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GM 3600 Locked Up


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a1handy
User

Dec 29, 2010, 3:49 PM

Post #1 of 14 (2909 views)
GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

The other day I was involved in a road rage incident that resulted in my 99 LeSabre with a 3600 engine being hit while parked on the right front tire and side. While the police were writing up the incident the motor idled to keep the heat on for about 30 minutes or so. Once i placed the auto in gear it stumbled and misfired for a few seconds until it began to run smooth. The engine light came on and the code reads a misfire on the number one cylinder. The car sat up for about a day and when we tried to restart the motor is locked. The oil appears thick and the water is out of the overflow container. Could any of this be accident related. Could antifreeze have somehow seeped into the oil. Can anything be done at this point.


re-tired
Veteran / Moderator
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Dec 29, 2010, 4:18 PM

Post #2 of 14 (2902 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

30 minutes or so is more than enough time to cause headgasket failure if the coolant fans were not working. Or if the coolant system was compromized in the incident and coolant was lost. Remove the spark plugs and then try to crank eng look for coolant to spray out of one or more cylinders.


LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 29, 2010, 7:00 PM

Post #3 of 14 (2896 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

I believe you have a 3800, not a 3600.

This engine is not really known for head gasket problems, although it is possible. What they are known for though is the plastic intake manifold deteriorating and causing it to leak coolant into the valley below the intake. You can pressure test the cooling system and at the same time, remove the PCV valve and listen through the port to hear the pressure leaking.


Here's what it would look like under the manifold. This is one I did.






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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Dec 29, 2010, 7:05 PM)


re-tired
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Dec 29, 2010, 8:00 PM

Post #4 of 14 (2888 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

Good call HT .How soon we forget . Did dozens of them. TKS


LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH


Sidom
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Dec 30, 2010, 8:08 PM

Post #5 of 14 (2875 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

How did you verify the engine is locked?

I would also take the serp belt off and see if that makes any kind of difference...


a1handy
User

Dec 31, 2010, 10:03 AM

Post #6 of 14 (2861 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

I pulled No. 1 plug and the cylinder was full of water. Once the pressure was released the engine spins over but I have yet been able to get it to start


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 31, 2010, 11:18 AM

Post #7 of 14 (2858 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

I wouldn't be trying to start it. I'd be looking for the source of the leak.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Sidom
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Dec 31, 2010, 7:40 PM

Post #8 of 14 (2845 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

HT is right, you want to find out the problem before trying to start it. Hopefully the rods are ok after being hydrolocked.

The 3.8 intake gaskets are pretty decent and don't have the same problems as the 3.1s & 3.4s.

Depending on the mileage it might not be a bad idea to just do the headgaskets as well.... If you tear it down measure the deck clearance on all the pistons at TDC and take a very close look at the cyl/cyls that had water in them. If they are a few thousandths lower than the other pistons that would be a very bad sign....


(This post was edited by Sidom on Dec 31, 2010, 7:42 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Dec 31, 2010, 8:21 PM

Post #9 of 14 (2839 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

We weren't suspecting a bad gasket. We were expecting a bad manifold.





~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



re-tired
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Dec 31, 2010, 9:09 PM

Post #10 of 14 (2834 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

Sidom ,I jumped the gun and made a knee jerk diagnosis . Upon futher review the call is changed. HT has the answer ,I'll put my money on it...........................



If I had any Crazy


LIFE'S SHORT GO FISH


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
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Jan 1, 2011, 6:00 AM

Post #11 of 14 (2826 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

I'm not confident enough to put money on it but it's worth looking in to before going any further.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Jeff Norfolk
Enthusiast
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Jan 1, 2011, 8:48 AM

Post #12 of 14 (2822 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

If you do replace the upper intake (plastic) and gasket. It is a good idea to go a little deeper and replace the lower intake gasket also. Not uncommon to see the same problem with it that you do on the 3.1 and 3.4.
Jeff


Sidom
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Jan 1, 2011, 6:38 PM

Post #13 of 14 (2811 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

Right I was suspecting the same as well....... Just mentioned that it's way more common on the 3.1s & 3.4s.

I had just suggested that if you are going to tear it down that far, it's really not that much more work to pull the heads and considering it hydrolocked you would also be able to check the piston height..

Have on 05 3.4 I did intake gaskets & a crank seal for oil & coolant leak a month ago. We suggested the head gaskets like always & it was declined....like always... Came back a couple a days ago for an oil leak...... You guessed it...leaking from the rear head....Shocked


Hammer Time
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Jan 1, 2011, 6:45 PM

Post #14 of 14 (2805 views)
Re: GM 3600 Locked Up Sign In

With the 3.8 plastic manifold, it will be real obvious if that is the problem. There is a sump area under the manifold that fills right up with coolant before it crests into the intake chamber. This internal lake will be obvious when the upper is removed as shown in the pic i posted earlier. If the lake isn't there, then he needs to look elsewhere.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.







 
 
 






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