'02 3800 coolant leak..help **PROBLEM SOLVED!**
08-03-2011, 02:53 PM
#1
'02 3800 coolant leak..help **PROBLEM SOLVED!** So my car got hot yesterday and I found it's leaking coolant near the water pump but definitely not from the weap holes in the snout. Seems more behind it. So I pulled the pump and replaced the gasket but I have the same issue. I can hear a hissing sound and it's wet below, behind and to the drivers side of the pump. Is there a freeze plug in that location? All the hoses and connections are good and also dry. Anywhere, anything else I need to look at?
Last edited by Swiat34; 08-09-2011 at 10:46 AM.
08-04-2011, 02:43 AM
#4
Anyone else? It isn't that it's dripping, bit when I get the engine warmed up I hear a hissing from below the water pump. The pump itself is dry but below and to the drivers side is wet. And I can't see it dripping offend car even. This has got me damned frustrated. Doesn't help that I can not afford to take it to a shop.
08-06-2011, 12:41 PM
#5
OK so I'm QUITE sure I need to replace the head gasket. Besides, if I was going as far as the intake gaskets, I might as well be safe and do the head gaskets too. It would absolutely SUCK to replace just the intake gaskets and find out it's the head! haha So I need a head gasket replacement set. One that includes the intake gasket, valve cover gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets along with the head gaskets (obviously). the cheapest I've found is $180 from O'Reilly's and I've only found more expensive sets online. So are there any sponsors here I need to be speaking with that can help me out?
And I take it that the head studs are torque to yield? And thus REQUIRE replacement. Thanks for any help guys.
And I take it that the head studs are torque to yield? And thus REQUIRE replacement. Thanks for any help guys.
08-06-2011, 12:46 PM
#6
FEL-PRO Complete top end gasket kit Part # HS9917PT2
$142.00
www.rockauto.com
Go there and search that part number or look your car up. Or buy what you need separately.
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$142.00
www.rockauto.com
Go there and search that part number or look your car up. Or buy what you need separately.
.
08-06-2011, 02:20 PM
#7
^ Thanks. I'd searched that site and didn't find that. Gotta love that about LS1Tech, there's always someone with a part number! Is there anything special I should knoe or keep in mind to do this? Any special tools or anything uncommon? (I gotta pick up a torque wrench.) This will be my first time going this far into an engine and I'm excited to do it! Frustrated that I HAVE TO but isn't that how it always goes?
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08-06-2011, 03:35 PM
#10
It Is for my 3.8. I can't see in there very well as I don't have a lift. You're saying there's fittings behind the neck that the radiator hose goes to? Is that water pump a 2 piece part? Unfortunately I don't know my 3800 engine as well as my LS1.
08-06-2011, 04:32 PM
#11
Try starting the engine COLD...with the radiator cap off. Have someone else start it up while you watch the water level at the filler neck. The second its started, see if the water level pushes upward at all, or maybe after a few seconds you see air bubbles coming up. Usually a bad head gasket will immediately at least lift the water level a bit, followed by bubbles.....when COLD.
Have you any overheating issues at all?
Boiling over of coolant?
Your head gasket(s) might be perfect.
.
Have you any overheating issues at all?
Boiling over of coolant?
Your head gasket(s) might be perfect.
.
08-06-2011, 04:40 PM
#12
08-06-2011, 06:55 PM
#13
It over heated for the first time a couple days ago when I first discovered the problem. I pulled over and saw the K member was wet and I could smell coolant. When it warms up to operating there's a hissing sound from the right of the water pump. There's no visual dripping or spraying. If I fill the coolant back up, the level lowers again and the same symptoms repeat. Yesterday I was gonna drive it a short drive to a friend's shop to get an opinion but it was idling terrible. What do I have to do to get to these plastic elbows? Remove anything? What are they called so I could find the part?
08-06-2011, 09:55 PM
#15
this is what you most likely need https://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/C...+50060+2060016 make sure when you take them out you get all the pieces out. they always crumble and break.
Last edited by poltergeist 02; 08-06-2011 at 10:01 PM.
08-06-2011, 11:29 PM
#17
It over heated for the first time a couple days ago when I first discovered the problem. I pulled over and saw the K member was wet and I could smell coolant. When it warms up to operating there's a hissing sound from the right of the water pump. There's no visual dripping or spraying. If I fill the coolant back up, the level lowers again and the same symptoms repeat. Yesterday I was gonna drive it a short drive to a friend's shop to get an opinion but it was idling terrible. What do I have to do to get to these plastic elbows? Remove anything? What are they called so I could find the part?
If you're not getting boiling over of coolant or an instant rise in the coolant level when the engine is dead cold.....as I described how to do above.....its probably NOT a bad head gasket.
Do a coolant system pressure check.......then let us know what happened, otherwise its all guessing. But you MUST remove all 6 spark plugs before you do the test. WHY....in case you do have a blown head gasket and fill a cylinder with coolant you won't hydra-lock it the next time you turn the engine over to start it. ALSO....you will see coolant pouring out of one or more of the spark plug holes if you do have a blown head gasket and the leak is at a cylinder.
If no coolant is seen coming out, look for a drop in pressure and go from there.
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08-09-2011, 10:43 AM
#18
Pressurized the system and the leak looked like it was more under the front of the intake. So I decided to try the elbows first. Turns out the top one invisibly hidden under the intake was cracked on the inside and spraying against the block. Replaced both since they were MUSH, flushed the system and replaced with good new coolant. The Bird is back in good health! Thanks TONS guys!
08-09-2011, 11:44 AM
#19
Pressurized the system and the leak looked like it was more under the front of the intake. So I decided to try the elbows first. Turns out the top one invisibly hidden under the intake was cracked on the inside and spraying against the block. Replaced both since they were MUSH, flushed the system and replaced with good new coolant. The Bird is back in good health! Thanks TONS guys!
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04-04-2019, 09:40 PM
#20
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Pressurized the system and the leak looked like it was more under the front of the intake. So I decided to try the elbows first. Turns out the top one invisibly hidden under the intake was cracked on the inside and spraying against the block. Replaced both since they were MUSH, flushed the system and replaced with good new coolant. The Bird is back in good health! Thanks TONS guys!
hey how did you get those elbows off?!