stovebolts
Member
Well, my 02 Malibu was leaking antifreeze and it took me a bit to find it. I was a little worried when I found oil in my antifreeze but luckily no antifreeze was in my oil.
The 3100 engines used a plastic intake manifold gasket that through time, the antifreeze eats away the plastic causing loss of antifreeze. If your loosing antifreeze, make sure you use the Feelpro gasket and not a factory replacement as Feelpro has made a metal gasket that will not get eaten my the antifreeze. Honestly, I'm surprised and disappointed that if you go to a dealer, they will put on the same faulty part and you'll be back in for repair for the same thing some time down the road. Ironically, the Feelpro gasket is the same cost as the factory replacment.
Anyway, what a job and I hope to finish it tonight. This is not a friendly little intake manifold gasket to get to. You end up having to remove the power steering pump, front motor mount, idler pully and yes, even the rocker arms and pushrods. I'm about 7 hours into this repair and just got the intake back on last night. I"m thinking I have about another 3-4 hours to button it back up. I've been told by a mechanic that has done about 20 so far, that he can do them in around 5-6 hours.
Not a fun repair grrrrrr :nag
The 3100 engines used a plastic intake manifold gasket that through time, the antifreeze eats away the plastic causing loss of antifreeze. If your loosing antifreeze, make sure you use the Feelpro gasket and not a factory replacement as Feelpro has made a metal gasket that will not get eaten my the antifreeze. Honestly, I'm surprised and disappointed that if you go to a dealer, they will put on the same faulty part and you'll be back in for repair for the same thing some time down the road. Ironically, the Feelpro gasket is the same cost as the factory replacment.
Anyway, what a job and I hope to finish it tonight. This is not a friendly little intake manifold gasket to get to. You end up having to remove the power steering pump, front motor mount, idler pully and yes, even the rocker arms and pushrods. I'm about 7 hours into this repair and just got the intake back on last night. I"m thinking I have about another 3-4 hours to button it back up. I've been told by a mechanic that has done about 20 so far, that he can do them in around 5-6 hours.
Not a fun repair grrrrrr :nag