Just got my new car. 1998 Grand Prix GT. 3800 Series II. Thought these engines were bulletproof minus the intake gasket problems. Anyways picked the car up and it ran quiet, decently quick, and smooth. Oil was a bit black, so next day I changed with valvoline 5w30 and AC Delco filter, Started it up, everything was good. Next day i go to leave and i start it up and i hear tick tick tick, uh oh. No oil in driveway, oil full on dipstick, idle the car up to 1k the noise is gone, let it idle back down and here it comes again. I figure just a lifter tick no big deal. Today i took it on about a 250 mile trip. The tick has gotten much much worse, its loud and echos. So me and my buddy try pinpointing it. I listen at both valve covers hoping to hear it at the top of the engine. Nope. Get on the ground around the oil pan and I hear it plain as day. UH OH. We kill the engine and start it back up and its gone. Im confused. For no reason I hold it a WOT and attempt to start it, knowing its getting no fuel, I let off the gas pedal and it fires and I hear a LOUD screech. Kill the engine start it and its screeching again.....once more. Quiet as can be. According to the previous owner this engine has only had 30k put on it since it was put in. Apparantly he bought a new crate engine. The block and everything is very clean so I'm not sure whether to believe it or not. Anyone else run into this? I plan on doing a top swap off an L67 within the next month or so, so if its a lifter Ill fix it while I have the engine torn down, if its a rod knock Im just putting a GTP engine in it. Im hoping its the starter. Any input?
first of all everyone say they have intake gasket issue when they don't, will you have a gasket failure possibly it can happen but its the 3400 that has the issue GM changed the intake gasket for the 3800 in 04 for the series 3 engine then insted of making 2 gaskets they replaced the series 2 gaskets with the series 3 thus the change in design nothin got do with a flaw
probably better to ask these questions on the GP site most people here have no idea how that engine works
i'm gonna say you spun a bearing my brother did that with his series 2 NA motor but withour hearing it or anything. does your oil cap say 5w30 or 10 me personally i run 10 in both my 3800s, its not gonna solve you issue as some 3800s come with 5w30
i run 10 all summer then switch to 5 for the winter in my GP
JBO since July 30, 2001
Best way to tell is use a mechanic's stethoscope- you can get them cheap at most any autoparts store, if its the starter or the engine will be easy to tell, put the end of it on the starter/bellhousing and move toward the engine... if the sound gets softer then its the starter, if it gets louder its in the motor somewhere. Its harder to distinguish between a lifter and a rod but generally rod knock sounds more like a hollow knock whereas a lifter is much more of just a tick. If the sound has a hollow quality to it its most likely a rod.
Arrival Blue 04 LS Sport
Eco
Turbo
Megasquirt
'Nuff said
well im just gonna pull upper and lower intake and check rocker arms pushrods and lifters. just went to the parts store and got 2 valve cover gaskets, upper and lower intake gaskets, and 12 lifters, figured id get a whole set incase i find more than one is collapsed, hopefully its just a lifter. and hopefully its only one lol. 15 bucks apiece.
what gaskets are they usings for the lower are the black plastic or did the aftermarket companies change theres to aluminum too
JBO since July 30, 2001
got motor tore down, pulled lower intake manifold off and see the gasket was very slighly blown, so i didnt tear this down for nothing at least
and the one that was on there was black plastic the new one is like an aluminum plastic mix
