Pontiac/Oldsmobile 3.8 engine

[wlkjr]

Can't you reuse the old one?

[BNaylor]

No gasket kits that I know of come with the plastic tube which is used for positive crankcase ventilation. Unless it is cracked or all bent out of shape just reuse the old one. Also, make sure it is seated properly at the end towards the PCV/MAP sensor. I reused this one with no problems. See pic.

[tblake]

Agreed, reuse the old one, just make sure it is positioned correctly in the UIM.

[597GTP]

Hey guys, finally got one from zzp!
But now my question is , what would happen if its not seated properly to the PCV/MAP sensor? What symptoms would the car have?

[tblake]

Why are you worried?

I dont think the tube where it fits into the underside of the UIM is that "air tight" per say. I don't think it really has to be. I think the only reason that tube is there is to provide constant vacuum from the center of the UIM instead of just one side.

What happened to your old one? Broken?

[597GTP]

hey tblake,
No I threw the old one away!
and the reason that I ask, is we put it back together and cranked it up and it ran for while , but at a rough idle.
Today, it wont turned on, and we had put new spark plugs in and my dad just pulled some out and he said they were all smoked and black and oily!
What can cause this?

[tblake]

Thats doesnt sound good....

Does it crank and not turn over?

What happens when you give it a little bit of gas?

Are all the sensors plugged in and vacuum lines hooked up? MAP, MAF, T-body vacuum hose, IAC, Brake booster vacuum hose....

What were your torque specs on the UIM bolts?

[597GTP]

My torque specs for the UIM where 89in/lbs or in my case did 7.5ft/lbs and the car was running on monday, but shaky and throwing alot of white smoke. Im going over now and rechecking to see if all the connections are tight. One thing that worries me is that, the previous owner said , that the car was flooded with coolant before and thats why he stoped using it.

[richtazz]

if the car hydrolocked due to coolant in the cylinders, it's possible you have a bent connecting rod, cracked head/blown head gasket, bad main/rod/cam bearings or other serious problem.

[597GTP]

Wow....bummer!
and to find out the problem , I would have to dismantle all of my hard work again?...

[richtazz]

At this point, a compression test and cylinder leak down test would tell a lot.

Low compression in a cylinder that holds pressure might indicate a bent rod due to the piston not coming up as far in the cylinder.

Low compression that bleeds off is an indication of a cylinder leak caused by a blown head gasket/burnt valve/bad rings or cracked head.

[597GTP]

hey richtazz,
and where can I get this kind of test done at?

[richtazz]

Any garage can do a compression test and/or cylinder leak down test. If you're mechanically inclined and have an air compressor at home, you can probably get the tool(s) needed through Advance and Auto Zone's free tool loan programs.