Excellent! love the new format want to actually see how you remove/install, the tools used, the procedures, wonderful I love more please kudos kenny

Most common flaw on one of the best engines ever built. Thanks for the video!

Thanks for that. Loved it. 👍

Thanks for the flashback. I've owned several of those gm 3800. Always a great power plant. Reliable and fuel efficient. Always got 22-24mpg in town and 28mpg on the road. It's a shame what GM has replaced that with! Thanks for the content. Thanks for the cont

Another good show Kenny. Keep the good stuff coming.

Man those 3.8s are best six bangers GM ever made.

Had a junk yard full of 3.8 gm cars before the second crankshaft design, they did finally get it right.

Excellent

Nice cleaning idea. Installation was thorough.

Your step by step instructions are easy to follow

Great video. I started out with Craftman tools and have migrated over to Harbor Freight as well.

If you do a "do it your self" series, always put the year make and model in the descrition.

Thank you Kenny

I hear ya on that power steering pump. I had to replace the power steering pump on my mom's 2003 Impala LS with the same engine. What a nightmare to pull the power steering pump out as well as trying to fill it when you're done installing the pump. I had to purchase a long flexible funnel in order to fill the power steering. I didn't care if I overfilled it once all the air was out of the system because it was such a pain. Great in depth video on how to change those two coolant elbows. I wish I had your video on how to do it. I had to use a Hayes shop manual and figure it out myself.

Learning so much from your videos. Thank you so much. I’m retired and now have time to do the basic maintenance on my cars and love learning more about automotive troubleshooting and repair. I went to a local automotive school and they want $35,000.00 to teach me brakes, suspension and steering …. You are a much cheaper option.

🔧It's always funny to see someone using a screwdriver 🪛 when they probably have an expensive hook and pick set specifically designed for the job.🛠

🤘😎 I just did a 2000 century. Plus the dang timing cover... YEAH AFTER I did the elbows 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

I am guessing these big alternator vehicles have ABS and wheel braking traction control that draws a huge amount of current for a short time when activated without depending on the battery. Big current requires big wire in the stator and field windings of the alternator and higher capacity diodes - ergo big size. So an alternator rated at 40-60 amps continuous can also output the needed 160 amps for a few seconds without frying.

Most backyard mechanics who do not do this work for a living can get good parts and tools from Harbor Freight. I have most of my tools and testers from there. It is a different game plan if you do it for a living.

Kenny I was told via a Buick website/forums that if you use the aftermarket coolant elbows to replace the damaged plastic ones to beware that the sealing "O" rings that come with the kit (Dorman) can fail. They recommend purchasing a set of factory OEM sealing rings and then apply them to the aftermarket aluminum coolant elbows. Have you had any issues or any comebacks due to a leak????? I did this job on my 3.8 05 Buick about 2 years ago, no problems. Thank you Kenny.....Pete

I would recommend the aluminum type plastic and heat dont work well together I did one on my pontiac gtp grand prix

Glad to see you didnt use RTV on the O ring like i have seen and when rtv is used in the right place people go way over board

Good job man

👍😎👍 Thanks ..

Thanks for sharing. New subscriber.

A dental pick comes in handy.

Craftman have a lifetime warranty found at a yard sale in bad shape took them to sears and got new replacement

You should write a book called "Stupid Designs done by Automotive Engineers".

My comment to you Kenny is why don't you have small "J" hook type screw driver that takes out lot those small "O" rings etc if you got that screw driver in there the other tool work perfectly they are available at harbor freight tools etc.im surprised you didn't use one on that 3800 engine, mmmm.

I believe they used plastic elbows in these yrs of 3.8 instead of the older front drive 3.8 that used metal ones as they were known to corrode,, perhaps as n upgrade from metal ( black metal elbows )

My son has had an olds 88 with the 3.8 for several years. Wondered where the power steering res was hiding. One of these days that motor is going to purr down the road, leaving behind him and a pile of scrap metal that was the car chase.

Do you remember the aluminum quick connect fittings for coolant pipes on GM manifolds? I remember cutting and chiseling those out on the 3.1 fwd models. Actually bought a tap to clean up the threads afterwards.

Anyone says that's a bad engine apparently doesn't do maintenance.... Those 3800 is a golden staple of a engine...ya it has minor stuff but all is very cheap to repair and that GM has ever made and fkd up when they went to the 3.6L

White silicon spray grease is a better lubricant to fit "o" rings & lots of other applications on vehicles & around the home (sticky drawers & the like)

You know your sniffles like I do

I'm still using Craftsman! At least until whatever tool needs to be replaced. Getting replacements is challenging.

PWR STR Pump location . Ya sometimes I think Engin-M-Neers say , "I haven't designed anything just plane dumb in a while to mess with Mechanics . Let's do this ! "

Hey Kenny, at 15:10, what is the part number or description you would look up for that O-ring that you replaced? thanks

I had that wxact same thong i replaced with the steel typeplasyic sucks

Those plastic elbows were on the Impala funny thing is the hours you got to charge for a 6 dollar piece

Used automotive tool pick and hook form Harbor Freight

I hope you have a much better experience with Dorman products then I have had.I have experienced a near 100% failure with their products all failing within 1 year of installation.I would be happy to list the items that failed, but only if you really want to know.

If I may, what parts store do you use, online or local store?

Mom's car did the same thing

Anything stupid that GM does… I believe it.

Those are horrible engines. I had one and it only lasted 500,000 miles.

transgo?

Don't go banana's! 🍌

If that belt has been saturated with coolant for a while, and it looks like it has been, then it won't be long before the belt starts to come apart. You aren't doing your customer any favor but not wanting to change the belt because it is a little more difficult than the normal serpentine belt.

Note to self: Don't buy one of those Buicks.

What a piss-poor design. So many things just don't make common sense.

I have an 2012 ford flex Ecoboost turbo. Engine overheats and it was leaking,but the past two days it stopped leaking. I only had the car for three months months now and the fan never worked. Yesterday 01/24/23 it cut on for a while but it back not working. Is it possible that my none working fan is the reason for the overheating causing it to leak?

Wow a battery powered ratchet! Mom and Dad bought a air powered 3/8" ratchet for my graduation from Vo-tec. What time saver! Unless ya run it into the backside of radiator while doing a water pump replacement. 😏