3800 Series III N/A coolant elbow replacement.

[dan]

so your car is leaking coolant somewhere from the front of the engine and it seems too only happen when the engine revs up really high for example a freeway pass or when you are just winding it up! you figure out after doing a pressure test coolant sprays from the stupid plastic elbows GM decided was a good idea! they get hot and cold and they only go through so many heat cycles and they crack! or maybe like me you decided heck why not replace them with the aluminum units now rather than wait for them too spray coolant everywhere and leave me stranded.

General location of the parts
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first step is too jack up the car, put it safely on jack stands and drain a little coolant out, because coolant will come out when you do this job have a pan ready too catch any coolant that may drain. then a very important step is too remove the negative battery cable, we will be working around some high priority electrical like the Alternator.
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next step is too remove the serpentine belt especially from the belt tensoner and alternator because these parts will be removed

once you have done that you can begin removing the alternator, the alternator is bolted on top of the belt tensioner assembly with 3 bolts, you will also have too unplug the main power wire, and a small harness that clicks into the side of the alternator and once this is all un bolted it should all come off
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once the alternator is removed you have access too the belt tensioner assembly, it is held on buy 3 bolts, 15MM head, one of which is hiding sort of in a sneaky location a mirror may help you find this sneaky little bolt, all bolts are the same size.
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once you have removed the bolts its now the coolant elbows (or what may be left of them) holding the entire assembly on, if they are relatively in tact carefully take a large screw driver or a small pry bar and pull the elbows gently out of there holes, note they may brake of inside and if they do don’t be alarmed, you can fish them out with a small set of picks.
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once you have it free you don’t have too remove the assembly from the heater core hoses simply set it aside with the coolant elbows up, remove the coolant elbows (or broken bits of them) out, and clean out the sections where the new elbows will fit in with a little carb cleaner and a very super fine grit of sand paper.
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once again i HIGHLY recommend the use of the aluminum units as a replacement there is no difference in weight and cost is only a dollar or so, why be stingy about the cost when you can save yourself the headache down the road! the $1.00 difference can save the day!
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before installing the elbows lube the o rings up good with some Vaseline, this way they slide right into there respective holes effortlessly and smooth…. go ahead make the joke, we are all thinking the same thing. 😉
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the rest is essentially the reverse of removal, you may have to do some fiddling too get the coolant elbows in there respective holes, but once you have it lined up the whole assembly should just slide in, tightening the bolts back up little buy little should also help coax the assembly into place.
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once you have carefully put everything back together bleed the cooling system properly, check for leaks, then take it for a test drive and once the engine has warmed up don’t be afraid too put your foot down a few times too assure it won’t leak… then come back and have a look and check for leaks again
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if all checks out and there is no leaks, congratulations you have replaced the coolant elbows in your 3800 series III with brand new aluminom units which wont break like the plastic ones do! YAY!
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Topic

[Joeseph Mama]

very very common on them buick 3800’s… even happened to a fellow auto student who limped into the shop before class lol. I guess the upgraded metal fittings are the way to go with these.

nice repair btw. great contribution to the forum as this should be a frequently accessed repair.

[dan]

i have experienced this issue several times one of which was with my old Buick Regal, and the Oldsmobile 88 3800 we dropped into it had the same issue, and someone attempted to fix it with stop leak.

it is extremely common and i cannot stress it enough how much i recommend the coolant elbows made of aluminum, i have heard of people going through several sets of the plastic ones, here in Michigan or other northern states or Canada where it gets as cold as -25 degrees or colder in the case of canada and North Dacota, then your car warms up too operational temp 190-220 degrees, its only a matter of time and these things get hard and brittle, i was suprised how in tact the old plastic ones are given the car now has 92,000 miles on her but then again its only a matter of time or another cold winter like this years was. i like too say it like this, with the plastic elbows its not a matter of IF they crack and leak but WHEN, and we don’t want that to be on the freeway late for work, or when your taking your wife too the emergency room because she is in labor, or something like that now do we 🙂

[zero]

They make metal aftermarket replacements. Oh well I guess our customer will just have to live with the OEM plastic ones.

Note to anyone who can’t find the aftermarkets pair, make sure you replace both! Even if you’re getting the parts from the dealership. Mostly because removing the second elbow without breaking it is unlikely, secondly the other’s probably on its way out.

[Lorrin Barth]

Its fun doing a photo essay where you tear half the engine compartment apart and show off your skills. However, this sort of repair is better because it is something the average owner can do with guidance. Very nice.

[dan]

[quote=”barneyb” post=107910]Its fun doing a photo essay where you tear half the engine compartment apart and show off your skills. However, this sort of repair is better because it is something the average owner can do with guidance. Very nice.[/quote]

Thank you, yes that was my intent, some learning material for the DIY guy or gal… this job is out of a 10 in hardness i would say a 5… its not that difficult just takes some common sense and good mechanical abilities, its not like the lower intake manifold gaskets on these, and its something someone can use!

[dan]

[quote=”DaFirnz” post=107812]They make metal aftermarket replacements. Oh well I guess our customer will just have to live with the OEM plastic ones.

Note to anyone who can’t find the aftermarkets pair, make sure you replace both! Even if you’re getting the parts from the dealership. Mostly because removing the second elbow without breaking it is unlikely, secondly the other’s probably on its way out.[/quote]

VERY true, always replace BOTH of them or you will be sad when you find out you have to do it all over again! yep they have had metal ones for a little while now, they are relatively new replacement parts.

[Author]

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