heads on a late-model...sorta O/T, but not completely...

[38Chevy4door]

I'm trying to get the old daily running to sell...it's a '95 Pontiac Bonneville, and either the heads or head gaskets went (LOT of water in the exhaust). If it turns out the heads aren't cracked, so it's just the gaskets, should I still have the heads checked for warpage and machined down a little to ensure flatness? I assume if I should, I need to completely disassemble, true? Seems there'd be a lot of places for metal shavings and dust to get if I didn't...

The reasons it's not completely O/T are: 1- the same info would apply to old heads, too, so it's good information, and 2- my wife said, if I'll just fix the thing, sell it cheap and get it out of the way (it'll be a decent car once this is taken care of), I can apply the money to the '38! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Yet another reason I love my wife!

Thanks,
Steve

[Deyomatic]

I would say, you don't want to have gone through all this to put warped heads back on and have to do it again, right? I imagine you might be able to check them while they are assembled, or bring them to the machine shop while they are still assembled and have them tell you if it needs machining. Then, if it's good you won't have wasted time taking it all apart.

[38Chevy4door]

That's what I was figuring, but I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to go to all the grief if it was definitely a waste of time, effort, and money. You got that right, though...I'll scrap it before I'll do this again...I think engineers are paid bonuses for each extra part you have to take off to get the real part you're after...

The notion of having them checked while still assembled is a good idea.

Thanks,
Steve

[Deyomatic]

Yeah, they'll let you know if it is a problem having them assembled when they check.
Make sure you take it to a reputable shop, hopefully they won't lie to you and say your head needs work if you don't.

[choprods]

If your engine has the black plastic intake manifold -THAT - is the problem......see GM dealer bulletins- they had an EGR tub ran thru that fails and warps the intake allowing coolant either to leak on outside of intake and be seen or inner,resulting in filling cyl [or worse] oil pan with coolant/damaging or destroynig the engine usually- they sell a redesigned intake[metal] to replace the "mistake"intake. sorry to bear bad news.....

[Joes50]

I just went through the water in the oil routine with my Mom's 96 Pontiac Grand Prix SE. It turned out the intake manifold gasket was leaking water into the oil but since I was in there I decided to remove the heads and have them check out....the heads were fine. A new gasket set, spark plug wires, spark plugs, oil and filter and she was back on the road.

Last year I went through the same ordeal with my 91 Lumina but that turned out to need the heads gone through since some of the valve guides were sliding away from the pressed in fit on the aluminum heads and were about to start hanging the valves open.

[MrHavard]

i was at the dealer with my 97 pontiac the other day and they said my intake was leaking as well..

[38Chevy4door]

Well, bleep! It does have the black plastic intake. Sounds like I pulled the heads for nothing...I thought that was the ONLY thing that could get coolant in the exhaust (well, you know, reasonable). It now becomes an issue of should I put it all back together, anyway, in the hopes it's the intake gasket?

If it's just the intake gasket, I'm good. If it's the intake itself, or if it damaged the engine, I did all this, and it's still scrap. I'll try to find some information on the GM bulletin, price out the gasket sets, the intake (I'd bet good money I won't be going that route!) and see what my options are...

I think there's a lifespan on these engines, anyway...the first one spun a bearing at 120K, this one is at 100K. I'm beginning to think just call the hook...

Thanks,
Steve

[choprods]

Really '38-they are a good motor- the first series 87to-93-4 had an alum intake- I drove one I bought at 139 thous mi to 265 thous mi and sold it to another guy. so mainly the coolant leak deal is the last nail in the coffin on gen two 3800's. I would have a tech look at the heads and re examine the area aroungd the [EGR tube thru intake] and re gasket it. the reissue to replace the old is expensive and includes a fiberglass sleeve to insulate the tube from the plastic. [I have a 94 supercharged 3800 I want to use in a project/thats why I found this much out about them.]you can install them frt to back with an s10 trans from a 2.8 in a http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif"traditional-rear end car"