1996 Buick Lesabre Blown Head Gasket

I've been looking for a nice used car and this Buick jumped out at me. Until I asked why he was selling it so low. $600 and 170,000 miles with new interior, and all electrical works perfectly. He told me the head gasket blew and he's moving so he doesn't have the time to fix it so he'll just get rid of it.

Is it worth buying and trying to fix because I work at Target so I'm not rolling in money.

If it is worth it what would I do to fix the problem because I'm going to try and do it myself as a project. I have rebuilt an engine before but that was for a project and I had a friend helping me, would i have to rebuild the engine?

Does anyone know where I can get a cheap but good rebuild kit?

I've been looking for a nice used car and this Buick jumped out at me. Until I asked why he was selling it so low. $600 and 170,000 miles with new interior, and all electrical works perfectly. He told me the head gasket blew and he's moving so he doesn't have the time to fix it so he'll just get rid of it.

Is it worth buying and trying to fix because I work at Target so I'm not rolling in money.

If it is worth it what would I do to fix the problem because I'm going to try and do it myself as a project. I have rebuilt an engine before but that was for a project and I had a friend helping me, would i have to rebuild the engine?

Does anyone know where I can get a cheap but good rebuild kit?

Hello

Ask a few questions before you buy the car. How does he know the headgaskets are bad? Is there collant in the oil? If there is collant in the oil was it driven this way? Collant and bearings don't mix. (it runes bearings). Was the engine hydorlocked? If it was a rod may be bent.

If the car is in good shape, and it sounds like it is, you could always put in a engine from a bone yard.

Regards

Dan

hmmm. thats a good idea, maybe i will just pulll an engine from the junkyard and work on that one.

i didn't buy the car yet, he just told me about it and i was wondering if it was even worth buying and fixing.

Thanks for yo help. l'll have to call and ask some questions about the car b4 i commit 2 buy and then i'll let you know my next move.

It might not even be the head gasket - it could be the plastic intake problem. Is there coolant in the oil? Did he drive it hot and overheat it? Does the engine turn over?

It might not even be the head gasket - it could be the plastic intake problem. Is there coolant in the oil? Did he drive it hot and overheat it? Does the engine turn over?

Hap

This is where I was going with my post. Thanks for filliing in. What year did they start putting on the plastic intake?

Regards

Dan

Hello

Ask a few questions before you buy the car. How does he know the headgaskets are bad? Is there collant in the oil? If there is collant in the oil was it driven this way? Collant and bearings don't mix. (it runes bearings). Was the engine hydorlocked? If it was a rod may be bent.

If the car is in good shape, and it sounds like it is, you could always put in a engine from a bone yard.

Regards

Dan

Well I talked to the guy and he said that there when he was driving the car it was blowing out white smoke, he didn't say from where, and then he also said there was a lil coolant in the oil so he parked it in his driveway and stopped driving it. I'm going to go check it out tomorrow morning.

So do those things qualify for a blown head gasket?
Would a rebuild kit fix a blown head gasket or my friend was telling me about something called "Heal-A-Seal Head Gasket Repair"?

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=401250&highlight=intake+leak

Check out this thread for the intake problem. Coolant can get into the oil from the intake problem and it will also blow white smoke.

These 3.8 engines are pretty tough and will go 250k plus with good maintenance. I would pull the intake and inspect it. Worse case scenario is a head job. Clean carbon from pistons with wire brush or wheel. Get a valve grind and head gasket set.

You might get lucky. Good thing he parked it right away. I bet it will turn over with the starter but be careful of hydro-lock which could damage the block. Maybe pull the spark plugs before you crank it over.

The VIN L engines with the composite intake plenums were used from 1993-1995. The VIN K engines were first installed in 1995.

Both VIN L and VIN K 3800 (3800 Series II) engines have a composite intake plenum, only the VIN K engine has the EGR mounted by the intake plenum on the back of the engine just behind the throttle body. This is the one that has the "burn out" problem!

On the 93-94 VIN L engine, the EGR is mounted remotely from the intake plenum (front of engine) and has a pipe that goes from the EGR mounting bracket to the front of the intake plenum away from water passages.

Dorman makes the replacement intake plenums for both engines and they are available at any AutoZone. The VIN L (1993-1995 ONLY) intake plenum is Dorman Part number 615-179 and usually sells for around $180. The VIN K (1995-present) intake plenum is Dorman part number 615-180 and usually sells for around $135.

Thanks that thread is very informative Hapynzap. And I will have to buy the car b4 I can pull out the intake, is there a way I can determine whats wrong when I'm just checking it out at his house without pulling anything apart?

Or will I just have to buy the car and hope for the best?

Is it even worth it?

Thanks that thread is very informative Hapynzap. And I will have to buy the car b4 I can pull out the intake, is there a way I can determine whats wrong when I'm just checking it out at his house without pulling anything apart?

Or will I just have to buy the car and hope for the best?

Is it even worth it?

If you do buy the car...I would tow it home. Do you have space to keep the car? Do you have the time to work on it?

I would buy it.

Regards

Dan

I would bring it home ,drain the coolant,change the oil,with new oil and no coolant remove the plugs and turn the engine over a few revs and then put the plugs back in and start the engine for a couple of minutes to see if its worth repairing,like the man said may only be the plenum,good luck

Just go buy it!

I'd do what auto tranny said.

I would bring it home ,drain the coolant,change the oil,with new oil and no coolant remove the plugs and turn the engine over a few revs and then put the plugs back in and start the engine for a couple of minutes to see if its worth repairing,like the man said may only be the plenum,good luck


Alright I'm going to try that but I have no idea what i'm listening for or looking for. Is there a sound or something that I should hear if the engine is good?

I read that the Series II engine did not become standard issue on the LeSabre until 1996 and that it was used a year earlier in the Park Avenue and Riviera. Can anyone confirm this? I just put a downpayment on a 1995 LeSabre and and wasn't aware of the intake problem on the Series II engines until after. :-(

This is one instance where I hope I get the older, less powerful L-engine.

Does anyone know if the same faulty intake was used on the supercharged Series II?? I bought this car with plans for doing a swap in the event the original engine bites it.

I wonder if a Series III motor from the 2000-2005 cars will bolt in or if major mods will be needed?????

What you read is correct. The 95 has the VIN-L engine and the 96 has the VIN-K. I would not worry about an engine replacement for a long time. If you take care of it, it will take care of you!
Check Year-to-year changes in the link below;
1992-99 Buick LeSabre Prices & Review (http://auto.consumerguide.com/auto/used/reviews/full/index.cfm/id/2028/)

Thanks Hot_Z for confirming what I read.

Drewet, that price is too low and the miles are too high for me to say go for it. The mechanic who looked at it may not have been a GM tech and doesn't know about the melting intake manifold problem. He may have just seen coolant in the cylinders or oil pan and blown head gasket was the first thing that came to mind. You could end up with a very expensive repair on your hands in the near future, especially if the coolant managed to work its way down to the crankcase.