God love you Kenny. I agree with you as you said "If you did something stupid, just tell me". Those were or are the best words of advice on this video. You certainly have a lot of patience for stupidity of others. Great video!

Whenever I have a customer tell me they need a ________ changed, I always ask them why. Usually whatever it is they want changed wouldn't address the issue they're concerned about, and if I followed their order I would end up catching $#!+ for the issue not being resolved. So the hard part is telling them, without hurting their feelings, their drunk uncle's diagnosis was wrong. Usually saves them a lot of money as well.

I love the people that tell you it was their brothers wife's father's sister's husband's Grandfather that was working on it last instead of the truth .. People are complicated .. Lol.

Learn something every time Kenny

U are a hell of a mechanic we need more mechanics like u sir honest and a real person also old school too keep wrechin sir

Kenny I own and have worked on these 3.8 Buick. I replaced the plastic coolant elbows with the aftermarket aluminum ones. I was told that the rubber seals on these aftermarket seals fail and you need to use the old OEM seals, or buy gm seals or they will leak. What are your feelings/experience when doing this job??? I haven't had an issue reusing the factory seals and it's been over a year now. I also flushed all the gm fluid out and replaced it with Prestone green long life fluid. I heard gm fluid can play havoc on the sensors. I also did the infamous intake manifold gaskets when I was that deep..Love your work...I learn alot of common sense

I enjoy the videos. I learn something and get reminded something each time. I became a gun-ho DIY’er back in 2015 after experiencing nothing but poor quality work and service. I enjoy learning as much as possible 👍

I use a local, locally owned shop. The founder still works there. Frequently I wait there while the work is done. People will bring their car in, tell him what's wrong and what they want done . He will listen then ask if they might like him to check to see what the problem is. Some do, some don't. I do, even when I know what the problem is. He knows more about cars than I do.

Those elbows on this particular engine were very common.The plastic Intake manifolds we're also very common for dumping coolant in the engine.

Focusing tip: When recording with a phone, and it just wont focus on the distant spot/item... touch the screen with your finger on the part you want to be in focus. The lens will adjust.

On the metal pulleys, you can replace the actual bearings on those by pressing them out and pressing in new one's, but the plastic idlers and tensioner pulleys are not replaceable, since the plastic is molded over the bearings themselves. Most mechanics won't bother, but I have done it a few times in a pinch. Keep up the good work, Kenny.

Thanks for another great video Kenny-always learning with you.

I am new to your channel and I am really enjoying your work!

Thanks for these videos.

I can't believe they didn't see that hose leaking

It's my impression as a non-mechanic, average consumer that when they say "you need a water pump," what they mean but don't say is "You have an issue related to the coolant in the general area of the pump. We'll need to invest man-hours to see exactly what the problem is and we warrantee the work -- the only way this job would be profitable for us is to replace the most expensive item of all the items that could potentially be the problem. If we get in there and find it's a cheap fix like a hose, a clamp, etc, we'll replace that too, but you need a new water pump so we can make sure the job is profitable."

Kenny, this was a very interesting video to follow up to the one on the tubes you just did!

Same here . Bought my own tools, haynes, chiltons manuals, 70 retired lineman diyer. God bless America.

Problem is there's people who do "stupid stuff" who are not intelligent enough to know "don't do that."

Great as usual

the problem with shops these days is that they want to change parts that dont really need to be changed . Sure sometimes its better to change the part even if its not done yet to avoid finally change it sooner rather than later but you got to use your common sens on how long certain things can last even if they are aged depending on their current condition which most Mecanics dont do anymore . . like that tensionner for exemple , most shops would change the entire tensionner rather than changing only the wheel on it or the berring inside the wheel not even taking time a second thought to see if changing the entire thing is unecessary . Like another channel that i see on KZfaq called the Rainman Ray's Repair who actually does that all the time . Very good mecanic but its obvious that he has no knowledge about how parts are still good and will last long even if they have a high millage . On certain jobs i agree that its bettter to change some parts even if they are still good but in my case thats because of the time consumming it would take to go back and change that part later since you have to go to the same previous process . Like changing a hydraulic timing chain tensionner if you are going to do that you might as well change the timing chain as well as the guides cause it will be the same job over again if one of the two fails weeks or month later . unlike certain parts who take very little time to change even after a big job . Thats called common sens .

As a retired spanner spinner I'm like you if you bring me a vehicle that you tried to fix just tell me what you have done makes my life easier & your wallet a whole lot heavier & likyou said we all make mistakes thats how we learn.(still work on the family vehicles.Cheers Kenny the way you go about fixing simple things should teach the budding DIYers the right way.

I've learned self-diagnosis is critical. Not just for vehicles, but in anything mechanical/technological. I'm a DIY mechanic because I don't trust most mechanics. Wish I knew how to find a mechanic like Kenny. I just want someone I can trust to fix it right, not use crap parts and not screw me.

I think it’s important to listen but run your own troubleshooting, so when the repair happens you’ll know it’s fixed.

I wish this man was my mechanic. Greetings from N.Y.C....

Thank s!!

All that nasty dirty grease reminds me of working on my Montero sport. It sat for years and they had the valve cover gaskets replaced because the oil was killing the alternator and starter over and over. I replaced the camshaft seals and fixed it. The harmonic balancer bolt was loose and the balancer and crankshaft timing gear were trashed. Oil and working outside can really suck!

Good man

Don't pay attention to the comment below. The only thing I wish you would do is improve your recording ability so you can have both hands free while you are showing us what you are finding. You have great content and I learn stuff from watching you. Thanks!!!

People that don't care enough to do regular maintenance and check fluids are going to end paying big money to repair there vehicles the car comes with regular maintenance schedule.all they have to do is read it and do it.

you have a fair complaint there. we all need to develop the humility to tell the guy what you tried and may have screwed up or not.

Bought my '03 Forester with the seller claiming it needed head gaskets. Turns out, the lower radiator hose clamp had broken on the non-adjustable side. Don't have a vehicle diagnosed over the phone!

Did the customer talk to you when he brought it in or to a service writer or another mechanic? If not you have no complaint Kenny. I know your frustration, but it's part of the profession as you should know by now.

Your a good mechanic. No B S .

Lack of communication/maintenance and week end warrior , lolol under the hood! Step by step by Kenny! Hey Kenny had a friend with olds with that engine,he was told ,head gaskets local shop! Coolant leaking big time ,oil contaminated! Told him let's ck it out together and see ! That elbow was gussing out and into intake cavity,oil ! Changing elbow ,better than head gaskets! Live and learn with Kenny!

They started the job based on general guesswork. Without testing. They started getting into it and realized what you realized. There were other causes of coolant loss that were beyond their feeling comfortable tearing down. They stopped. They decided to have you figure it out and take responsibility for everything going on , finding it, and curing it. They figured, perhaps, get a water pump replace labor price, then include all the responsibility on your standing behind your work. They don't discuss much, because they need you to accept it to work on. Then play it by ear. Can you blame them? They're hoping you figure it out for them. If you want the pump replaced to be part of why you stand behind it? They provided one. I've seen this from time to time. I've also seen people cook an engines parts and then try to make the mechanic marry it. The mechanic having a working nose, says wait a second here, there's going to be much more than meets the eye. Every part has exceeded the high for serviceability. Let's consider this a little more and no, it's not just a straight forward deal. There's more to find, perhaps. He leaves his estimate open-ended.

Be original bearings that are on the tensioner and idler pulleys is only a small amount of white lithium grease. If you pull that greasy lout and adds some wheel bearing grease that bearing will almost never ever fail.

JUST CHARGE THEM FOR IT! but yes it would be nice to get the whole truth and nothing but! In the long run it makes everyones life a WHOLE LOT easier....

The belt melted on the tensioner from fiction because the pulley part was not moving

If I remember there is a plastic pipe on the alt bracket also

😎👍😎

Looking at the cap! I think someone has dumped copper stop leak in it. Just my guess.

With these GM's if the pump is bad it'll rooster tail coolant to the shop ceiling 😁

The rule was if you messed with it, the shop charges you twice as much...

I HATE when customers 'bogart' information!

It's actually called left hand thread.

Where is your shop located ?

with no serpentine belt, the battery wouldn't get charged, right?

Looks like it could use a cooling system flush.

Oh they knew what they was doing it was to hard for them or the wife caught shadtree joe working on it and said joe get out of there you dont know what you are doing let Kenny fix it

It's not a 3.8 it's A 3800...there is a difference

THEY NOW MAKE ALUMINUM REPLACEMENT ELBOWS

Why don't you steam clean filthy engines like this one first, just wondering?

I've done a lot of stupid stuff. Do you really want me to tell you about it???😊

Nothing wrong with being anal when searching for problems and wanting a correct repair, wish that a lot of other fokes would stop loading the parts cannon prior to knowing what the hell was going on.

Why don't you use a mechanic's stethoscope,? Much better than a screw driver....

OK we get it! stop saying your better than anyone else