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02-08-2025, 02:23 PM
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#1 |
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Senior Member
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2002 Buick 3800
I got this LeSabre with a 3800...
Is has a upper intake coolant leak... I can not see where it is coming from... Is there any water in the upper intake plenum? It's plastic with aluminum intake lower half. I've cleaned and dried the top of the motor and it looks like its running around where the plenum and intake come together... Puddles up on top of the intake and runs down the head onto the exhaust... Tried snugging the bolts around the plenum don't seem loose, but there are a couple I can't get to with the tools at hand. The motor is in the car and not taken apart... Trying to avoid that. Only has 46000 on it... Was moms car and I'm keeping it because it gets 30+ mpg going down the highway...and averages 22... Much cheaper than the dually for tooling around town... Any 3800 mechanics out here? |
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02-08-2025, 03:08 PM
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#2 | |
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Quote:
Yes, they leak between the upper and lower intake, not a hard fix. Flush the orange garbage out and put good green antifreeze in it when you're done.
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Alan Roehrich 212A G/S |
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02-08-2025, 04:08 PM
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#3 |
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Thank for the info.
What I was afraid of... Wasn't sure there were any water passages. Should be just gaskets and time? |
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02-08-2025, 04:42 PM
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#4 | |
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Quote:
Yep. Took me a couple of hours on my Firebird. You'll have to bleed the cooling system.
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Alan Roehrich 212A G/S |
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02-08-2025, 05:32 PM
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#5 |
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Do what Alan said and make sure you check those 2 coolant elbows the GM ones are plastic and leak all the time!
24503423 elbow 12565082 elbow gm numbers Dorman makes metal ones also for replacement. Also waterpumps are bad on those and it all looks like its leaking from the same area.
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5664 GHI/SA 1985 CAMARO RED H/SA 1985 CAMARO BLUE I/SA Last edited by TOSTO RACING; 02-08-2025 at 05:35 PM. |
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02-08-2025, 07:32 PM
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#6 |
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Member
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Location: Wilmington NC
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Check the coolant elbows as stated above. That's what happened to my moms car recently. Not a difficult fix, but still a pain in the arse.
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William Kilduff 1970 Barracuda (still under construction, indefinitely) 1968 Camaro SS/C |
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02-09-2025, 02:21 PM
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#7 | |
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Re: 2002 Buick 3800
Quote:
Pump and elbows already replaced a while back... |
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