All GM-V engines look!

[Matt Attallah]

Haha - here is your complementary blown lower intake gasket! Both coolant passage gaskets are gone - and the lady kept on just adding coolant. She thought it was "normal."

Every GM V-style engine does this. My 1989 3.1 did it and this is from a 2000 3.4 Venture with only 60,xxx miles on it. Please - I urge you - if you have to add coolant/notice the coolant is getting low find out where it's leaking ASAP!! This engine WILL have to be replaced now due to the coolant mixing with the oil.

Happy driving...

[greencactus3]

ew.....

[Jay H 237]

That oil turned into a nice froth! Even if they just replaced the gaskets and changed the oil and flushed the cooling system that motors on borrowed time.

It's also very possible to hydro lock the engine if that got into the cylinders.

Last year 2 of our 3 Saturns (a 2000 SW2 with about 70k, and a 2002 SC2 with 40k) needed the intake gaskets replaced. We noticed every month we had to add coolant to them. The low coolant light would come on at several occasions.

[sanddrag]

Makes me proud to drive a Ford

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Matt,
It would be cool to see some of the bearing surfaces if you get a chance to tear down. Camshaft and crank.
Thanks.

[Matt Attallah]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Matt,
It would be cool to see some of the bearing surfaces if you get a chance to tear down. Camshaft and crank.
Thanks.

I'd be dieing for a teardown also - but they just wanted to put in the intake gaskets and see what happens - and that got done - but guess what...

Due to Aluminum heads - ya' got a nicely warped head AND blown head gaskets (Due to overheating) The lady just wanted to save some $$ and not throw an engine at it - but we strongly recommend a Jasper engine or (lesser peferred) and good Junk Yard engine. She wants us to do the head gaskets now...so everything that I did has to come apart. Sometimes people love to beat around the bush...

When we replace the head gaskets - and it still isn't running right - than we will not to anymore work until she gets an engine - than i'll tear it down. I also really-really want to see the bearings too!!

(BTW - when was all said and done for the intake gaskets and started it - it had a nice knocking sound...and she still won't pay for an engine. She wants to put an engine in as a 'last resort.' Hey - fine by me, I still get paid how ever she wants... )

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by Matt Attallah

(BTW - when was all said and done for the intake gaskets and started it - it had a nice knocking sound...and she still won't pay for an engine. She wants to put an engine in as a 'last resort.' Hey - fine by me, I still get paid how ever she wants... )

Knocking doesn't go away with a wish does it?!? What's it sound like to you, a cashed rod bearing or an oil pump?

[kio_chan176]

my god, that is disgusting.

[Cuog]

glad i dont have that problem in my Trans Am, I havent lost a drop of coolant since i soldered the small hole in my radiator.

[Kyle Love]

Ya, thats just a bit blown

[lukevanoort]

Wow, that is an absolutly disgusting image, I can't believe the woman thought it was normal! At the very least she should have noticed the change in fluid needs! The fact that the engine does that stock is more disturbing, just get a Toyota! You can cram over 30 psi of boost into the 2JZ-GTE Supra motor with little trouble, and if a stock toyota motor or brakes die, then something is seriously wrong with the owners driving. Makes me happy that my entire family (I'm not kidding) drives Japanese cars.

[greencactus3]

Originally Posted by lukevanoort

Wow, that is an absolutly disgusting image, I can't believe the woman thought it was normal! At the very least she should have noticed the change in fluid needs! The fact that the engine does that stock is more disturbing, just get a Toyota! You can cram over 30 psi of boost into the 2JZ-GTE Supra motor with little trouble, and if a stock toyota motor or brakes die, then something is seriously wrong with the owners driving. Makes me happy that my entire family (I'm not kidding) drives Japanese cars.

well sure a supra... kinda a difference in price tho. and that was their main performance car at the time wasnt it? not exactly a venture.
and then again the amount of boost it can handle stock isnt what proves a reliable engine anyways

[Matt Attallah]

Originally Posted by Al Skierkiewicz

Knocking doesn't go away with a wish does it?!? What's it sound like to you, a cashed rod bearing or an oil pump?

IMHO - it sounded like a main bearing knock.

We've finnaly made her choose the new engine. Still haven't gotten to it - but I do have an engine from a 96 (?) 3.1 with a rod thrown out the side of the BLOCK due to a lack of oiling. I will try to get pics of them ASAP!

Geeze - For the past few months - GM has kept our garage quite busy..

[Greg Needel]

so i thought this had happened to me. I drive a 94 Buick lesabre and just recently i started loosing anti-freeze, while the little i had left was a very brown color. Upon inspection i saw both antifreeze and oil on top of the engine bock in between the rocker covers and the intake manifold. I suspected i had a bad head gasket. I took it in and all it turned out to be was the hose with a male adapter that brings coolant into the block was broken at the block(it was made of plastic). so all in all 2 hrs of labor and a 15 dollar part got me up and going again.



Matt do you know anything about transmission noise? It sounds like my auto transmission is slipping every time it goes from 3 to 4th. I am guessing that the solenoid isn't doing it's job, any insight?

[Elgin Clock]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

Makes me proud to drive a Ford

Everything but the electrical problem inclined Focus eh? lol

As for the picture: intake gasket? Is that the head gasket?


Man.. I should really know more about cars at this stage in my life than I do, I have been around them for so long.