another thought on Kruggerands buick 3800 II problem

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

kruggerand - 26 Sep 2004 13:52 GMT

Been looking at december and january 03 and 04 and there are a great
number of posts that discuss the intake manifold and gasket.
Apparently this manifold can warp or the gasket can leak.....if either
happens would this give the appearance of a ...blown head gasket or a
cracked block...as all three would appear to put fluids into a or
multiple cylinders?

Still working on this even though they the dealer says it is a crack
that found in the cylinder wall and when they heat it with a small
torch it leaks.

Some how lack confidence in this latest diagnosis.

Thanks for your thoughts

Kruggerand

Reply to this Message

John Reece - 26 Sep 2004 14:09 GMT

Doubtful. Bad intakes are notorious on those engines, the dealership I
work at probably replaces one manifold a week, and reseals 3 or 4. If
they knew anything about what they are doing, they would know if it was
the intake..

Finally on the '04 models, the plastic plenums have been replaced with
metal ones.. Good for the consumer, not so good if you ask the
technician ;)

> Been looking at december and january 03 and 04 and there are a great
> number of posts that discuss the intake manifold and gasket.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Kruggerand

Reply to this Message

shiden_kai - 26 Sep 2004 16:24 GMT

> Been looking at december and january 03 and 04 and there are a great
> number of posts that discuss the intake manifold and gasket.
> Apparently this manifold can warp or the gasket can leak.....if either
> happens would this give the appearance of a ...blown head gasket or a
> cracked block...as all three would appear to put fluids into a or
> multiple cylinders?

I can't remember seeing a GEN II engine with a cracked block.
Doesn't mean it can't happen, but the introduction of coolant into
the cylinders on these engines was much more likely to be a result
of the intake gasket warping. Kinda like this picture.

http://members.shaw.ca/ianrmac/Images/3800.JPG

> Still working on this even though they the dealer says it is a crack
> that found in the cylinder wall and when they heat it with a small
> torch it leaks.

Have you gone in and asked them to demonstrate this to you?

Ian

Reply to this Message

Full_Name - 27 Sep 2004 03:36 GMT

>> Been looking at december and january 03 and 04 and there are a great
>> number of posts that discuss the intake manifold and gasket.
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
>
>Ian

I'm thinking that at this stage in the game it might be prudent to get
some legal representation (or even just some legal advice).
If details are as presented here then you will likely have some
recourse if you handle it correctly.

It is important for your sake, other people visiting the same garage's
sake & for the public's trust in dealerships that there be a
relatively high degree of integrity in the service dept.

When I was apprenticing I can't begin to tell you the number of chev
305's that were brought to us after being diagnosed with "bad cams" at
other shops that we subsequently fixed with simple repairs like new
fuel pumps & repaired valve springs.

It's possible that there was a cracked block, but like the other's
were mentioning if combustion pressure is leaking into your coolant
you'll be blowing hoses off & destroying parts of your coolant system.

PS did you authorize them to magna flux your cylinder heads? I'm
assuming that they had to fully disassemble & acid was them prior to
the test. Which is a LOT of work for a street going car... I'm
seeing $$$$.... as I've never seen a non-race engine magna fluxed.
Heck we used to put old VW diesel heads on with minor cracks we could
see! with no ill effects. Just sounds fishy that's all.

Reply to this Message

Eightupman - 27 Sep 2004 21:48 GMT

> When I was apprenticing I can't begin to tell you the number of chev
> 305's that were brought to us after being diagnosed with "bad cams" at
> other shops that we subsequently fixed with simple repairs like new
> fuel pumps & repaired valve springs.

For every one that was repaired that way, I have seen a dozen with #7 or #8
cylinder rounded lobes. Some exhaust, some intake. I bet the whole valve
train was crappy due to the emission requirements. I remember reading that
is was mostly due to poor design of the oil passages supplying oil to the
back of the motor....not to sure if it was the same motor I am thinking of
or not.

Reply to this Message

Eightupman - 27 Sep 2004 21:52 GMT

Sounds like a con job to me. I have recently found out that dealerships (at
least here in my area) do not supply the proper diagnostic tools for thier
technicians. The techs have to supply most of the "common" items like
compression testors, vacuum gauges, and leak testors. If these techs do
not have the tools to properly diagnose a problem, then I can see why they
would jump right to the biggest job that will cover all the diagnostic
bases. And make them some money on the side.

> Been looking at december and january 03 and 04 and there are a great
> number of posts that discuss the intake manifold and gasket.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Kruggerand

Reply to this Message