I've been stumped with a leak of the Antifreeze in my 2006, Buick Lucerne. After watchung your video, I realized that a few years back my Son & I replaced the Tensioner and I do not recall replacing the 2 elbows. Hence, I'm thinking, maybe that's where my leak is coming from. It leaves a water trail where ever she goes! Lol I'm going to attempt to replace those 2 Elbows and hopefully this fixes the leaking problem. The 2006, Lucerne has the Battery under the back seat. I just turned over the 308,000 Miles on the little treasure!!! I would Love to get another year out of her! Great Video, Great Job! I'll let you know if this fixes the problem! From NW Pennsylvania, thanks again!

Thank you for recording and posting this valuable educational video.

I just completed this for a friend. 2000 Buick LeSabre, 3800. He said he heard a noise and thought he ran over something on the road. It was parked in a parking lot. I have a handyman truck filled with everyone might need for an array of jobs so I went to the car for unit inspection. I wasn’t aware of these 90degree fittings for the heater hose system. So I suspected radiator and it passed a pressure check so in further investigation I noticed two holes with broken pieces of plastic in the holes in the intake manifold and a hole in the tensioner housing. I thought how odd but ok. So I pulled up a video on YT and it showed the removal and replacement of these fittings . Oreilly’s had the replacement parts in their Dorman section and they were metal. I didn’t trust their o-ring so I bought a tube of high heat silicone. Once back at the car, I removed the belt then the reservoir then the tensioner then the bits and pieces of broken plastic out of the water holes. I cleaned those holes out real good( wire brush, 800 sandpaper), I then applied high temp silicone to the O-rings and installed one end into the tensioner then inserted the other end of the fittings into the pump housing and intake. Then the rest of the parts. Filled radiator and reservoir with dextron II and started the motor and let it run until the thermostat opened and no leak any where. I drove the car across town at 65 for a half mile and three stop lights/signs. No leaks and gauge stayed out. Parts including antifreeze and tax$49.00 , time 2 hours.

As a mechanic my self, I find your videos soothing. Watching you do your thing and appreciating your techniques. -im a fresh AnP technician here in California although my career is in aviation I can appreciate all types of mechanical work.

Most of the aftermarket tensioners I've seen come with new elbows. The only one I've seen that doesn't is the Genuine GM tensioner. Way to go, GM!

my guy, ive watched maybe 10 videos about the "great" 3800 series... I absolutely love your video. got an 09 Buick lacrosse with the same headaches/leaks.

I appreciate the time you take to make these videos! One thing that I have found doing that repair of the heater bypass elbows. Someone put the wrong bolt to hold down the alternator over the rear valve cover and punctured aa hole in the valve cover.

Nice video. I'm surprised at how much I enjoy seeing the actual wrenching over before and after shots. Thx.

I have to replace the low pressure power steering hose in my 2008 lucerne with the 3800 III in it. I guess I will be also changing out the coolant elbows too. I noticed the bad position of the p/s reservoir when checking the leak. So, If I am going to do all that I might as well replace my valve cover gaskets too. I think they are leaking a bit and I have a set I bought a while ago. I enjoy your videos and thank you.

the 3.8 was a sturdy little engine other then there plastic tubes and ign coils ,had three Buicks , they rusted away but that motor was still running well.

I certainly hope your making a good dollar on these jobs, you definitely deserve a good buck.

Very nice💥🛠

This is not the first example when an aftermarket provider offers an upgrade to OEM parts. VW had the same issue with their coolant hose flange, and they refused to offer a metal alternative. I wondered at one time if they were concerned about galvanic reactions where dissimilar metals are in contact with water. In any case, plastic can't take the kind of heat deep inside an engine. Dorman to the rescue, ha ha!

Take it from experience, those Dorman o-rings don't last. The elbow themselves are okay but I would replace with AC Delco o-rings, better yet just replace the whole thing with AC Delco elbows. The Dorman o-rings last about two years then they begin to break down and leak.

Atleast they aren't plastic like the series ll. But if the metal leaks too that isn't a good sign lol

Very good video, although I think my problem is in the dashboard I hear fluids slushing around. Wondering how much fluid I can put it in without it leaking out of the footballs. Haha 😢

My 3.8 is set up totally different.

Does anyone else replace these doorman elbows orings before they put them on. Every dorman elbow one I have used the oring turns to mush and fails in a year or two and they leaked again. The aluminum pipe is fine but the orings are not up to the task. I wonder how many shops lost a customer because they start to leak again and the customer does not go back there. Would AC line (Green) or Brown Orings work better? On the last one I did the dorman orings went in the trash and I did try a generic oring from a harbor freight red box kit and that hasn't leaked yet but its only been on there a few months.

Cool show. Didn’t the series’s 3 3800 come with upgraded steel elbows?

Where are you located at I need a good mechanic

That is a dumb design. I also don't like when the timing cover is the back of thd water pump housing. That said, l have no idea what this could look like if done differently (better). One good thing though is at least the water pump isn't under the timing cover like that POS 2.7 liter Mitsubishi V6 used on a bunch of Chrysler products 15-20 years ago.