# Head gasket? DIY? 98 grand prix 3800



## papashaq (Mar 8, 2007)

Has anyone replaced a head gasket in a 98 grand prix? How difficult is it? I am pretty sure it is by cylinder #6 so it will be in the back of the engine. My code ready said I was misfiring on that cylinder, so that's my guess, I have investigated it completly yet to make sure that that is the problem but just trying to get an idea. Here are my symptoms:

The wife and I went out drinking the night of the heaviest snowfall of the season, and she was the DD. Well she got stuck in our alley, and I being the alpha male said..I'll get it! So after several failed attempts she went inside and after she was gone, I just gave it..put it to the wood, back and forth trying my damnest to get out and save face, I mean I really gave it to her, smoke rolling and all. Well I am paying for my drunk ass now. The next day it was running real hot, and the low coolant light came on. After the wife came home from work and said the ther car is not right. After yelling at her for driving all the way home, and So hoping for a boil over I added coolant and water while hot (yes, I know) it stumbled a cople of times and both hoses collapsed on themselves before finally sucking up the coolant, and white steamy smoke that burned your nose to smell came rolling out of the tailpipes. After a while the car was running fine and coolant level good, and temp normal. The wife went into town and couldn't get the car started, called me out and I got her running...barily..good enought to get her home but running real rough, and that's when I hooked up the reader got the #6 warning. What do you think bad head gasket? cracked block? Coincidence with a boil over and then bad injector (yeah right if I were only so lucky). I did check the oil and it was not milk shakey, no exhaust in cooland resevior the dipstick and was steaming hot when I puller her out though. Any ideas? Like I said I haven't really dug into to her yet, but hoping to get some pointers on what to look for and how hard it would be to replace a head gasket. Thanks for any andvice or pointers in advace. 

Papa


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## oldfooter (Mar 13, 2007)

*Head gasket*

The first thing to check on the grand prix is the upper intake manifold. They are notrious to crack as they are plastic. You can have it checked for a blown head gasket with a chemical check for carbon dixoide in the rad. The 3.8 has not had head gasket problems.


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## elementx440 (Jan 24, 2007)

my last "blown head gasket job" turned out to be a cracked valve, left me with low compression and misfire codes.


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## manyhobies (Mar 18, 2007)

Papa

Make sure you do a compression test before tearing it apart.

Dan


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