tension. These redesigned parts were introduced into production engines in late 2003. So, from 2000-early 2003 (I think there was a VIN breakpoint), there is a risk that it will consume oil, although I replaced tons of those pistons and rings, so if you go looking for a car of that vintage and it was originally from the Detroit area, maybe I replaced them already. Lol
@@paulwindisch1423 That was a lot of information. I really appreciate you taking the time to explain the engine's common failure points and the steps taken to repair them correctly.
Crusher…this car brings back never ending nightmares of my fathers Northstar 😎 fix 4 things and 6 more appear soon over and over
Ray, I have a question and feel that with your sensitivity to your working environment, you would be the guy to honestly answer it.
Do woke mechanics still call delayed timing 'retarded' or have they switched to 'electronically delayed'?
😎😎Probably. Same as having to call Trans oil "Petroleum Based Shifting Fluid" nowadays.
28:50 that's not carbon tracking it's a corona stain and is completely normal on used plugs. It's caused by an accumulation of oil and dirt that gets baked onto the ceramic.
When you saw it was a NorthStar you should have shut the hood and said no not today lol great job as always Ray
Yes, you do yell! When you're throwing empty brake cleaner cans! 😂😂
Anutha! clang.......
We would miss you if you stopped the Mechanic job and took up singing so, don't quit your day job! Lol.
Good video! 😃
I actually saw that you forgot to connect the vacuum lol, I hollered at ya, but you couldn't hear me 😅😂
I've tried yelling at him on another video, he didn't hear me either! 😂
@@golf25radioman yeah dang it,we were trying to help 😃🤓😂
:${}}{@@golf25radioman
Rainman building his stable of mechanics..life’s good!🙂👍
It is my opinion that the engine compartment designers should be made to work on each type and model in the field each month for a week at different garages so they can experience for themselves the joy of their designs . I know the trend has been to make stuff more compact to save weight , allowing better fuel mileage - but there is a limit . Maybe more access panels would be the answer. Good video Ray . Stay safe , have fun .
If designers made cars easy to work on the stealerships would go out of business.
@@mikejacob3536: You say that like it would be a bad thing if it happened!!!!
🙂
I'm sure that the stealership's shops would still have plenty of warranty work to do.
You are firing on all cylinders today Rainman!
He’s always firing on all cylinders. lol.
Taylor Swift is not a psyop. She's a cult.
I was so hoping to watch ANYTHING WITHOUT HEARING TAYLOR SWIFTS NAME, BUT I WAS LET DOWN!! PLEASE NO MORE!!
Funny but Taylor Swift is the Michael Jackson of this generation, she has thousands of followers, I personally don’t care of Taylor Swift music I’m old school R&B type music, I come here for the mechanic work and nothing else.
Typically I would not comment twice but this Caddy needs about 1/2 gallon of brake clean.....
Had a 2008 Buick Lucerne with 4 portholes that had this powertrain. Wife drove it to 200k miles, both kids drove it through school. 1 coil pack, wheel bearing on the front, and an entire iron mine’s worth of pads and rotors, we drove that beast to 280k miles. Not a body panel on it that hadn’t gotten up close and personal with another vehicle…
In the end, took a quart every 3 days. But still started and ran, no MIL illuminated.
Retired due to the original alternator dying when it was 10 degrees outside and I wasn’t about to put a $500 part in a $50 car, in my driveway, in the snow, with the knowledge of the disassembly required to change it…
So, I may be an outlier but - it was a great car for us. And this is why I don’t ever play the lottery - I’ve already used up that win…
its awesome to see you going from working for some one doing videos .. to owning and operating and having others work with and for you. You sir.. are an example of the American dream success story. keep this going.
Or retire as soon as you can see the path. I’ll miss you, but if you can squirrel away enough money to spend your time on the Riviera for the next 40 years, go for it!
Was gonna say it's a shame a car with less than 50k miles had such bad oil leaks already then remembered it is a 2006. Curious if they were actually changed like you said Ray and why they'd be leaking like that again already. Guess it's a Northstar thing from your reaction to seeing the engine cover, lol.
Cadillac has screwed the pooch so many times. It saddens me that a company that could produce the 472 could have come up with the HT4100, a flaming pile of turd, finally work some of the problems out with the 4.5 and made the 4.9 a pretty good engine, THEN replaces it with the Northstar. It's like the automotive equivalent of a meth addiction.
Yup. They finally fixed the HT with the 4.9 and then cancelled production to replace it with the 4.6.
The old joke was Northstars leaked so badly that the guys on the assembly line wore raincoats.
Like the wonderful old 6V Detroits, they are jut marking their territory.
@@The_DuMont_Network and Harleys
Cue TowMater: "You know what they say about old British engines - if there ain't no oil under it, there ain't no oil in it". Same concept applies here.
@@GFOER123 My Dad had a Morris 1800 (now known as the Landcrab) that leaked profusely, about a gallon for every full tank of fuel! But a darn sturdy car, loved by British demolition rally guys!
Ray when one of these Pulls in we would all run and hide. These cars were a pain to work on.
Ray needs a Northstar detector that turns out the lights and posts a sign, “Shop has moved, left no forwarding address.”
@@philipershler420 That there's funny, I don't care who you are!
Oh hell, I’m just an Old Fart who enjoys watching Ray work his magic. 🪄
@@philipershler420old farts don't do so bad, it's the fresh new ones that are of the pungent variety
Cadillac, ack, ack, ack. You aught to know by now.........junk!
Good video Ray. Where is your silicone wedding band. Oh, let me guess, your metal one needed some of that automatic oiling system on the Northstar ! That shop is getting busy, congratulations on your staffing increase! I remember watching you and Peter interact. I always loved that about the independent shop work.
ahh the infamous Leakstar
😂
Is that what you called it? In New Jersey we called it the 'Sh1tstar'.
no engine has more leaks and that make the NorthStar the star of leaks at 20k @@MrSloika
On this episode of ray dealing with. Pesky o2 sensors we love these issues
I don't trust new parts, either, Rainman! It doesn't seem to matter if its a name brand or not. Recently I had a new Delphi o2 sensor be bad. All parts seem to originate from China!
Mr Ray, my music teacher in high school told me I have a unique voice and that I should sing Solo. So low nobody can hear me.😢
GM= garbage motors lmfao… I still thing the triton engine are the worst. The V8 and the V10, throwing spark plugs. Overheating. Yada yada
Ray has the Mercedes of the ratchets
Isn't it odd to change spark plugs at 48,000 miles? Shouldn't they last longer than that?
I'm of the impression automotive designers/engineers hate auto mechanics. Since the 90s, they've gotten increasingly more difficult to work on.
That car should be in the North with that much self lubricating chassis it would never rust.
Well the only way to determine if all the oil everywhere on and around that engine is clean it all up and see if it comes back. It could very well be old and the valve covers might be ok. But then again being a Northstar there's a good chance they're nasty active leaks. GM definitely tried to cram 10 pounds of crap in a 5 pound bag when they stuffed those things in. Definitely not fun to work on.
NGK, not my preferred spark plugs for a GM vehicle. O.E 4 me please.
Hi ray, I should think with all the top ups those engines get they don't need an oil change, just a filter swap..
Coworker of mine has this same car and same year. He took it in to dealer (D'OH) to have this mod reveresed and it was an engine out job. Apparently these leak from the upper oil pan so needed to pull the whole lump to get the upper pan off and do the reseal. Multiple thousand dollar job but he still drives it to this day. Had about double the mileage of this one when that was done several years ago.
Crazy low mileage combined with almost zero rust---which retirement community does this thing sit at or cruise at low speeds??
Do you have any video on that Ford motor exchange?
Maybe Cody has some footage on his own channel? CP'S garage.
Had an old lady that had a 97 D’elegance. Had a leak from the rear main and the half block gasket. Shop finally got her to let it go and get a better car.
The Infamous Deathstar engine.. :D
I wouldn't know, I don't let them in my shop
@@pauldunn4426hypothetically speaking would you not be worried that maybe the guys wife's car is not a caddy with a North Star engine and that when she asked where to take it for service or a problem that he would tell her to definately not go to you because he will tell you to go somewhere else if the job night be too much for him/you to handle?
Yet another GM masterpiece
Like a lot of GM ideas it was good on paper. V8-6-4? Good idea that they tried to implement with late 70s computer tech. 4.1 HT(Hook & Tow)? Put into production with insufficient R&D. Northstar? Put into production with insufficient R&D.
Caught that Ray. We all know Ray is, "Pretty fly for a white guy"
try using a real scanner..like an Innova or Autel....u might get better results
Please do not tell me about Murphy's law it has been with me all of my life ,thanks for the video
Tell me about it!😯
@@terrymurphy4177 🤣
Love the video ray can’t wait to see the next one
Super nice video and troubleshooting Ray!!
GM Should dump Cadillac Period!! They made better $$ money with Pontiac.
I honestly haven't paid attention to Cadillac since the 1980's when they merely rebadged other car lines. The magic was gone at that point.
Just a suggestion, with misfires a good thing is to note the cylinders as you did then mark the coils on that cylinder, when you put them in swap the coils to another cylinder and make a note. If the misfire comes back on a different cylinder with the coil its a help in troubleshooting.
Durr he does that, one side of engine is misfiring altogether if you bothered watching the video
@@SimmyMetal no need to be spicy...
Some could speculate that flashing check engine light means active misfire cook your noodle on that one, RAY lol
No Copper anti seize on the O2 sensor threads?😳 Often they come with anti seize but if not, regardless, definitely wouldn't hurt to put some on. Probably doesn't matter as the O2 sensor will most likely outlast the engine.😂
It was already there under the cap.
would you watch a guy swap s plugs on a car they didnt import in to your country?
I absolutely LOVE the Northstar V8 engine! I've had three different cadillacs that all had the N* V8 and never had a single issue with any of them.
Same here! Plus, I work and service the ones that I have.
Hey Ray what type of socket wreach for spark plug do you prefer magnetic or rubber insert.
Magnet style is what I like
I don't know if I only speak for myself but I miss the phone ringing sound that you caught on video in your previous job.
You should have that play in the background on a Bluetooth speaker randomly 😂
Someone should hook him up with an old Snom VOIP phone, it has that ringtone
Doodly Doodly Do. It has been brought up by ray once or twice. and others mucho times.
I think Wife Unit did the doodly doo on a bluetooth speaker to mess with him. It was great!
@@GFOER123 You think correctly. It was funny.
The Northstar wasn’t that bad of an engine, other than the lower block seals leaking, the head bolts pulling out of the block causing head gasket failure, and the fact that other than oil changes and air filter replacement you have to drop the engine and trans. It was much better than the old HT4100. 🤮
The HT was actually a pretty good engine by the time they got to the 4.9. GM fixed the HT then cancelled production to replace it with this steaming pile.
I bought a new 2000 Sedan DeVille with a Northstar Engine. It was an amazing engine and that boat of a car was super fast and powerful. Never had a single issue with mine. I kept if for 3 years.
And then it fell apart?!
like a blind man in a brothel, Ray had to feel his way around...
Just because it's new doesn't mean it's any good these days!
Is it a safe assumption that this is a grandpa car? Does it smell funny?
Hello again to the North Star engine the only engine with the self-ejecting head bolts.
86th! Happy Monday morning Ray and the wife unit. Together with the other employees! Roger in Pierre South Dakota
🙂it is really good to know that i am not the only one that hates fixing others fups. The best engineers always make it super functioning and easy to service. ❤
That repair was frustrating me watching, good on ya for doing that!
Ray, that speed rachet wrench is there a Amazon version of that wrench.
Got a full house of mechanical doctors Ray!
When I worked for GM, middle and upper management touted the Northstar engine as the best there ever was or will be.
Al other manufacturers, foreign or domestic, will want this engine for their very own.....
When the north star came out, my wife and I was about to give up on European models. The Cadillac was comfortable, handled well and appeared to be built well. I am glad I did not buy one. I know you can not turn away all self destructive cars, but this falls in the same group of Chrysler.
Northstar is a mess. Blowing out spark plugs , running hot from hidden valley leak, is not fun to work on.
5.4 Triton sparkplug launcher. Northstar - hold my head bolts.
Zip tie the wire to the extension. Then, the wires turn with the sensor.
Good morning Mr Ray hope y'all have a great day
Murphy's Law isn't just real, so is the fact that Murphy was an optimist!
🇦🇺👍are the other mechanics working for Ray or are they renting space for the day
Dave is the only permanent employee that Ray has. Cody (working on the truck engine replacement) is a frequent guest technician, (CP Garage is his channel) and so is Arod (Aaron) See Tech Talk with Arod to find out more. Jesus is a new part time helper in the shop.
Is this the Most hated Engine Of All Time?
No, the 4100 is.
4100HT (Hook & Tow)
Just wait until you have to change the starter....
I had a caddy cts with the 3.6, and words cannot express how much I hated that engine. The North Star is orders of magnitude above the 3.6 even 😳
Agreed
My dad taught me that if you can afford to own a Cadillac, you can afford to fix a Cadillac.
Same as anything with the Land Rover or Range Rover badge. Prone to issues right out off the production line.
I got a 2003 Cadillac DeVille 500$. Didn't run, plugs,boots , and all coil packs, VC gaskets. Ran like a raped ape,149,000 miles and I been beating the hell out of it for 4 years and runs so smooth, you think it stalled. OH and I did a water pump 40$ and radiator Brand new 50$ from the yard. IT took me 2 hours to do the pump and radiator. I don't know why people are afraid of these engines, time consuming, but they give you more than enough time to work on them, and they ain't that bad, when you get paid.
I've been watching for maybe two years and throughly enjoy almost all of your videos because of...been there, done that, and thankfully retired now. I want to commend Ray. When i started watching he had a small shop and just himself. Now he has a very nice much larger shop and three employees. Ray...you are one of those evil capitalists. Congratulations and keep up the great videos.
Good info because I own a 99 Deville with 67,000 miles on it, Northstar V8
When I first started launching spanner under the bonnet of cars, you could hold a family BBQ in some cars engine bays, not so today, cars have gotten smaller, engines have become over complicated with so much electronic wizardry in there, you need a degree just to open the bonnet on most cars these days, oh an observation, were you testing us, by not replacing that EGR clamp after completing the rear spark plugs ???
Just like your saying from the shop “just coz it’s new, doesn’t mean it’s good” thanks for all the vids I love watching them long or short keep it up.
Is that the engine that has the starter motor under the intake?
Yes
You poor kids. I find humor watching professionals who dislike North Stars or 6.0 power strokes or any other problematic platform. I've been Twisted in the iron for 35 years I love the platforms that enabled my children not to attend Community College. Stanford wants to thank you Cadillac.
FYI you can ask Jimmy he knows I drive a 2008 DTS with 200,000 Mi on it...... You see I worked for Cadillac in the 90s 😊
"Long haired freaky people need not apply".... It's way too much fun listening to you and cliffy in the background🤣🤣🤣 $41K List and prone to leaking oil everywhere WTG GM👎Should have just put the 3.6 in it and called it a day....
I've never understood how Cadillac has maintained it's "luxury" status. They are literally the most problem oriented GM product I think I have ever seen.
Crap is crap... No matter what badge you put on it.
Cadillac gets all of GM’s “experimental tech” - sold to buyers as “advanced features” instead of “you’re testing our shit for us”
The only thing they sell today is the Escalade. When the rap stars/NBA players/ drug dealers find a new flavor of bling car, Cadillac will be toast as a GM division.
Excellent diagnosis and video. We have a 06 STS. NORTHSTAR. with similar misfires. But no lights on the dash. The tech connected the scanner. Read the misfires. Changed the plugs. And it was better. For tow weeks. Now misfire is back.
They did not mention anything about the O2 sensor.
The other issue with our misfire previously is at times it was so severe. Shaking. It was almost not drivable. At that time the smell from the exhaust was like rotten eggs.
How about changing the starter on a NorthStar engine? It's UNDER the damn intake manifold! Like $300 just in gaskets and 8+ hours shop time. Not only unreliable-always-broken but horrible-to-work-on. Most hated engine for good reason.
My 2000 Cadillac Deville had the V8 front wheel drive North Star engine and it has a blown head gasket. I got rid of it. And as much as I love Cadillac I'll never own another with the North Star engine. I now have a 2001 Lincoln Continental and love it.
Yes,Ray , Taylor Swift could be a psyop.
With 56 million subs she could recommend Ben& Jerry's chocolate chip and pickles ice cream and they'd have to add a second shift to the production schedule.
(Or a possible win for Biden in 2024)
Ngk is the best plug in my opinion.
I thought the claim to fame for that engine was that it didn't need a tune up for 100,000 miles
“Claim”, yes. lol
Discontinued 2011 & replaced by LS types. Like most Multi Valve OHC engines, it's needless expensive complexity has been shown up by LS designs
Not a unit worth repairs other than sentimental concerns.
When my Dad taught me to change sparkplugs back in the 60's I was terrified of breaking off the porcelain.
Now I see why nobody wants to work with that 32 valve Northfail engine. No hand room and filled with absolute garbage parts that in my opinion are asinine.
I am a huge GM man but I would NEVER own a Cadillac with that pile of junk engine in it. Surprised at 48,000 it hasn't needed head gaskets yet.